WHY YOU SHOULD KEEP PROCRASTINATING

I once had a best friend, Her name was Oluoma.

Oluoma and I connected in primary school, we became friends and gradually developed a strong friendship bond and eventually became best of friends.

We both lived far away from school, and also far away from each other's homes. So school was our only meeting ground.

Oluoma and I shared a lot together, we dreamed of the future together, and we did a lot of things together.

We usually rehearsed and made some presentations together in front of the class.

We even worked on a book project together back then...it was a novel.

We both wrote a novel together in our primary 5 (Grade 5), every day during the siesta period, we will bring out the manuscript and brainstorm on it together, to decide what should be the next storyline or line of action of the characters in the story. But we never got to conclude the story or publish it.

That was because we both wrote common entrance exams and left primary school for a secondary school in our primary 5 (Grade 5).

During the period of the common entrance exams and co, we both decided to pause on the novel we were writing and focus on our exam preparations, then when we get into secondary school, we can continue with it cos we both planned to attend the same secondary school.

We both filled the Same options, for both first choice and second choice in all the school entrance exams we took...both the common entrance for government schools and the one for convent schools.

We both thought we were going to get into the same school, but It ended up not being the same school.

I don't really know how it happened, it all happened so quickly and unexpectedly that we didn't even get the time to say goodbye and we parted ways without any means of communication as we both didn't have a phone then.

Well, I continued life in my new school, made new friends but always had Oluoma in my mind and looked forward to meeting her again and I never stopped talking about her and reminiscing on the memory of the great time we shared and really hoped that one day we could see and connect again.

Things continued that way for the next six years I spent in secondary school, until one day when I was in SS3 (Grade 12), I was having a talk with my SS2 (Grade 11) neighbour in the dormitory.

I don't really know what we were discussing but the discussion led to me mentioning Oluoma's full name and how I so much wanted to see her again.

For some reason, the name rang a bell in my neighbour's ears and she told me she knows her.

Oluoma actually had a unique surname which I have never seen anyone else bear except her and her siblings...so it's easy for anyone who has had her name before to recall her with the name.

My neighbour went ahead to tell me that Oluoma is a classmate and friend of her Elder sister who is currently SS3 (Grade 12).

Wow, " she is a friend and classmate of your sister? which means they are in the same school." I excitedly exclaimed

I was really happy to hear that. The summer holiday was already around the corner by then but we SS3 (grade 12) students wouldn't be going for the holiday. We needed to stay for extension lessons in preparation for the upcoming WAEC exam (Senior year final exam )

So it was only from SS2 (grade 11) class down that were travelling for holiday.

I asked my neighbour if her sister will be coming back for the holiday, and she told me that her sister is also in SS3 and staying back in school for the WEAC exam preparatory lesson.

I asked her If she will be visiting her sister in school during the holiday she said yes that she will.

So I wrote a letter addressing Oluoma and attached my phone number to it.

In the letter, I majorly emphasized how much I have missed her all these years and looking forward to seeing her again. I then also let her know when I will be home for a short holiday and have access to my phone so she can call me then.

Oluoma got the letter and finally gave me a call just within the time frame I mentioned that I will be home.

I was so happy to hear from her again after all these years.

She was very excited to hear from me too and has always been looking forward to meeting me again.

She even let me know that she still had the manuscript of that novel that we were both writing together...It was in her possession before we separated and she had it all these years.

We talked for a long while and caught up on what has been happening in each other's lives all the years we lost contact.

We planned on seeing each other again and we decided to meet after our exams.

After we finished our SS3 (grade 12) final exams we got talking again regarding the meeting.

We fixed a date but there was a lot of buzzes then with trying to do school clearance and preparing for valedictory service.

I suggested we move the meeting date to a later time, So we pushed the date further.

But we still talked very well over the phone and bonded well like we never separated for almost 6 years.

Finally, the whole school clearance and valedictory party dust settled.

We finally agreed on a meeting date, I really looked forward to it, and so did she.

She called a day before the day we were to meet, we talked and longed to see again.

On the morning of the day, we were to meet, I woke up excited and started preparing for the meetup.

After getting all ready, I put a call through to Oluoma's phone around 11 am

But someone else picked up the call and that was strange...She always picked up her calls.

The person introduced herself as Oluoma's elder sister in a very cold tone.

I greeted and exchanged pleasantries with her, I then asked If she could give the phone to Oluoma.

She started sobbing and said, "Oluoma is Dead".

That came as a shock to me, I said to her "No, Oluoma is not dead, we spoke yesterday night, she sounded perfectly healthy and we were meant to meet up today"

The lady on the phone said, "she developed a sudden illness around 2 am this morning, she was rushed to the hospital and she died in the hospital after a few hours ".

The News of Oluoma's Death sounded so unreal to me until she got buried.

Her death left me with feelings of regret and guilt...

Maybe I shouldn't have shifted our meeting date when I did, that way I would have got a chance to see her again before she is gone forever, but I never knew she was going to leave so soon.

I never got a chance to see her again.

I only got a chance to tell her that I missed our friendship through the letter I sent and also the times we talked on the phone...That's the only comfort I held on to.

Till date, I still find it hard to believe that she is no more and I will never get to see her again.

It's been years this happened, and I never wanted to talk about it

But I am sharing this today just as a reminder to someone out there who is fond of procrastinating with sharing their feelings or spending time with their loved ones that they might be with you today, but tomorrow they might be no more.

Call that person today, let them know you are sorry

Call then person today, let them know you miss them

Call that person today, let them know you love them

Call that person today, let them know you have forgiven them.

Call that person today, let them know you have feelings for them.

Call that person today, let them know you admire them

Call that person today, let them know you cherish them

Call that person today, let them know you appreciate them

Call that person today, let them know you value them

Book a date, fix the appointment and show up for it...don't procrastinate

It might be your parents, siblings, relatives, lover, friends, colleagues, business partners, acquaintances, mentors, subordinates, strangers...

Whoever it is, just make a move today for tomorrow might be too late and you will never get a chance to say those words or do those things you have always wanted to do with the person or people involved.

I guess you were expecting to get to a part of the article where I will give you reasons why you should keep on with your procrastination habit , Well...I am not here to tell you to stop procrastinating , I just wanted you to know that the more you procrastinate the more you loose time and the things that matter . So the decision is all yours to make

??Faith Ezennaya ??