THE VOICE OF MY CONSCIENCE

Esther and I met in 200 level law.
I remember my first class with my set in that faculty. We were in a lecture room that was too small for the number of people that would attend. The lecture room would only take 100 students and we were over 250. It made a lot of sense to come early. My early coming habits saved me a lot that year.
I had just one friend in that class that I had bonded with before I joined the class – Florence. Florence was Arnold’s family friend (though I preferred to call her his cousin). My almost in-law. 🤣 We got along famously.
As luck would have it, she was close friends with Esther. That was how I inherited Florence’s friend in the faculty. I was still a bit of a loner so I only hung out with them in class.
When we got to 300 level, in my 4th year in the university, the administration of Queen Elizabeth II Hall, to which I belonged, was magnanimous enough to give me a bed space for the first time in Room E2.
I spent 6 sessions in the university and I only bed space allocated to me twice. How lucky was I?
On the day that I went to claim my space, I picked a bed at the top of the bunk because I didn’t want strangers sitting on my bed. I noticed that the bed below mine had been claimed by someone from my class – Esther. We were thrown together by nature and that was how the tight friendship began. She actually overtook Florence at some point. At other times, we just rotated the importance of our relationships for fairness. Lol.
As God would have it, the next time I got a bed space in Queen’s Hall, in my final year, she was my next door neighbour. By that time though, we had both elevated each other to best friend status. Although, many times, I suspected that she had friends she loved more than me. However, that story is for another day.
So, which story is for today?
Florence’s parents and Esther’s lived together in the north.
The friend who “squatted” with me in E2 had brothers who were both interested in me at some point in their lives. (Another story for another day). The more interested of her brothers and Esther’s brother were both in an Acapella group. Come to think of it Esther’s brother also has a story but today is not for romance. Kindly remind me if I digress again.
Did I mention that my worst heartbreak ever was from a guy I met through her? This girl has occasioned severe damage to my heart. She should pay me a monthly stipend for the rest of my life, really.
Let me tell the story of a guy who was interested in her when we got into law school. That was a real threat to our friendship. I thank God for the test of time.

Esther and I have so many stories that it is hard for me to pick one to tell…

One of my immediate elder brother’s best friends toasted her seriously for a while and I was the point girl.

She was Onimsi’s greatest fan too – an almost romance story that I should tell soon too. As a matter of fact, although it annoys her when I say it, I believe that I only dated Onimsi because of her. You need to hear that story soon. Remind me next week.
Sorry for the break in transmission. I got a guest and the object of tonight’s discussion grabbed popcorn to read my status. I had to wait for her to sleep…
So, that year, she did her chambers attachment in Lagos. Lawyers/law students can relate with this. I did mine in Ibadan. During that period, I was dating Onimsi. She was looking for a Fowler or a Carew to date because she wanted a fancy surname.

Needless to say that the bobo she landed at the time shared a surname with a market in Ibadan.
Aleshinloye
That has always been a joke-worthy twist of fate. 🤣
They never dated anyway.

In case you are wondering why I called Esther the voice of my conscience, she was the one who informed me whenever other girls’ boyfriends start getting attached to me. This happened extremely often.

Imagine your best friend being convinced of your culpability, even though she knew that the progression was standard whether the male in question had a partner or not.

She always knew when the guys were falling and she was quick to warn me to avoid them before getting sprayed pepper water.
Consequent to her role in my life as Jiminy Cricket, guess what happened when she started getting serious with Mr. Aleshinloye? She started hiding and hoarding him! It took me a while to catch on but when I did, I sure was hurt.

My best friend had labelled me husband snatcher.
You know wetin dey pain me?
She will soon wake up and come and say res ipsa loquitor; that she didn’t label me; that the facts spoke for themselves.
I tire for the girl but I love her so much. Sigh.
Anyway, when we resumed law school in the last semester, I eventually met him the only time he visited. However, one day, what she feared the most happened, he called her in class and all our friends were passing the phone to each other to speak. That’s how Longy mistakenly passed me the phone and the guy, who had been wondering why he had never spoken to me before, got friendly.
I wish that was how the story ended o… A few hours later, I was in my room when my T191 rang. Esther was in my room too. As soon as I realized that it was him calling, I made for the stairs. Esther must never know that he had somehow gotten my number. As luck would have it, it was Longy that gave him my number. Apparently she was unaware of the hide and seek game that had been going on.
Esther didn’t trust me with the guy. The man, who knew she didn’t want him to talk to me reached out.

I hid the fact he reached out from her.

Abeg, who offend who now o???
That was how the silent war began… Esther wanted to hold out to see how long I would hide the information from her. But please, tell me, how do I tell someone who didn’t trust me that the man was unworthy of her trust and not me? Consequently, I never said anything o…

She then stopped keeping me seats in class. She also stopped saving me spaces on queues. She even used my soap to wash her hair after loosening it even though she knew I was allergic to other people using my soap o! See life.
Back then, I used to go to Abuja town a lot. My dad had government cases in Abuja every other week. My sister-in-law also used to work in Abuja 2-3 days a week. I had family in town and went at every instance.

Mr Aleshinloye had heard I was coming to town without his babe and wanted to hook up. I parried him and promised to call him whenever I got to town. Of course, I never did. That was what the one phone call was about. I didn’t tell Esther about it but I told my roommate and somehow Esther heard that I had been propositioned. Immediately, she cut the guy off.
Matters came to a head when I reacted to her using my soap. My face burst out in pus filled blisters and I could not go to class. I was placed on medication and asked to rest.

On the first day of my “bed rest”, someone gave me a novel to read. Esther came to wear her shoes in my room and the novel (that I was to read all day) went missing. We searched and searched and couldn’t find it.

My room mate saw Esther reading it in class later that day. The things I suffered for hiding information!
At that point, I knew that before my student file was reported missing from Admin, Esther and I had to talk. So, the weekend that Onimsi came over to spend some time with me (a surprise visit planned by him with Esther), when he left and we were doing post-mortem of the visit, I brought the issue that was straining our relationship – Mr Aleshinloye and I.

We identified the enemy and crucified him. Thereafter, we kissed and made up. Okay, so maybe we didn’t kiss but Esther is still the voice of my conscience till date. 😂
So, gather round for the moral of the story…

Who was betrayed?

Me – that she didn’t trust

Or

Her – that I hid information from?
All of you who think boys make better friends than girls, this is your thread…

Well done o! Be asking the goat to take care of the yam, without knowing that you are being groomed for the eating. 🤣

On a more serious note, the boys who warn sternly are romantically interested in you. The ones who don’t, will say sorry when you fall and that’s all. Your girlfriends won’t let you fall. If they will, get a new set.
Those of you who bad-mouth your female friends, this is your thread…

Are you aware that it is all a matter of perspective? How she sees it is not how you see it. Have you ever tried to put yourself in her shoes? Have you ever tried to understand her perspective?

Nothing is ever the way it seems. Check again. Give your girlfriend the benefit of doubt. She just might be protecting you or herself…
If you don’t take anything away from this story, take this-

You need to find your tribe; your own friend who would stick closer than a brother; who won’t sell you out.

Pick your friends carefully like beans so you will not “chop stone”.

I hope this was an interesting read for you.

See you next week