September that year, I was transferred to Abuja and one Sunday evening, I was sitting in a restaurant waiting for a friend, when a man sat down next to me. “Do you have the time?” he asked, he looked Smart, his clothes were nice, his hair and beard well cut and we started chatting and to my surprise he made me laugh several times with his bad English. I couldn’t help but notice that despite his bad English, he was handsome and tall. After a few minutes my friend arrive and he stood up and before I could say anything further he pointed to my table and said, “tomorrow 7pm, same table” then he walked away.

My friend and I stared at each other, unable to believe what had happened. Had a man who appeared to be an illiterate order me to come back the next day? How could he be so confident? I found myself thinking about him through out that day, there was something about him that was so intriguing that I wanted to meet him again.

Finally, the next day arrived and I was so excited, I could barely think straight at work, it was 7pm and I left to wait for him at the restaurant, I waited and waited, after 20 minutes I was about to give up when he turned up. ” I didn’t think you would come, I came to check just in case” he said with a smile. I smiled back and my anger melted away.

During our time together, I realised that he was simply the funniest, happiest and most optimistic person I had ever met. He had a lust for life that was both mesmerising and contagious. I had never met anyone like him before. I encouraged him to go back to school but he refused.