A long time ago ||| Neoxian City Prompt#5

A long time ago, around 1999 a little girl named Aijimoh same age as I was moved into my neighborhood around the age of nine. She had lost her both parents in an accident and had to move in with her elder sister living close to our house.

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We became very close immediately after she arrived and we became inseparable best friends after a while.

Anywhere you see her, you can rest assured I'm nearby. We visited the stream together, the market and played together. Life with her was fun and interesting. And sometimes disagree, fight and make up.

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During that period I was in primary four and she had stopped schooling at primary two when her parents died. For two years her elder siblings were not able to enroll her back to school.

One day I asked my parents if she could join my brothers and I in the nearby town where we were schooling. They gave me their permission and I was very happy.

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Before then, I had try many times to convince Aijimo to join me in school but she always said no one would pay her school fee and that her elder siblings were not buoyant enough. My parents had a bunch of palm kernels stacked up in the backyard. I told my mom to let her remove the kernels, whatever she was able to do she would divide it with my mom into half and she would take one for herself. She will then sell it and save part of the money. I do this with mom as well and that is were I do get little savings for myself.

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Apart from this, she does help people around for little jobs and they will pay. After a while she agreed to join me in school. I told her that if she is serious her school fees won't be a problem and that somehow she can save for it.

By the time she was finally able to join me in school, she was ten years and I was in primary five.

Something happened on her first day in school that embarrassed her so much she nearly quit schooling if not for me.

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When all her school's registration was done, she was admitted into primary two. I followed her to get settled down in her new class as she was nervous and very shy. Actually, she insisted I should follow her to her assigned class.

At the entrance of the class, I say my goodbye and tell to come straight to my class once she closes so that from there we will head home.

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By the time she entered her class just before I went too far. I heard when her teacher asked her to introduce herself to the class and after she finished talking the whole class burst out laughing at her, it took the intervention of the teacher for them to keep quiet.

She happens to be the oldest among them, too old compared to her classmates. So they thought it was odd for her to be in the same class as them.

She was so embarrassed and buried herself in shame. She ran out of the class to meet with me outside. She was lamenting that she never wanted to come but I made her to. I told her to go back and that it will only take a little time before her mate will get used to her age.

Somehow at that age, thanks to my dad, I already knew how not to feel bad about what people say or think about me as long as I'm doing the right thing.

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As if that was not enough, during closing hours, when she joined me in my class. My mates were asking if my friend had come to join the class but I said no, they asked what class she was and I said class two. The whole class shouted in chorus t-woooo.

My friend and I were so embarrassed but thought I don't feel so bad for how they reacted. I only felt bad because of my friend's feelings.

That day when we got home, she cried her eyes out, and started blaming the death of her parents for her situation. She wanted to quit but somehow I was able to convince her not to.

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After a while, people forgot about how old she was compared to her mates. She was doing very great in class and always took the first position. She regained her confidence and was very grateful to me for not giving up when it was hard.

She was a very brilliant and hardworking student that in her final year, she became her school's head girl in both primary school and secondary school.

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In Loving Memory

Writing this post brings a lot of memories we shared together, both the sweet and not too sweet ones. The challenges we faced as young girls trying to get basic education.

Her smiles, and lively spirit. But sadly, I lost her to the cold lands of death after a brief illness in 2019. May your gentle soul continue to rest in peace my dear Aijimoh❤. I still miss you and will forever do.

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This is my entry into Neoxian City Prompt 5 and you can join us in the discussion

Thank you very much for reading me, do have a beautiful time at your end❤