Sometimes, I honestly wonder how I got lucky. Like, really really lucky. Because this kind of friendship I have with my best friend? It’s not the everyday kind. It’s the kind you read about in novels or see in those feel-good movies where two people grow up together and never let go. That’s exactly what we have, something real, something deep, something that feels like a miracle sometimes.
We’ve known each other since primary school. I can’t remember the exact class or what we first talked about, but somehow, we clicked. There was no forcing it. No awkward stage. We just became each other’s person. From those tiny classroom benches to school competitions and those shared lunch breaks, we literally grew up side by side.
When we got into secondary school and found ourselves in the same school again, it was like fate just kept pulling us closer. Of course, we had our share of fights. Oh, trust me, plenty of them! From arguments over silly things like who borrowed whose pen without asking, to more serious misunderstandings where we didn’t talk for days. But no matter how intense the fight, we always found our way back to each other. Always.
Now, here’s the part that still feels like a movie to me: when it came time to apply for university, we both applied to the same school. And not just that, we both got in! I’ve honestly never heard of such before. I know people that apply together and only one gets in, or they get separated by distance, but not us. We both made it. Different departments, yes. But the same school, same compound, same long walks to class and random runs to the school canteen for snacks we didn’t need. That university phase was one of the best times of my life, mostly because she was there.
I think I once posted a picture of both of us here on Hive. I’m not totally sure, but I think I did. And if you saw it, you’d know the joy that friendship brings. We weren’t just best friends in title. We showed up for each other. When one was down, the other would know without even saying anything. There was always that connection.
After graduation, life did what it usually does. It scattered everyone. She had to move to another state in Nigeria, and I had to remain in mine. Survival mode kicked in, responsibilities piled up, and adulthood started showing us pepper. But guess what? We still talk. Long calls, voice notes, random check-ins when the day gets too heavy, those little things have kept our bond strong.
When I think about her, I smile genuinely. Not because everything is perfect, but because I know I’ve got a friend for life. A sister, even. People say “don’t trust your friends” or “your friend today can be your enemy tomorrow”, and I understand where they’re coming from. We’ve all had bad experiences. But my own story is different, and I thank God for that. I didn’t just find a friend. I found someone who became family, who has stood by me from childhood till now.
We may not live in the same city anymore, we may not talk every single day, but the bond is unshakable. And I pray we grow old together, laughing at the same jokes we’ve been laughing at since we were 10.
This friendship is one of my life’s biggest blessings. And I’ll never take it for granted.