Photo credit: Facebook
We attended the same secondary school. He was in form five when I was in form three. He never came back for the HSC, as the higher school certificate class was then called.
We never met again. Until today!
They did their WASCE in 1977. That means, we saw each other last some forty years ago!
We met on fb last week. Since then, we’d been communicating through texts.
He described the way to his office yesterday. I decided to go look for him today.
We fixed the appointment for between noon and 2 pm. I was there for 2. He had instructed me to ask anybody that I was looking for him.
I asked the man I met at the gate, who checked and promptly told me he wasn’t around yet.
I then called his number. He told me he was buying suya (a meat delicacy) at Oke Ilewo.
He came in at last. Once a Lagos boy, always a Lagos boy. The first thing that struck me was his relationship with the junior staff.
He treated them like family. And, they are so protective of him.
Actually, the suya he bought were in three portions. One for himself, one for me and the last for a very junior member of staff – a male.
Even the one he bought for himself was shared by him and another junior member of staff.
By the way he happens to be a director in the civil service.
When he came,he immediately recognised me as that boy, in his own words, that was usually slippery in the hostel. He did not fail to add that he would always go out of his way to catch the eel.
We demolished the suya while engaging in discussions. It was as if we never parted.
Today, I got to know the true meaning of the Yoruba saying, Alejo ma n pa ni bi oti, visitors make a person tipsy.
Engineer Olatokunbo Salami made my day. He was a wonderful host.
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