It was a sad Thursday, the 18th
of February. On that fateful day, Adekunle, Obinna, Ahamefula and I sat together
with mixed feelings beside our friend; Chuks! We were aggrieved because Chuks
was lying on a sick-bed, critically ill and holding a laboratory test result in
his hands, in great tears.
It all started some years ago, when
we were in SS 1. Chuks began smoking at the age of 14. He was actually born
into a well-behaved, disciplined and civil-minded family of four. His father
was wealthy too. Hence, he was offered the best opportunities and training any
child could need. His needs were adequately provided for him and he was equally
enrolled into one of the best schools around. But, because wishes are not
horses, his father never got the best he expected from Chuks.
Chuks started like an errand boy
for a group of bad boys in the street. From there, like a joke, he joined the
company of disgruntled elements who lived care-free life and never wanted to
understand anything moral. He smoked and drank irresponsibly with the bad boys
in the neighbourhood against the wishes of his friends and well wishes. I
wouldn’t believe e could take twelve bottles of stout beer and a packet of
cigarette at a spot.
Adekunle, Obinna, Ahamefula and
myself tired as much as possible to persuade Chuks to stop smoking and
drinking, but to no avail. In spite of our warning that those soft drugs could
endanger his health and might affect his brain and lungs, he only laughed at us
and continued.
Chuks eventually became addicted
to those chemical substances; to a point that he could not even live a day
without them; and this stupidity affected him severely. First, he was always
financially broke. This was especially, because he graduated from smoking just cigarettes
to ‘grass’, I mean Indian hemp, and then to heroin and finally, morphine; which
‘sapped’ cash from him.
As a result of his addiction to both
soft and hard drugs, Chuks started boycotting lectures, tests and examinations,
let alone hoping to graduate at the end of his stay in school. All these made
us simmer with anger and hoped we never had him as a friend or a classmate. We
almost left him to thread his path and no longer associated with us. But,
again, remembering that ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’, we continued to
advise him on the dangers of alcohol and smoking and the need for him to be
serious with his studies for ‘a stick in time saves nine’. Chuks paid deaf ears
to these advise and went on.
When we are at the verge of
graduating, while Chuks dropped out in SS 1. His daddy is now retired. Hence,
the financial support has ceased, while he failed to utilize it well when it
was coming. His smoking and drinking habit had resulted into a serious lever
infection, as the laboratory test result indicates. And he has lost virtually
his whole weight.
In the hospital, he was crying bitterly
and regretting everything he had done to himself and hoping that an opportunity
would recall for him to make amends. He screamed out from his sick bed that if
he had known, he would have managed his past well; lived a more reputable and
respectful life and wouldn’t have found himself in miseries. Suddenly his daddy
came into the hospital room gave him a casual look and quickly retorted “You
had better stop wishing all that, you foolish and disowned son of his mother; you
misused all your opportunity and now you are shedding crocodile tears. Didn’t you
remember that you can’t eat your cake and have it”
Chuks died few days later from
respiratory complication as the result of the laboratory test conducted from a
team of medical experts showed that his kidneys were badly damaged. Oh! What a
pity!
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