Ladder List

It all started in college days. If I recall well, third year in college. That was when I first saw two of them often. For the next two years, it was the same story of attachment.

The ultimate test of friendship is always after education if school is where both of you met. When one is just being schooled by parents or whoever is doing that in loco, it’s seen as quasi serious place and quasi enjoyment environment. In fact, over here in Nigeria, primary school is what it is to us. Forced and the time we enter secondary school, it’s the senior students and the teachers that shape whatever that place becomes to us not our parents. 

But tertiary? Ha!, we are the lords of the rings or rather captain of our ships. Nothing forced only forcing guys, those types of guys that felt that they have arrived because they are out of their parents sight and needed to belong by force. The Okoros. That is the name they go by and still do. You see them jumping the queues of every norms like that of speech, friendship, eating, sitting, walking, dressing, etc.

John and Sam seem to me then to be birds of the same feathers. Sam, I heard then is an orphan. Parents died a long time ago, I suspect when he was young. He never talked about them and that will tell you that he had no image of them even photos of such parents don’t form any idea or images in the minds of kids that never even heard them speak for once. So, they don’t exist and that must have been the same for many. 

John is a guy, that type of guy you know that some unseen forces tied him down and were dragging him towards a route and end he has no say let alone choice on. So, even when he wants to act, he can not do it without coming out looking funny and stupid in the eyes of those observing him. Even being in tertiary institution is seen as act of rebellion. He should be in seminary school learning Jesus Christ and the two other three-in-one God.

College is where Africans talk of girlfriends openly, not secondary level like western world do. College new intakes?, it's always girls and boys that first year students jump into after registration.

You need to see these first-timers yourself. First, registration then your culture and tradition will manifest itself in the Okoro’s arena. It’s funny things, a sight to behold and If society is organized and people don’t worry about daily meals, you would simply document the actions and reactions of those first year’s intakes for six months only on a few aspects of their life, you will have enough story to write 50 books under a year. and this is not an exaggeration. Ha, things happen in first the year in college here oh. The space most found themselves seems to be bigger by far to most. The place just swallow them up.

On that aspect of girls is what I will be gisting you about those two guys. I, not only me but others in our departments happened to have little knowledge of what was going on in their lives due to the type of life they live and this particular yellow girl they both were interested in initially. 

   Did I tell you that in this tribe I came from, there is this disease no one wants to admit is a disease because people don’t put themselves down at least sound people don’t do that but at the back of your adult mind as you mature, you come to realize that you are not that sound but with a valid, excuse, you give yourself a pass mark. So, now that am telling you about these two guys and that yellow girl, don't go out telling your friends nonsense or even smirking while reading this. 

 We, the males of this Igbo tribe have this weakness for yellow-colored girls. They seem to look more beautiful than the dark complexion ones. I am suspecting due to the attention directed at them from young age, many of them have psychological problems. They live in a world of their own.

 So, there you have it. Don't go away talking psychological. okay?

But the guys jumped into this girl in our department at the same time and what they saw in her, others don’t. The thing is that the girl doesn’t have all that height and that is another thing that mattered like the complexion and education of girls.

 You see what I noticed, John was smitten to some extent but he is the type of guy that like them more than 5’5 feet, not 4-point feet. Sam on his part is not that tall. So, he doesn’t worry about height. He was smitten too. The girl herself must have been a chameleon for she was acting like someone that doesn't care where she falls for he was aware of the advances of the two friends on her. Now, reflecting on what happened then over twenty years ago, I found out that she was playing their games too. The highest bidder game. Sam eventually won the race but John never for once lose a sleep on the issue. I think he was the type of guy that once he loves, it’s until death or the girl do them apart. So that height thing mattered to him too and that must have been the reason he backtracked and created a go-ahead space for Sam.

  As time goes on, about six months into this award-winning race, Sam a college student without parents, without income was the one paying school fees for this yellow girl. He will at times in passing complain to John and receive the same advice that always follows this kind of indirect remark. “What happened to her family?”

“ Who was paying the tuition for two years before?”

Sam turned into an errand boy for his landlord. Washing cars, driving his soft drink supplying bus to here and there just to raise money. To pay for his yellow catch. Future Mrs. Sam.

It was like that for two years until graduation and all went on their different ways. The last time I heard about the two was when Sam was conniving with some crooked officers to nail John they claimed was running a drug ring somewhere in foreign nation. Ha, I was like: what are Gwen? Where and how did this tire punctured to this level? 

Poverty. Sam was poor, raising three kids, and married to a girl I don’t know if she is a full-time housewife and Sam just returned from abroad and the source of his problems and the root of it, I don't know enough to tell you anything meaningful, all I know is that the problem there have its roots in money. As for that yellow girl, she is no longer around. I heard she is married to one guy she met In camp and they are living abroad. 

 Whether John was swimming in cash or Sam believed that he has something running with officers after him, it is vague only that we got the hint of gist when another of our course mate was contacted by Sam to concur his words to the crook officers against his twenty-something year friend with story of loving the nation more than his friend. The usual line but who he contacted seems to have his philosophy skewed the other way around. National love was lower on his love perks.  

   Sam were still seeking for someone to concur as I narrate this story to you. You will be updated later.