FINAL TOAST

The idea was one more drink.

You know, just as we've always done, when life was heavy, and we needed some beers and friendly banter to carry on. I didn't want to think about it as the last goodbye.

Just at the end of Brook Street. In that same familiar building with chilly A.C.s, warm yellow bulbs hanging low, washing everything in a soft glow that made the night feel calm.

I jumped onto the tall barstool and reached first for the barman's attention. The barman, Emmanuel, nodded at me. He's known me for years and knows my brand for the night just by checking my mood.

"Evening sir." He greeted me.

"Emma", I called out to him in a friendly manner.

“So tomorrow is the day,” he said quietly.

I only shrugged. “Let’s not start with that.”

"So what do we start with?"

I gave him a long stare. "Dude?"

He chuckled and placed a bottle of stout in front of me. “Your boys coming?”

“They said so,” I replied, scanning the bar with my eyes.

I sat there, waiting, listening to the slow music of the legendary P square playing from the small speaker near the counter. Something old. Something soft. Something familiar, Something soothing. I joined the rhythm by tapping my foot to the beat and trying not to overthink.

It wasn't long before I felt a tap on my shoulder. I turned to see Ekemini. He surprisingly had arrived first, bursting through the door with his usual loud laugh and ibibio accent.

“Guy! You want to disappear without us finishing your head tonight?”

"Well, you guys don't look like you're going to miss me much." I smiled. He hugged me in that way men do brief, strong grips, pretending they don’t care too much.

"Why would you say such a thing?"

"Dude look at the time?"

"Sorry, bro, work was much today," He apologized. He grabbed a seat and sat down, just close to me. Then he whistles to Emmanuel for a drink. “Omo, tomorrow is real o,” he said as he settled beside me. He avoided my eyes for a second, like he was afraid a full look would carry too much emotion.

Before I could reply, Samuel walked in. Neat shirt, calm face, always moving with quiet confidence. He greeted us, sat down, and ordered a malt. Samuel was the no-alcohol guy of the group, a lonely introvert who made sure not to miss any gathering.

"Bro," He greeted Ekemini and me with firm handshakes. Then he proceeded to tap my back. "Dude, you look nervous,” he said to me.

“I’m fine,” I lied.

Chris arrived last, as usual. He looked stressed, like work squeezed him from all sides, but he forced a smile. He shook hands with us and sat down while Emmanuel pushed his brand.

“So, we send you off today,” he said.

“Send me off, yes,” I replied. “But, I’m coming back. It's just a few years of training abroad. Someone had to look after you all."

They laughed, the way friends laugh when they’re trying to hide their fear.

"To new things" Ekemini said, raising a glass.

We raised our first glasses. “To new things,”

“To the ones you’re leaving behind,” Samuel added softly.

I didn’t know what to say. My glass stopped halfway to my lips.

Most of the night was spent talking about old memories. The night we had sneaked into the female hostel in school to see our girlfriends, we got chased by security guards. The time Chris tried to impress a girl and fell into a puddle. The time we fought as a group because someone insulted Ekemini's Elder sister. We laughed, when we remembered how we had nicknamed ourselves the lollipop gang after we had appeared in school with lollipops in our mouths. We laughed until our eyes watered.

We were so engrossed that we didn't notice the bar slowly empty around us. Emmanuel kept wiping glasses at the counter, listening in silence the way he always did when we talked too loudly and laughing at jokes cracked.

Every laugh felt like a stitch tightening yet felt loose as the night progressed. Every memory remembered felt like a gentle goodbye stinging silently.

Suddenly, the music changed to “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa ft. Charlie Puth. I felt the room warmer, like the walls themselves were listening to us. We all went silent listening to it.

It wasn't long until Samuel got a call from home. He stood up and said gently. “I’ll see you off to the airport in the morning,” he said, pulling me into a brief hug.

Chris left after him, clapping my back so hard it almost hurt. “Forget about us, and we drag you back spiritually.”

Ekemini was the last to leave even though he was the first to arrive. He held his car keys in his hands, staring at them at intervals, but didn’t move or speak, even though I could tell he had something to say.

Finally, he said, “I know I've never told you this, but I'm proud of you.”

I smiled. “That's a first but thank you.” I nodded.

He nodded once, tapped my shoulders, and walked out.

And then it was just me with Emmanuel. Who was stacking chairs and switching off lights section by section leaving only the small bulbs above the counter.

He reappeared at the bar and asked, “Oga, you want to stay here till morning?”

“Just need a minute.”

He didn’t argue. Emmanuel was a man who understood silence. He sat in a corner and waited for me

I looked from the seats my friends had sat on and I could still hear their voices like they were present.