There are friends who destroy each other,
But a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
-Proverb 18:24
——————————————–
“Hello…please, am I speaking with Mr Collins John…” “Oh!!
He is not on sit.”
“Okay…immediately he comes around, tell him Adejola
Joseph called, and it is urgent.”, Joseph said before
cutting the call. Depression set in within his heart… what
was he going to do?
He had left Ondo very early that morning, he certainly
couldnt’t go back home, not to that devil of a father, that
man had ruined his life beyond measures, or maybe not.
At least he was the source of his problems…
“What should I do now?”. He took another sip from the
bottle of coke he ordered for, the last money on him was
just #2000, and he was not even sure if it would take him
to John’s office. That seemed like the only option he had.
It had been a long time he left Nigeria, and the only
person through which he could contact Funmilayo told
him this morning on phone, that she was traveling to her
fiance’s hometown to visit his bereaved mother. What a
disaster, her fiance’s father had died in a hospital the
night before.
“Is this ill-luck or fate or karma?”, he thought to himself,
as he stared at his phone for the fifth time in thirty
minutes, he was lucky to have kept his phone in his
pocket during the armed robbery attack else he would
have been totally lost…. John had sent his contact to him
on Facebook, after they chatted two years ago. He now
he desperately needed his help.
He was without clothes, needed a shelter, and he needed
a job to refund the ten thousand naira he borrowed from
his neighbour whose house he slept the night before. He
just couldn’t go back home anymore, he hated his mother
for staying with that man all these years after all he did.
He couldn’t even bring himself to call him dad again.
“Forgiveness is key, as a christian, born of God you need
to forgive others effortlessly”, he remembered his last
words as the bible study secretary of his fellowship on
campus. Here he was, the bible was like a novel to him.
Was he really saved back then? He doubted his salvation.
His phone rang “hello… Pastor John Collins, my brother
from another mother…na so I see am ohh… Ehn…no
qualms…am on my way…abeg guy. Okay, I will wait for
you.”, the line dropped dead. He felt, relieved at least he
would have a place to put his head for the night and
maybe for a long time.
He quickly made his way to the door of the restaurant
abandoning his drink, he had to get to Lekki Peninsula.
“Am Adejola Joseph…”, he said to the secretary. He had
been directed to the chairman’s office when he asked of
his friend from one of the staffs in the company, though
he was shocked, his friend was a chairman of an
accounting firm…. “It is a lie…”. And now the lie had
become the truth when he was ushered into the biggest
office he had entered all his life.
He sat down on one of the sofas, waiting for his
childhood friend whom he had been told was in a
meeting. Mehn!! Money is good…seriously money is good.
The furniture, interior decorations, the arts on the wall,
spoke a large amount of money.
Just then the door opened… “Am sorry for keeping you
waiting bro”, John said as he entered, he opened his arms
for a hug, and Joseph received it taking in the lovely
perfume,
“So, what brought the mighty lord of the musketeers to
my humble domain”, he said smiling. He missed him, it
had been five or six years they had last seen each other.
“You have grown fat bro”, Joseph said, trying to be
sarcastic, and avoiding an instant reply to his question. “I
guess that is the answer to why you are here then,
erhmm…why don’t you tell me what is up, on our way to
my house. Am done for the day by the way and we could
get to catch up on old times”, John finally said
understanding his friend’s reluctance to open up in an
official environment. He knew Joseph to be a man who
had a thing for confidentiality.
“For the record, I always knew you were meant for greater
things”, Joseph quickly said as they both made their way
to the door, while John smiled knowing the source of the
statement.
—————————————
“RCF OAU, this is the moment we have been waiting for…
erhmm please don’t touch him…”, announced the
outgoing president of the fellowship, who doubled as the
chairman of choice committee.
Standing among the newly elected executive was Joseph.
He had been chosen as the bible study. Though great,
that was not what he was expecting. James too was on
the line. He was selected to be the Awolowo hall pastor.
Joseph had laughed when he was called out, and John
too…Yes John, he was not on the list yet. But why…? They
do everything together.
Joseph’s mind wondered back to their first day in the
university…
“Can you two just come over to Biological sciences,
Micobiology department to be precise…Ask anyone naa!
Okay…I will be waiting”, Joseph dropped the call, the
three musketeers had planned to meet to discuss how
they were going to hit it off on campus. Well, with the
Joseph’s departure from Ondo, they had not been able to
talk or meet, and the only little talks they had were on
phone to check on each other and know if they were
given admission.
James applied for law. He was doing change of
institution, he wanted to be with his friends so he wrote
jamb again and after many pleas, his parent allowed him
to change his institution after two years in UNIBEN. John
applied for accounting, it was his dream job, he always
wanted to be like his father, in deeds and career, but he
had to write his professional exams before going to the
university. Joseph had applied for medicine, he was so
passionate about the course and so interested in saving
lives.
As luck or fate would have it, only Joseph didn’t get the
course he applied for, he got microbiology instead. And
after many pleas and counselling from his mother’s sister
who also graduated from the Department, he yielded.
“What took you guys so long”, he said angrily. He had
been waiting for close to thirty minutes,
“Well James here met a girl on the way and he…you
know?”, John replied trying to shift the blame to James.
“James, you really haven’t changed”, he said smiling as
he hugged his friends. He had missed them.
They decided to walk down to their hostel, Angola hall,
after spending two hours strategizing on their reading
plans and work schedules. They earned t a lot of stares
on their way as the trio were clad in blue jeans and white
round neck, customized with “the three musketeers…
“James.. John.. Joseph”….
Their part one days up until part three had been smooth
and eventful. They moved to town to live together,
attended the same fellowship.
The three of them joined the bible study subgroup of the
fellowship though Joseph was the most eloquent and
most recognised among the three…
“If they do not select me for the vice president, the
choice committee is partial”, James said, placing his
hand on his chest. “You are very funny…are you the only
one in the fellowship who went for school of ministry, at
least John was the class rep during your set”, Joseph said
amidst laughing and mocking his best friend.
“But wait, which position do you think you will be called
for?”, James asked.
“Hmmmh!! President should be manageable”, Joseph said
trying to form- “I don’t need a position attitude”
“President ko…Zonal coordinator ni!!…yeye boy”. James
said hitting his friend on the shoulder.
“In my opinion, I think God’s will is all that will be seen
today, whoever it is. They must have prayed and heard
from God, so let’s quit disturbing ourselves about it”,
John finally said after watching his friends debate on each
of the executive positions to be occupied for the next
coming session.
“Abeg, pastor John, don’t make this thing spiritual again,
we are only trying to have fun ohh”, James said standing
up and heading for the kitchen.
“Anyway na tonight we go know who is who, and John
should be one of the hall pastors, you go dey word them
for there”, Joesph said also standing up from the bed to
join James who was already serving himself a plate of
“conditional” rice…
“Rcf shall we rise to our feet as we welcome the pastor
and President of RCF OAU 2009/2010 session. Pastor
Collins Timilehin John…”. The crowd roared,
Joseph couldn’t believe his eyes…
