On my birthday, just before I retired for the night after spending hours celebrating with my friends, I received an unexpected message that made me very happy. It read:
“Hello Didi, good evening and happy birthday.
Wishing you heaven’s best
My name is Sylvester, your neighbor when you stayed at Beach.
I got your number from my coursemate *****.
He posted your picture and mentioned Didi”
Nothing gladdened my heart so much as hearing from my good neighbour after about two years🥹
Today, I’m documenting my thoughts after our phone call in form of a letter. If tomorrow we are no longer in touch, atleast I’ll always have this as a memory.
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Dear Vester,
About last night, would you believe me if I said this message was one of the best things I recieved on my birthday? I wish you could see how quickly my face lit up🥹 It’s been a long one year and some months. You crossed my mind time after time but I couldn’t bring myself to text you even though I still had your contact.
Time changes people so I wondered if you'd still be the same Vester I shared a neighborhood with. I wondered what I’d say. 'Hey Sylvester, it’s Didi'. I wondered if you'd remember me, if you’d smile at the memory of me or if you'd wonder why I’m texting you
In all I was beyond pleased to hear from you, you have no idea! This Den has been beyond boring lately and I’ve been lonely 😩 All the people I knew were leaving, one after the other. I knew Bianca - a school friend from my hometown who switched to Nursing and moved to UNEC, Dara - a neighbour from my state who is now a graduate, Simon - your friend and my one time neighbour and favourite customer but he ran away🥹😂, and a few others who aren’t necessary to recount.
I was a little nervous about last night’s call. I thought it’ll be brief, swift, short, use all the adjectives you can think of. I was obviously wrong😁 I just always panic in every situation, my bad.
Somewhere in the midst of that call, I did hear you say you know I always thought, ‘who is this weird guy?’😂
Uncle Sylvester, weird? I think of you as a couple of things but ‘weird’ is not on the list.
You were the most polite and warm neighbour in that building that I felt did not have an agenda😂 I didn’t trust any of the guys that lived in that building and I wouldn’t say I trusted you, let’s say I felt you were harmless.
I think you had the most beautiful smile😂 and that you were a very shy human being. I also thought of you as smart, I mean you used to wear glasses and you were mostly always on your laptop ( very lame reason to call someone smart, I know).
I also thought of you as nice. Writing this now, I remember exactly how you got my number. I think it was new year and I just resumed. A certain evening I saw you outside, you came to put on your generator. We exchanged pleasantries briefly and I asked you what you brought back for me, you asked me to type my number. I ended up texting you my bank details on WhatsApp and you sent me some money😌 I didn’t see that coming. Thank you again 😂
I also think you are the coolest neighbor anyone could have. It was always a pleasure to talk to you and of course, to knock on your door everytime your generator came on😂
Please, you are not allowed to disappear again🌚 I really really hope that I’ll see you again, someday, very soon.
It was really wonderful to hear your voice again after a really long while. Do take care
Warmest regards,
Didiee🤍
