A Man Called CALVERT

1

It was early August 2006, Calvert walked into the University of Calabar, with his two friends. Completely lost in their excitement, as they were finally freshmen in the University and the fact that a new life awaited them. Dreams and ambitions stood before them like pillars.
  
     They spoke and laughed at the top of their voices, apart from the smell of rotting fruits that littered the entrance of the school, the three dou were also greeted by a large number of freshmen too, each one talking excitedly in their groups, their bags flung across their shoulders and eccolacc boxes drag along behind most of them, which was often carried up to avoid potholes and ‘go slows'

Calvert stopped talking, He was too excited, he studied the people around him vaguely and tried to ear drop into their discussions. “Wow, they have dreams too, big dreams... " He said to himself. It's funny how the world immediately seemed very small to him, he has always been the type to get whatever he wanted, either with too much energy or no energy at all. Growing up with his grandparents, Calvert has been raised like a Roman soldier, loyal and dogged, he had a mentality of success and winning only, although he, like every other humans encountered fear and uncertainty at some point in time, Calvert was a diehard, he always told himself either he gets it or it doesn't exist.
He was the only child and his parents were separated or should I say were never married. So Calvert had to relocate to live with his grandparents and cousins from his childhood to adolescence. His grandma who was a disciplinarian from top to bottom was the very one who manged to nurture into shape this boy called Calvert Kirkman.

The real story of Kirkman began in 1983 when he was appointed class captain on his first day of resuming school as a junior secondary school (jss) student in All Loyalty Secondary School Calabar. The previous day had been hectic for Kirkman as anxiety filled his viens and constricted his muscles, grandma tried in no small measure to convince Kirkman that all will be fine in his new school.
"School isn't a prison Calvert, infact I personally trust this particular school that is why your grandfather and myself enrolled you in their program, trust us and stop worrying too much, this is not the Western World where kids worry too much about 'first days' plus you're 15, you're not a kid anymore"

Kirkman spent part the day washing, ironing and cleaning, then he  was (unusually) granted permission to visit a few friends, perhaps this was grandma's departing gift, on a normal occasion, you dare not go out visiting, and your friends better know the the appropriate time to visit too, else grandma won't be very nice. So when Kirkman was done with taking his bath, he couldn't believe his ears when grandma said you can pay Peter a visit and Henderson too, if you want, let them know that you are leaving for the boarding school tomorrow. Kirkman hurriedly threw a shirt over his bare body and ran out of the house but grandma stopped him.
"Go inside and change that shirt, I don't like it" she said.

Sluggishly, He took off the shirt and headed back inside the house to change it, he must have changed it three times before grandma finally accepted on a blue collar polo shirt.

"Do not stay out for too long and don't go anywhere I didn't asked you to go" grandma warned.

"Ok mama, I'll be back early" he said and zoomed out of the big gate that led to the Main Street of Joey's Estate.

                               ***

At Peter's house, they played pes on the old TV set in Peter's room that have been moved there when Peter's father bought a new flats screen HD TV.
After their fingers sored from continually pressing the buttons on the pads, they took a break to talk about how their separation will affect and still strengthen their friendship, they have been friends for close to eight years and they will still be friends for another ten years and more. By the time Calvert and Peter got to Henderson's House, His mother informed them that Henderson has just left for Calvert's house. They'll meet each other somehow.