One of the story I love to tell is the one of how I met my friends during the time I was serving my country. It’s one of those stories that always gets people confused at first, but by the time I finish, you will agree with me that our fate was written in the stars.
I had just arrived in the federal capital, a place that was completely new to me. I had no friends, no family, neither do I know my way around the city. The only place I knew for certain was the NYSC office, where I was supposed to submit my documents, collect my ID card, begin my assignment, and let them know that I am now a corper serving in that state.
When I got the NYSC officie, the place was filled up. Everywhere was jampacked with people, voices rising, footsteps shuffling, and endless complaints about missing documents. I stood in the crowd quietly, waiting for my turn, when suddenly a guy walked up to me.
“Please, do you have a biro on you?” he asked.
I looked at him, slightly surprised, then nodded. “Yes, I do.” I handed him my pen. Hoping he won't run away with my pen.
“Thanks,” he said, then after a pause, he added, “Do you know how many passports are needed for the signing of the document?”
I turned to look at him. “I’m not sure, but I heard some people say four.” he then handed my biro back to me.
That simple exchange opened the door for more conversation. While we were waiting, he told me about the state he came from and how he ended up in the capital. I found myself relaxing, here I was, in a sea of strangers, but somehow I wasn’t alone anymore. I found someone with who I could easily relate with.
Later, we went together to take our passport photos. There, we met a young lady who was also preparing to take hers. Curious, we asked her how many she was taking since we weren’t sure.
“Six,” she replied confidently. “I asked one of the officials.” she added.
We both looked at ourselves, laughed then thanked her. soon the three of us began talking casually, sharing jokes about the whole stressful process. She introduced herself as Shima, and at that moment, I realized something funny: I had been talking with the dude beside me all this while but had never asked for his name. Before Shima could say something else I turned to him and said
“So, what’s your name, stranger?” I said with a grin.
He laughed and replied, “Miland. And you?”
“Well, my name is Fash,” I answered, and we all burst into laughter at how we had been talking like old friends without even knowing each other’s names.
"Wait, you mean you don't know each other's name all this time you were talking to each other?" Shima asked surprising.
"Guys life no hard" Miland replied and we all laugh again.
We went back to complete our documentation, waited for one another, and then after we were all done, we walked home together. Just as I was about to say goodbye, Shima called out to me.
“Hold on!” she said, walking up to me and stretching her phone forward. “Give me your number.”
I didn’t even hesitate. I collected her phone, typed in my number, and in the same spirit, we all exchanged contacts.
That night, I called them, and before long, we were chatting nonstop on WhatsApp. From that day, the three of us became inseparable. We did all our monthly documentation together, laughed through the stress, and built a bond that felt unexplainable. It felt like we had known each other somewhere before meeting on the first day. After our one-year service was over, we all went back to our state. We still talk, and I miss them dearly
Sometimes I look back and smile because what started with a simple question, “Do you have a biro?” grew into a friendship that feels like destiny. Truly, it was written in the stars. I wonder if other people have felt friendship like this, people that just came into your life, play a very important role and then move on to the next part of life. I hope that our part meet some day.
The End.
Thanks for reading. My name is Fashtioluwa.
