Central Park

We got to City Park and I hadn't come up with a plan on settling the bills in case it goes beyond what I can handle. I thought about it again and realised I wouldn't have handled anything related to bills.

Rachel found a good spot and parked the car. When I got down, I heard my name from a distance and I couldn't recognise the face from a distance, so I walked closer and he hurriedly hugged me tightly.

"John, how have you been? It's been a long time. I know you might not recognise me."

He was so excited to see me, but I wasn't sure who he was. Rachel tapped me on the shoulder to ask if I knew who he was, but I had no idea.

He ushered us into his spot where he was with his friends and family, at the sit-out close to the mini racing track.

I and Rachel followed him like sheep, without an idea of what we were expected to see or hear. After sitting down, I saw the way his wife looked at me like she knew me and immediately stood up to greet me.

"Everyone, this is John, who as it seems, doesn't recognise me. He's a very good man. The first time I met him was the day I was blessed abundantly."

He introduced himself as Captain Akindele Seun, and on hearing the name, I recognised him very fast.

It was in the year 2014 when I newly graduated from the university, I met him at a Tourist Restaurant and Bar, Wuse 2, where he happened to be seated at my table with me and my friends, the due, Ebuka and Sly because there were no more spaces at the bar because the place was full with customers.

We had lots to drink and eat and he began to tell us his life stories about how he had gone to every corner of the country applying for a job after graduating in 2010 and being unlucky. He just newly got married then and had nothing to support his family with.

"Have you had any plans of joining the military?" The reply I gave him back then was a result of the plenty of alcohol I took.

"I have applied 3 times and haven't made it, I just newly got married and can't provide for my family." Akindele opened his 4th bottle of Gulder beer.

"Do you know who we are?" Ebuka asked Akindele.

In my group of friends, Sly was the only extrovert. I and Ebuka were introverted, we rarely talked or had reasons to bring up conversations.

But as Ebuka made that statement, I knew he wasn't speaking clearly, the alcohol helped. Before Akindele came, we had had lots to drink and we always had loose tongues when we drank so much.

"We can help transform your life." Ebuka sipped a little more from his glass of beer.

Sly stood up and danced towards him and said, "you are in the company of big boys, consider your problem solved."

We were all excited because we were freshly graduated and looking forward to what life held. We didn't have much, but we made lots of promises to Akindele that we couldn't fulfil. At the end of it all, we exchanged contacts.

A few days later after Tourist Restaurant and Bar, Akindele called me and sounded more depressed, he had run out of options and didn't know what to do.

"I called your other friends and they couldn't help, I guess the alcohol they took the other day made them promise what they couldn't do.

" I was reluctant to call you at first, but I decided to try my final card."

"Where are you right now?" I asked.

"I am at the same place we met."

I got dressed and met him there. We had a lot of talk about what I said about joining the military and he wanted to know why I said that.

"My dad is a military person and I'm sure I can talk to him about you."

"The reason I asked is that I tried last year and didn't get shortlisted and I want to try again this year," said Akindele.

I carefully examined him, and then I took my phone and placed a call to my father to tell him about Akindele. It was a brief call, and my father said he should register and shortlist to join, and tell him afterwards.

"What rank does your father hold?“ asked Akindele.

I smiled and refused to answer his question. At that time, my father was a Major General and I was certain he'd help Akindele because I spoke on his behalf.

Look at him now, standing before me, a Captain in the army. I was happy because I helped change a man's life.

Akindele turned to the others and said, "this man here helped me become who I am today." He sat down.

Akindele made sure I and Rachel were taken care of there in terms of what to eat and drink. Rachel kept looking at me in a certain way and called me aside when she had had enough of the view.

"Who are you?"

"I don't understand your question." I put my hands in my pocket.

"Remember yesterday when you left early? I asked about the car that came to pick you up but you have not said anything about that till this moment.

"And this morning, you came to work in a convoy, a freaking convoy. And now this."

"Do I look like much to you?" I asked.

"No, you do not, that's why I am surprised."

"I just have good people around me, and I don't own any of those cars." I didn't lie, but I didn't say the entire truth. "Whenever I am in a position to help anyone, I help."

"I know there's more you don't want me to know, but for now, I'd just let it be." Rachel walked back to her seat.

The attention I was raising to myself wasn't what I planned for, but it came nonetheless and I needed to let everyone off my shoulders for a while.

"I never got the chance to thank you properly, John." Akindele walked up to me where I was. "I can see your friend here doesn't know who you are. She has been looking at you in a certain way after I said you helped me become who I am today."

"No, she doesn't, and I want to keep it that way."

"I take it too that your friends I met years back, never knew who your father was, or who your mother is right now." he placed his hand on my shoulder and let out a burst of loud laughter. "A man who is everything and has everything, but acts so ordinary."

Akindele walked back to his seat and I was there standing, dwelling on his last statement.