A Star Whose Light Was Extinguished Before It Illuminated

I have fond memories of the experiences that I had when I was enrolled in my new primary school by my parents. I liked the ambience of the school especially the lush lawns that adjoined the perimeters of the classroom blocks. I also liked the large field for sporting events and big farm owned by the school.

I was introduced to my class teacher who appeared to have a tough countenance by the headmistress. I was worried about how quickly I would settle-in in my new class after being introduced to my teacher. She looked strict to me! I discovered I was wrong about her and realised my impressions about her were wrong after being under her supervision over time! She is one of the most discerning individuals that I have ever come across. She turned out to be my favourite teacher during my stay in the school!

The headmistress left me in the care of my teacher after introducing us to each other and left for her office. My teacher introduced herself to me again and could discern that I was not comfortable. She allayed my worries and made me feel relaxed. Thereafter she introduced me to my classmates. I got a good reception from them and hoped we could get along well as time progressed. I could say I had a great first day in my new school!

I was conservative initially on resumption in my new school as I was trying to observe my classmates and teachers to know how I would relate with them. Fortunately for me they were kind and friendly. They readily offered assistance whenever I needed it. This attitude of theirs made me feel secure and friendly to them too. One of my classmates whose name was Tobi was really friendly to me. He was the shoulder I leaned on as a new pupil! He had a twin sister who was also in our class. She was also kind and friendly to me. Tobi and his sister made me feel at ease more than anyone in my class. They were smart and funny. They had the ability to crack jokes about almost anything. I was happy to have them as my friends and learnt a lot from them. I made a lot of good friends from my association with them. Our friendship waxed stronger over time. We enjoyed each other's company and helped each other with our academic work.

Tragedy struck unexpectedly in the second term of our academic session. Tobi and his sister had not been in school for some time. They had never missed a class before this period and this got our teacher worried. She decided to pay them a visit at home to inquire about their absence from school. Communication back then was not as easy as it is presently as mobile phones were not available in Nigeria at the time. Our teacher paid them a visit and found out that Tobi and his sister were ill and hospitalised. She sympathised with them and their family and wished them a quick recovery. On her return back to school our teacher relayed this information to us and the school authorities. She asked us to pray for them to recover quickly and made arrangements for us to visit them when they are discharged from the hospital.

Unfortunately, Tobi's sister passed away. Her death shook all of us who were her classmates. She was a beautiful and friendly person who was considerate about others. We were heart-broken to know that she has left us! We had lost a dear friend who did not get to unleash her potentials! Her death was difficult to accept! Although she died at a young age, she made a positive impact on the people that knew her. I get emotional whenever I think about her and would like end stop here! Please pardon me! Shine on my good friend! Your light is illuminating in our hearts!

Thanks for reading,
Have a great day folks.

_{image source: pinterest}