Let me tell you a story

When I was in secondary school, there was this very nice lady who sold a variety of sweet snacks – sausages, beef and beans pies, egg rolls, both fried and baked. I can remember that sometimes my friends and I would leave class the period before break time so that we could buy her beans pie and eat when it was still very hot. Oh boy, those snacks were delicious.

Sometimes, this lady will come with her son who I think was also in secondary school. He would come and help his mum with these chores during school hours when others were learning. Sometimes I would come out, say to pee or something else and I would see him with his mum working. On some occasions, he would be around even on his uniforms. We didn’t attend the same school though but when I saw this kid back then, I would wonder how he coped with school, how he would be able to further his education with what the mum was doing but then I never gave it much thought. I was still a kid, a kid in Secondary school, I had other interesting things to do; girls, football, my studies, the playing around generally and all the other Secondary school fun stuff, so I thought. I was never really worried. Eventually, he would find his way.

Fast forward to five or six years later, last month to be precise on a Saturday, studying for my first semester exams, I was in class with a colleague of mine and this lady walked into the class with her kids, one on her back and the other, would be between 3 to 5 years of age, walking before them. They came into the class picking empty bottles to make drinks (zobo or Kunu) to sell and I thought about the the kid from my secondary school days. This time, I was really worried, bitter, I wasn’t that kid in secondary school anymore so it stuck to me for a while. I was just lost staring at them even to the extent my colleague poked me and asked what was wrong. I had to share my thoughts about the situation with her and at the end of our short conversation, who to blame was left in our minds – the parent or even society? but at the end of the day, who are we to judge? As they left the class to another one to continue with their job, I resumed my studying still worried for the kid.

And so, the evening of the next day being Sunday or could be the upper Sunday (I think) I was going to school to study as well and behold! I walked past the kid in my secondary school, the same kid skipping class to help his mum with her snack-selling job. He was carrying some books with some friends all laughing and this was in the University of Port Harcourt axis. The same kid I wondered for but was never really worried about, he was definitely a student of the university. Oh Boy! I was glad, excited and happy inside me as I walked past them. Prior to this day, I think I was in a shop getting something still in UNIPORT area and I saw someone from behind walking down about a mile away or a bit farther from where I was but I didn’t bother to stretch or look much because he had gone far. Besides, one thought came like “what would he be doing here?” On this particular Sunday, there was no reason for doubt. I saw him clearly and even walked past him. He doesn’t know me nor do I him that much, he was just an acquaintance from my school days that I saw sometimes. Some would say that it could be that he wasn’t even a student of the university. After all, it was weekend and not a lecture day that I saw him but I wonder what a guy from Agbarho in Delta State was doing all this way at a university area.

It Still doesn’t matter anyway, because what I choose to believe is that the young guy is a student of the University of Port Harcourt, a consistent and hard working guy, who found a guardian angel, who was graced and favoured, who I would definitely talk to if or when I see him again and maybe share all these with him.

And as I proceeded on my way to class, I thought of that kid I met in class while I was studying helping out his mum with bottle picking and I smiled because inside me there was this conviction.I just knew he would be alright, his guardian angel was close by.

M💝

P.S : You can always send me your comments, just tell me what you think about it. Bless up.