My people, make I yarn una story wey dey sweet me and chop my heart small…
Na about my guy, Afolabi Peter Akerele, wey we dey call ‘Afo Panko’. This guy no just dey carry matter for head, him be real friend wey sabi make life sweet! E don waka go meet Baba God, but e go always dey shine for our memories.
We start as small pikin for Lagos, dey run around like say we no get wahala. As I dey go Lagos Government School for Okesuna, Afo dey enjoy him hustle for Holy Cross School. Na football and cinema work dey rule our lives, as we dey sneak enter places wey be like movie place without paying. We go fit even outsmart the turnstiles like professional thieves, sha na laughter we dey carry run!
Later we start gather for open fields, e be like say na heaven as we dey pounce ball for Igbosere Street and that Toronto wey everybody sabi. As night dey fall, man dem go gather chop fried plantain, akara and more for corner, all those sweet street food no concern us!
When secondary school start, I carry my leg enter King’s College, while Afo no gree follow me, him prefer St. Gregory’s College. But no wahala, every holiday dey turn us to brothers wey dey meet up and cut gist. We dey follow each other go football matches, horse racing, and we go always keep eye on ladies wey dey pass, e be like say na our work.
Later, Afolabi don become big man, he no dey play with knowledge. E dey ball for Ivy League schools for America – Princeton, Yale, Harvard. E no dey slack! Afo travel everywhere, from Paris to Abidjan, still maintaining him banking career. Na real jet-setter o! E fit chop breakfast for Nigeria and lunch for France, how e take do am? Na only Afo go fit know!
For Paris, Afo meet him babe, Banke, wey be the daughter of the Liberian Ambassador. They marry for the classy George V Hotel, and trust me, I dey there as one of the groomsmen, the wedding fine dey burst brain!
Afo no just get friends for Nigeria alone, him dey mingle with everybody, Muslims, Christians, foreign people. Him friend set dey diverse, nobody dey play tribal games for him side. Afo dey show say friendship get no boundary! E dey speak French like say na him obodo tongue, chai! Na talent!
As Afo don waka come meet Baba God, we go miss am pass anytin. But the way wey him live, the friends wey him make, and all the times wey we share go make sure say his name no go fade. Make we remember am as the guy wey turn our childhood to sweet memories. Afo Panko, rest well, you dey shine for us!
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