In my secondary school days, I had a close male friend with whom our friendship sparked rumors of it going beyond the normal eyes, LOL. Coming from the same ethnicity, and language directed many eyes on us, but those days remain unforgettable memories.
Harrison is that friend that our bond remains strong till today. Living with his uncle and his wife turned his life into a living hell. Despite being a friend to me, the emotional struggles he faced at home was clearly visible to him. Harrison would often come to school looking sad and disturbed, unlike him.
The whole change in demeanor got me concerned for his well-being, so I was forced to ask Harrison the reason for his dismay. At first, he was adamant, he lacked the courage to open up but I persisted, offering empathy and assuring him that whatever he shared would remain between us.
After much persuasion, Harrison finally confided in me. He told me his uncle's plan of changing his current school to a public school due to the financial difficulties he was facing.
"This is the school I want to graduate from," he expressed with genuine concern.
Determined to help, I suggested he accompany his uncle to sell after school. Though the sales weren't booming as expected but the idea worked, seeing his zeal the idea of changing schools was out.
However, troubles continued to roam Harrison's life. While his uncle had no problem, his aunt became a major source of obstacles. She constantly accused Harrison of doing things that would result in quarrels and at the end she would starve him. This unwholesome attitude clouded Harrison's memory, making tears rolling down his face whenever he's alone.
Though unsure of what I could do, I knew Harrison didn't deserve all the ill treatment from his aunt. I couldn't help him with anything as of then but I became a pillar of support through my words of encouragement and acting like an elder sister to him. I made him feel valued and helped him understand that his aunt shouldn't be the one to hold his happiness.
As his aunt kept making matters worse for him and her, Harrison's unbothered attitude and bright demeanor confused and frustrated her. When attempts to emotionally affect him failed, she changed to starving him occasionally. Thankfully, Harrison's sales in the market provided him with some income to sustain himself.
Our true friendship was revealed during our WAEC exam. Harrison's uncle had been paying his fees until he remained ₦3,000 and he stopped. Aware of his predicament, Harrison approached me for help. Despite not working, I had saved some of the money given to me for transportation and lunch, which became a saving grace. I had saved up ₦6,000, planning to use it for something meaningful.
When Harrison informed me about the fee and the urgency due to the impending portal closure, I promised to give him the money the next day. I provided him with the money, allowing him to complete the payment.
This small act of kindness left a lasting impact on Harrison. After we all went our separate ways after secondary school, he lost contact with many friends. However, the memory of that gesture led him to actively search for my contact until he eventually found it. Despite the physical distance, our bond remains strong. I was shocked when he surprised me by crediting my account some months ago on the account of nothing but just out of kindness.
