IT IS WELL

It all seems quiet now. Night classes are over. Exams are ended. Friends slap each other. They heave a sigh of relief. The materials; both snapped and photocopied are deleted. The nights are no longer sleepless. Year four finally gone.

We heard a lot about this behemoth; ‘It had 12 courses’. ‘It was the hardest’. ‘You must read every day’. ‘You would create more enemies’. ‘You may not remember to eat or brush or bath’. Blah blah blah! All of those nonsense filled our ears. But thank God its holidays now. No more nonsense.

But this semester was different. It was different for Kosi. So also for Amarachi. Both gave reasons why it wasn’t just another semester but a one filled with the proofs of a divine power. It was really a semester of many reputations.

Its experience brought smiles and grieve. Laughter and wailing. It brought difficulty with ease. To some, the session brought them closer to their dreams. They could smell the title added to their names; ‘Pharmacist This’ and ‘Pharmacist That’. They loved the profession.

To others it drove them farther. They feared they would fail. Hence they could hardly smile. They disowned laughter and sent it on exile. They resorted to grief, loneliness and seclusion; trying very hard to find hope in the quietude of their personality. Hence their quietness was a cloak for their fear. They thought being quiet naturally induces one with brilliance and intelligence. But they forgot Emeka, the ring leader. His whisper is like thunder bolt. He comments to everyone; both to students and lecturers alike. But he is good at what he does.

This semester has taught a lot of lessons. To David, the black, the one that flocks around Fegor. Yes, that David. The semester taught him a renowned phenomenon. According to him, “When there is ink, there is hope”. That is, never stop writing. To him, the three hours meant for examination was a moment for creativity. Adding that the supreme commandment of passing any exams is; “Never submit a blank sheet”. What else is the meaning of ‘attempt all question’?

We spent the nights in daytime. That is, there was no difference between the AM and the PM. But sleep was a common enemy. It created fear in some. Some shouted out of sleep; screaming with the highest level of ‘scarity’ (If such word exist). But, could we actually cheat sleep?

Many had their ears permanently wired to pop music---shakiti bobo. They sacrificed wraps of chewing gums. Sachets of coffee and Nescafe were not spared either, all in a bid to scare our slumber. For some it worked. But for others? It was a shame. They had to resort to snoring.

In this semester, some rose to more relevance; Benjamin and the psychedelic Courage. Others made new friends. A few found love; Isaac and Sonia. Yes, that Isaac. Ehidiamen’s friend. The tall, dark, handsome and square shouldered one. Yes that one. He found love. Only those who read and meditate in the pharmacy library would notice. He found Sonia; the library secretary. Hence I decided to start reading in the library. I thought, since the library helped Isaac, it may also …

Lastly, the semester revealed the intent of some colleagues; how bad their thoughts was toward us. The stomach of some lecturers were not spared. We knew the ones that loved us and the ones that pretended.

Now that exams are over, all we have is hope. Hope and faith. One day, we will all have a beautiful prefix to our name. That’s the picture that keeps us going. The pharmacist picture; when we are going to be our lecturers colleagues. God help us all.

KALLIGRAPHY says ‘It is well’.