FRIENDS WE WERE NOT, YET A LOT YOU HAD ME TAUGHT- IN HONOUR OF WILFRED NELSON

By Nana Osei K. Agyeman Agyekum

He held his pen firmly with his head bowed as he took notes on his impressions of the candidates. As I entered Lecture Hall I with my president Romeo Adzah, there he sat amongst the 7-member panel.

My gaze caught his sight. That bright teasing smile had not been lost on me for a single moment. I remembered it for I had seen it countless times before on campus.

But was this not supposed to be the vetting of candidates for the presidency of our university’s Students’ Representative Council, I soliloquized?

We couldn’t be joking! How could he be a member of this highly esteemed board? He had never occurred to me as a brilliant chap, not once. What could he contribute positively to a committee so highly rated as that of the Electoral Commission constituted Vetting Committee?

In fact, that funky ‘ponk’ hairstyle he kept had me already informed what his kind was; anything but a smart, clever intelligent young lad. Add to that the fact people spoke highly of him only regards his dancing skills and he stood no good in my favour.

Worse still, his obsession for maintaining overly good appearances and a careful selection of clothing which had made him the talking point of many an observer was the best fitting encapsulation of how low an image I kept of him.

I sat there as we occasionally exchanged lingering glances. He had noticed the confident mood in which I had been sitting all along throughout my president’s questioning.

He was smart. How intelligent and much of substance is this guy, he may have queried himself as he stole glares of me. Then he had asked Romeo a question and suggested that I could answer if I felt able to.

I remembered that question so well; very simple yet very deep and discerning. “Can you please tell us something about GIJ that we may not know, his solemn voice demanded?”

I only smiled. But behind the smile was an emptiness of knowing what to say. I did not understand lest offer a reply of reasonable substance.

I couldn’t deceive him. He grinned and bore the circumstance only to afford and give further explanation until the Electoral Commissioner’s intervention that I could not be questioned as running mate.

That day was the most embarrassing moment of my stay on campus. I was contesting to be the Vice President of this university’s Students’ Representative Council and with a running mate whom survey results had confirmed as the best fancied amongst the lot.

Yet I had failed to take an opportunity to equally cement myself as the most competent ‘veep’ and in the process dented my president’s bright chances of usurping that honourable title of SRC president.

That funky ponk hairstyle gentleman as it turned out was actually very intelligent, clever and smart.

Not only did he ooze dancing moves that were charming, he also possessed abundant moving qualities far in excess of what I had ever thought myself of ever being able to muster.

Will was not only full of love for good clothes, he indeed was a powerhouse stuffed in the head a scholarly aficionado.

Appearances are sometimes deceptive they say. I should have known better for I shared similar qualities with the boy I sought to demystify whom I even knew nothing about.

I crave making lasting impressions with my appearances. But still after his death my inability to fathom why I saw Will’s similar infatuation as improper is a guilty conscience I would come to live a very long period of my life with.

Will is a name I knew not until his death. I never had the chance to speak to the boy. On the only day he had asked me a question which could eventually have turned into a conversation, I was too dumb to utter a word.

The plan was to engage him after our victory in the elections and share the flawed opinions I held about him and how big a humble pie he had actually made me eat on that Saturday’s vetting.

He wouldn’t be angry, I thought, trying to console myself even before I finally decided to approach him. After all, he would only show me his teeth in a wide smile and say “oh that’s not so much of a problem, my brother”.

I really wished we had had that chat, nothing I probably really would have talked about. Today in your absence the questions that I wish you could provide answers to are unending brother.

Will, I write this piece in your honour out of shame and the regret for daring to hold unfair opinions about you without any basis for good justification. Do forgive me dear one, to err is human.

I owe you this brother. It’s the least I could do. But if only I could offer better, nothing would hold me back.

To say that you are gone but not forgotten would mean rubbing more salt into inflicting wounds. You continue to live for the lessons I have learnt from your short stay here on mother earth I shall continue to make best use of for the rest of my life till I join you wherever it is you are.

May your humble soul rest in perfect peace brother.

Will, FRIENDS WE WEREN’T BUT A LOT YOU INDEED HAD ME TAUGHT