MY FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH WHO BECAME MY VERY CLOSE FRIEND ( Hive Learners Contest #Week 51, Edition 02)

There are friends that stick better than a family. Family is not just those related to you by blood. But those who have made lasting impression on you and stuck with you no matter the fire you go through, these too are family.

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I have a friend, we have become close friends that I already see her as a Sister. How did this friendship begin? How has meeting this friend changed my life?

Thanks Hive learners for this prompt. When I saw this topic, I loved to participate. Apart from one friend who become my husband, someone else came to mind.
Guys, join me as I gist you about my close friend, I call her Aunty Bola but I may interchange it with Sister Bola. It's the same person.

The first day I met Aunty Bola was 9 years ago on her street. I have seen her at the service but we hardly talked. I only knew her name, I never knew where she lived nor what job she does for a living.

In the meanwhile, life happened. My husband lost his job and a hard life began. Before then, I was teaching in a school but my salary was very small at the time that I almost considered quiting.

But when Hubby lost his job, I knew quiting the little that will put food on our table before he gets another one would be a bad idea. Life was hard. I had a three year old girl. Paying School fees, health care, feeding, clothing, shelter was all on me. On a salary less than 40k? You can imagine how broke we were.

Due to the job loss, we needed to look for another accommodation, one that was smaller, so as to be able to pay the rent conveniently. We were living in three bedrooms flat. This time, even if it is a room and parlour, We don't mind. It's been so hectic.

One evening, hubby and I decided to go house hunting. I tied my baby at my back and we went searching. On a street, we met Sister Bola who asked what we were doing in her neighborhood under the hot sun.

We told her we need a vacant accomodation. "Why are you leaving your former place?" She inquired. Without shame, we told her our present predicament and as such we need a smaller accomodation.

She expressed sympathy and said "The sun is hot. Go home and come see my husband in the evening. I will talk to him, he might be able to help"

We thanked her and left.

In the evening, we both went to see Sister Bola and her Husband. Behold, she had convinced her husband on our behalf to give us the back flat in her compound. It was vacant and they already wanted to rent it out. But I called it "give" because they told us that they understand the situation we are facing and as such, if we like the apartment, we should move in without paying a dime. Words were too inadequate to express our joy and appreciation. We couldn't thank them enough.A few days later we moved in.

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It had a living room and two rooms. But the kitchen and the living room were small. Who am I to complain? I had just three -year-old girl and my husband. We can manage.

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Sister Bola would always ask me to tell her if I needed anything. But what more could I ask for? I never asked anything from her, other than to tell her that I need a better job. "If there is vacancy in your School, kindly let me know" was always my reply. At least leaving in her house makes me know where she works.

One day, I found that I was pregnant in that cramped flat. Hahaha. Sister Bola took good care of me. She always sent her children to help me do chores since my first child was still small. When I gave birth, Her husband bought a beautiful dress for my child and some other items.

Sister Bola brought food for me in the hospital. She said she would pass the night there so as to help bathe the baby. Unfortunately the hospital told her that there was no extra bed for her. She agreed to sleep on a couch outside, not even in the hospital room but outside at the corridor, with other visitors of some other patients. She did that for me, not minding the mosquitoes.

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As if all these kindness were not enough, one day Sister Bola called me to give her my CV that there happen to be a vacant position in her School. It is a Federal Government School. I was happy to submit it and she begged me to study and perform well because I would enjoy the pay better than the one I am currently earning . She played the role as if I was her sister, as if she has something to benefit from my salary

To cut the long story short, I got the job.

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She was the one God used to help me get the job I am currently doing that lifted my family up and sustained us for good 4years before hubby got back another job. I have been working in the same School with her for the past 7years. I was very happy. I bought her a gift to appreciate her but she almost didn't accept it. She wonders why I am giving her gift as if I am paying back. She is an angel. She has been a big Sister to me, her husband has remained the best family friend my Husband has and we have held them in high esteem. She was there by my side with her husband when things were very rough for my family.

When her parents died in a space of one month, I stayed with her in her family house and worked for her as if it was my real family event.

Meeting Bola and her family has been a blessing and living in their house brought more blessings. Till date, I don't always want to be around colleagues who have any thing negative thing to gossip about her or at the service with those who have one complaint or the other against her husband. They are rare gems and great friends that occupies a prominent place in my heart.

Thanks for stopping by. Do you have close friends too? How did the friendship begin?