HE IS DEAD.

HE IS DEAD I met this handsome tall guy when I was in Ss1. He just joined us in art class then. We got to know each other and I discovered that he was not only brilliant but full of life. Not too long another guy came, added with the first new guy, we formed a group. We read, played, and even caused troubles together. Thanks to our closeness, our classmates tagged us "Proud". Being one of the rules guiding me that you cannot be my friend without me knowing your family, I made sure I met his family. I must confess, they were awesome set of people, his family became my family and mine also became his. During the time he started attending our school, Boko -haram was rampant in the north then and since he was also from Kano, we nick-named him *Boko-Haram*. At first, he didn't like it but as time went by, he got used to it. He was sick, he was fighting a battle (not spiritual battle), but later overcame it and we passed out of secondary school. As fate would have it, everybody parted but we kept reaching out to each other through different social media platforms, and that was how i got to know they relocated. After a year, I gained admission into the university. Anytime I come online, he would be the first person to text me, asking about my welfarism. Then suddenly, He

stopped sending me messages. I thought his phone got spoilt or something came up. Fast forward to some weeks after, I was in my hostel early in the morning when I got a call from a classmate (who is our classmate and like a sister to me) but have not communicate with each other for four months. After exchanging pleasantries, she told me she receive a call from my friend sister. I asked him what's up about him, and she broke one of the saddest news of my life to me, saying HE IS DEAD. JONISE ADEKUNLE JUDE-THADDEUS. OBAFEMI AWOLOWO UNIVERSITY, ILE-IFE, NIGERIA. SATURDAY,11TH OF AUGUST, 2018 NB: This short story is dedicated to my loving friend, Late ASHAFA MUHAMMED OLUWATOBILOBA. Who left this world June, 2017. SPECIAL APPRECIATION. ASHANTI, thanks for editing and proofreading. KOYE-LADELE MOFEHINTOLUWA, Thanks for the inspiration.