Throwback Stories: A great friend indeed

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 It was a very sunny day in Jalingo; but what mattered the most was the growling sound coming from my stomach. "Aha! There's the woman we bought that corn from; Yusuf abeg! Park Infront that woman, let's buy her corn!" Mr. Abdul pleaded. Ahhh! The joy I felt as soon as I saw that woman was nothing compared to the joy Mr. Abdul felt. "Joan! Are you interested in this corn?" "Before nko?", I wanted to ask but remembering where the money was coming from, I held my tongue. "Yes I do. Thank you sir".


Filled with excitement, Mr. Abdul began talking about his NYSC experience in Enugu. "Joan, hope you are enjoying your time in Taraba? I'm sure with the friends you have made, you'll love to stay with us". "I doubt that" I almost replied but instead I nodded with a smile. While eating his corn, he continued,"I remember my very good friend Ekwueme, he is a barrister now. He really made my stay in Enugu worthwhile. Because of our friendship, I almost stayed back but that was when I got this job." He shook his head with a smile.


Thinking the conversation had ended, Mr. Abdul brought out his phone and nudged Yusuf our office driver with a smile, "let me call him, I'm sure he will be very pleased to hear my voice." Yusuf smiled back at him and nodded. Dialing his number, he waited for his friend to answer but he didn't, he called the line again but instead of hearing a man's voice, it was a female voice, "Hello! Good afternoon! Sorry I must have dialled a wrong number! I was hoping to hear a man's voice. Oh! You're his wife! Madam Good afternoon! Where's your husband?! What?!" At this point, we all froze, "what do you mean?! Ekwueme is dead?! Oh no!". 


I've seen men cry but not the way Mr Abdul did. I stopped eating my corn,  so did Mr Yusuf; apparently he had lost his appetite just I had lost mine, we did nothing but just watched Mr Abdul cry. While crying, he picked up his corn and stared at it, thinking he has lost his appetite just like we did, he began eating it and continued crying. At that moment, I and Yusuf were confused. We didn't know whether to laugh or console him.


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