"Kachi, when you get to school, try to network; make friends with only people that will add value to your life." My uncle, who is a graduate, said to me over the phone since he has been there, he claims to know it better than anyone.
"But, uncle, I really like to be left alone, and I am not the friendly type of person." I responded
"Just try even if it is a few people." He responded as he hung up.
As a student who just gained admission to go to college, I had advice coming from all angles of this world, from uncles and aunties, family friends, and neighbors; everyone had a piece to share, and I was starting to regret why my parents publicized that I was about to start college too much. Some of the advice I got even contradicts each other, and so I decided to do only what I chose and only what I felt was right for me.
I got to school, and as always you have to start your clearance, moving from one office to another and paying for stuff you never knew required you to pay for them. The annoying part of everything is the queue you have to join at every office you go to. The number of students given admission outweighed the number of staff attending to them, causing a lot of holdups and delays. One Monday morning, after spending hours in a queue, I left to get snacks only to come back and someone else had taken my place.
"Hello bro, I was here before I left; can you please step back and let me take back my position?" I requested politely
"Whoever leaves the queue should be replaced immediately as no one brought space from their house." The guy who took my space responded with a harsh tone.
"Bro, that one is not going to happen because I have been here since morning. Even if it means fighting here, we will fight, but if you let me have my space back, we can avoid that." I responded harshly, touching him on his chest to show how serious I was and angry.
He later moved and let me have my space, and from there we had a conversation about football, but we never got to know each other's names; even after we started off on the wrong foot, we actually blended like it was a match made in heaven. We all got what we wanted and went out separate ways, but I kept wishing I got his number because of how we rolled and made the whole place so lively, like we were not the same people that wanted to beat each other up a few minutes back.
About two weeks later I went to my department for my final clearance and I met my unknown friend. It turned out we gained admission into college to study the same course, making it feel like our friendship was fate and destined to happen, the perfect definition of a match made in heaven. "Hey man, we meet again." My unknown friend said the moment he saw me.
"There is no queue here, so no need to fight me." I teased as we both shook hands.
"You know we did not get each other's name or phone number the other day, right?" He said
"Well, I am Kachi, and you? What is the name?" I asked
"I am Murphy, and here is my phone number; chat me up on WhatsApp." He responded as he handed me a piece of paper.
Through chats we got to know each other, and I realized it was indeed a match made in heaven. He was born and raised in the northern part of the country like myself; he speaks and understands Hausa just like me, so we bonded easily, even though we started off on the wrong foot. Our friendship blossomed way more and better than that of those that started well. He has been my friend from the start, and now we are rounding up; it was a match made in heaven.
All images used are mine.