"Write about your life " John advised
" No,it's too personal. I can't" Ike responded gradually folding the clean sheet of paper on his desk.
"I mean why not, you're a fan of biographies right?" John asked.
" Yeah,I have read lots of it but most of the portrayal of the subjects are washed by the writers" Ike answered.
"Still doesn't change the fact that many are real portrayal of the subjects" John added dusting his buttocks as he stood up.
Ike laughed.
John was the only real friend he had in the School. Their friendship made people liken them for siblings and some when told the truth still refuses to believe they are not.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a step as the wise men would say and that was the case for the duo as there first encounter had been in an eatery.
Two strangers sat across the same table at the popular "Madam Quantity" eatery.
Usually Ike would have gone back to the hostels to cook after lectures but that day he had been in and out of two of the school's most notorious practicals.
John had been at the same table with him although the duo saying nothing to each other as they looked through their mobile phones while they ate.
John had finished his food an hour earlier and had went his way while Ike was still eating. When Ike was done, he had noticed an ID card underneath the bench John had sat on and on the first glance he had immediately recognized that the stranger at the same table was the owner
Ike at his 1st year in the school was a focused student who barely knew his course mates but knew the names of all his lecturers and maybe if he hadn't been too focused on only school activities he would have noticed that John although not his course mate was having lectures in the same hall with him.
John's department was among the 4 departments that received lectures in the imfamous Ojukwu Theatre which had just 500 seats for the 700 students assigned to it.
Two weeks later after a stressful involuntary search for the ID Cards's owner, John had occupied an empty seat near Ike and it was after the final lectures that Ike had noticed that the guy beside his the same guy he had been onto since fourteen days.
"How far bro,shey you dey look for your school ID card?" Ike asked reaching for his back pocket.
"Yes bro, how you take know?" John asked looking surprised.
"Shey you been come Madam Quantity side chop na?" Ike asked.
"Yes bro, that was a long time ago...." He answered. "I no go ever come that side again" he added closing what seems to be his lecture notes
"Why? I come dey go there sef against my will just to know if I go see you give you your ID card" Ike asked in confusion.
"Omo, her food no sweet joor I no care if e dey big" John answered
Ike laughed. He knew that John wasn't lying but in this part of the world it's quantity over quality.
"Na you sabi,at least make my 4h no go dey waste" Ike said in between laughter.
"I no say na wetin you go talk" John laughed.
"Well, I been think say I carry your ID card come out today like usual but e dey for Hostel" Ike said standing up.
"You go follow me go hostel or make i carry am come tomorrow?" Ike asked.
"Which hostel you dey boss?" John asked.
" Hostel B" Ike answered.
"Ah we dey the same hostel na" John laughed.
" Oya na make we dey go, people don go house finish we dey here dey talk" ike beckoned.
They acted as strangers on the short trip back to hostel with none of them eager to start a conversation on the way.
That day the duo had exchanged contact numbers and Ike had promised John that he would reserve a seat for him the next day.
