Friendship

Today is one of my good days of the week; Wednesday. There is really no particular reason why i have chosen this day as a good day but i know that Wednesday is always good day for me.

I am already at work feeling all bright despite the fact that the rain almost put a blur on my very bright day. So here i am reading an article written by my friend; Uzochukwu Odonwodo who i consider almost a competitor but who has so far been besting me in most things; the law, writing , reading, research, music, poetry, name it. So you can imagine the cause of my pensive mood and why my ever beautiful Wednesday is gradually waning. Uzo is one of those friends i attended the law school with and who always kept me on my toes. Talking to him was almost like chatting with the better side of me. He was one of those lawyers who was never stuffy and who never bore me. A liberal to the very core.

The best part of my day way back then was when i sat with him over his bottle of beer, i really can't remember his brand now but i strongly suspect it Star. So why he sipped his beer and i ate my very hot indomie in the very dark night, we had our fun gisting about all the books we have read in our life time. "Don't tell me you haven't read that Wole's book" he said, "Well, i really haven't" i piqued with my mouth blowing away all the steam from my hot plate of noodles and him trying to get in forkfuls after saying he wasn't interested. "I really do not think that Wole is as much of a genius as Achebe is" I said, "what he has going for him is that he is good, admittedly and then he is Yoruba"; a most influential tribe". When i say this, i know it has a tribalistic sound to it but that is honestly how i feel about it. Uzo loves Wole, he also loves Achebe, maybe because they are from the same tribe; Ibo, i wouldn't know what i however know is that for some reason, he can't seem to make up his mind on whom he loves most without feeling like he is disloyal to the other. I'm sure someday though he will.

Back to my fears, we were never in that unhealthy competition most friends indulge in, but he had his way of making me do my best, making want to be the best. Thinking back at those days makes me wonder whether i slacked off a bit when he decided to follow his dreams to Abuja. Makes me wonder whether i have been lazy, if i have slacked off so much that if i were to meet him tomorrow i would have no accomplishments to brag about, i wonder.

There were days back in Secondary School when each time i got into an exam hall, i picked out the best student in the class wherever she was, i did this with my eyes and then as i write, i ask myself, what else could there possibly be to this question and what could Chioma possibly be writing? Chioma wasn't a friend, she was just a competitor and she wasn't even aware of it. She gave me the drive i needed each time i got into any exam hall. We barley laughed together, all we did was sustain a conversation from time to time and move on. There are times i wonder what became of her, and then i remember, i read somewhere that she's married now, to a Yoruba guy in the states and then i wonder, did she fulfill all her dreams? Is she happy? Does she have any regrets?

I think about Uzo sometimes and i smile and smile, i smile at all our very lovely days back then. We did't date, it would have ruined the camaraderie we had. We did other things; we laughed, we had drinks together, we ate dinner, we listened to music, we talked about music, we talked about novels a whole lot, we saw movies together and patted each others back when exam wasn't so favorable. We had a great time.

Those days are gone. As the tide consistently changes in my life, i ask myself, what days am i in? Where will i eventually pitch my tent? Will i go on to do great things or will i just breeze through life without leaving a mark an imprint that 'i wuz ere'? And do you know that even as i write all this and tell you my fears, the clock keeps ticking...