An agreement that almost caused our failure || Creative Nonfiction #30

If there is only one thing about me, it is to keep an agreement sealed and not go back on my words to the other party because I detest disappointing someone, and I wouldn't enjoy people doing that to me either. My friends knew me for something before we graduated from the University, and that is keeping to words and not trying to find my way out of it or giving excuses, if I wouldn't do it, I would immediately show my disapproval and if I am in, I am all in.

I found my friends at the university and we were together as one. We did things together and there was no day people do not take us to be siblings from different parents with how we took up tasks together. The first friend is named Cecelia while the other is named Tosin. I first met Cecelia on the first day of school when I was processing my registration as a fresher, and on this day, we had our first lecture. It was after the lecture, I was asking around for a particular office when she came by to show me the way and that was the beginning of our friendship. I got to know we bear the same native name and that made me happy that I have found a good friend, plus, she is so intelligent and that makes us perfect for each other. I have never wanted a dull person as a friend because I wouldn't want to have someone who will fully depend on me to always share my knowledge during examination just as it happened some years back with a friend I had to cut ties with because of her bad influence on me.

For Tosin, she was given admission late and it was already three weeks to the first semester examination. Cecelia knows her well and it was through her, I met Tosin who, we help in registering all that she needed to and also trying to make sure she catches up with all missed lectures before the exams started. It was hard for her as she almost carried a course over but thank God, and with the help of I and Cecelia, she passed all courses. Our friendship became so tight that we kept seats for each other in class, did assignments for ourselves, especially when one of us is not around, marked the attendance, and wrote tests for ourselves and this never got us into trouble.

The agreement came into play when we gathered together one day after the first lecture in the morning. We sat under the big coconut tree situated adjacent to the lecture hall, as we would be having our second lecture in the same hall in two hours. Both I and Cecelia's house was not far from the school. Whenever Cecelia comes to my house, we both leave and would trek for 5-6 minutes to the school gate, then we can choose to take a bike if the lecture hall is not far from the school gate. But Tosin lived at a far distance and would have to take a bike directly from her house to the school gate, then she takes another bike as there are recognized bikes that are meant to enter the school campus aside from external bikes.

We checked our timetable and discovered we would be having a lecture the next day by 7 am and the lecturer was a strict man that takes no nonsense from students. His principle was that once he enters the class, no students would come in after him and then, the door gets closed. He might decide to conduct a test that would be recorded and any student that was not around would have to face his punishment and most times, this has caused some students to fail the course and repeat the following session. We took this lecture seriously as we never wanted any trouble from lecturers that would warrant us going to beg to be pardoned.

There would be a test conducted on that day as instructed by the lecturer in charge and we got prepared for that. While we sat under the tree and gisting, we talked about the test coming up the following day. Tosin does not understand the course as she had relied on us to help her, and for this, she would have to sit with us so we can do it together. The only way it would happen was for us to walk into the hall together and find a perfect space to sit so we won't have to fight or drag for a seat as the number of students in my department was much more than the available seats.

We came to the conclusion that once I and Cecelia get to the school gate, we would wait for Tosin to join us while we rushed together before the time. Cecelia picked 6:30 am while Tosin agreed on that. I was already sceptical about the matter and I was like, "how will this happen?" I faced Cecelia to remind her that Tosin always arrives late. Of all the lectures we had taken in the past, we always arrive early while we keep a seat for her so she doesn't have to fight for a seat in the front. Tosin looked with a pitiful face and gave us the assurance that she would arrive early because of this. My mind was not settled as I wouldn't want to be affected by any situation especially since it was a test we would be writing.

Cecilia looked at me and signalled we should give her the chance and hoped she does not arrives late. I gave a soft sigh before I could accept to agree with them. The second lecture came and ended, and we went to our houses. I didn't fail to remind Tosin especially not to disappoint us the next morning as it would pain me if anything happens. She nodded in the affirmation that she heard me and would not fail us.

The next morning came and at 6:30 am, we were already at the gate and waiting for our third friend. As the clock was ticking, I became restless and was already fuming with rage in my mind. Cecelia saw my mood and countenance and was calming me down. We kept counting the number of bikes that stopped, but we didn't see the sight of Tosin. I looked at the watch on my wrist, it was 6:50 am. It was then I knew we would be late and also failed the test because of our friend who has decided to disappoint us. We reached out to her on call but it said, "the number you have dialed was not reachable". At least she should have called and told us what happened or came up for her than delaying us at the school gate when we already saw other students running to catch up with time.

I was not cooperating with the situation anymore as I was already losing it at that spot. She kept pleading and hoping the lecturer wouldn't have arrived at that time. We do not want Tosin to miss us while we entered the hall, likewise, we were getting late. After a few minutes to 7 am, she arrived and we saw how she was sweating like a Christmas goat. She had been running from her house as the devil decided to do his worst by not letting any bike come around. She had to keep trekking and running at the same time. She said her phone was switched off too and couldn't reach us. She apologized and we all ran like someone being chased by a thief who wanted to take advantage of us.

Luckily for us, as we got to one of the doors and were about to get closed with an order by the lecturer to one of the students, "close the door now", we sneaked in without letting the lecturer know and we got a seat at the back. Normally, we would have sat at the front if we'd arrived early but because of what happened which was an unfortunate situation, we got lucky to go in before the door got shut and that could have caused us to carry the course over and it would have been the worst agreement I have entered that implicated me.

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