Twenty boys cannot play for twenty years.
This popular saying was used frequently during growing up days. It connotes the fact that we can have regular acquaintances. Some will remain with us through thick and thin while some will just have to go. There are people we part ways with in life because of differences in ideology.
I remember one of my closest guy when I went to school, far away from home. Chris, a guy from a humble background, whom I met at school, living with his parents, took me to his family home and I was warmly welcomed as a son.
In no time, I started to visit there regularly, especially during weekends. Some of these weekends, I would assist in doing house chores and even go to farm with the entire family.
Throughout my schooling period, we did everything together. In our final year, we had an eight month strike and instead of going home, I was with my friend's family for six whole days before I went home. This goes to show that Chris and I were closely related. He was closer than a brother.
After graduation and the compulsory one year service to our father land, we came back to Lagos, to seek a job. Since my parents and my entire family lived in Lagos, Chris had no issue with accommodation.
We attended interviews together and sometimes accompanied each other when one of us was not called up for a job interview. It was fun going round the streets of Lagos. I got called up for a teaching job at Lekki but Chris refused the offer, he never liked the teaching profession. For him, it was the least paying job and wouldn't want to venture.
Two months down the line, Chris was still job hunting. But one evening, as I was returning from work, I met Chris with one of those ladies at Lekki who do not leave home but live large.
Bro, is that your new catch?
I asked him but he giggled away like he does not want to discuss his private matters with me.
Before long, my dear friend, Chris opted to get an accommodation of his own. All these were happening too fast for a guy who does not have a job. All efforts to discuss what's really going on with him, Chris proved defiant.
About a month after he got an accommodation of his own, Chris bought a car worth tens of millions. I was scared and had to report to Máléé (that's what we called his mom while I was in school). She promised to intervene but before long, Chris was arrested with some other guys in possession of hard drugs.
The case was reported on national dailies about how the NDLEA busted a cocaine syndicate in the Lekki axis of Lagos. My dad stepped in and sought assistance from his friends until he was bailed. After his release, my parents warned that my friendship with Chris had to stop because he could be a bad influence.
It was a dilemma to still be with Chris and to heed that advice of my parents. Despite my dad's grounds on my relationship with Chris, we still chat sometimes until he left Nigeria for Ghana and later to China.
For almost eight years, we couldn't reach each other but about three months ago, I got a call from Chris. I was happy to hear that he was the one but this time around, he was arrested at Beijing for a drug trafficking related case. He wanted me to reach his old mother who has since relocated to the east.
I didn't see myself relating a matter of the degree to the old woman. I called his older brother and informed him about Chris. I am glad that I trusted the process by picking up the teaching job and did not yield to the desire of getting rich quick through illegitimacy.