TEENA'S GISTS

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There is only one way a nation can stop people from wanting to emigrate to it, and that is by not having anything anyone wants. Otherwise, it must evolve an unapologetically xenophobic government in the attempt to keep inflows to a trickle. And what would the implications of this be? Not much, if it is used to bigotry; but where a society claims to be open and free, respectful of human rights, and a leader in, and of, the global community, then the narrowing of public attitudes towards the Foreigner becomes vastly significant, signaling not just a shift in policy but a shift in the character of the State itself. So, Brexit is significant precisely because it is happening – not in Russia or China – but in the United Kingdom. From the heart of Western Liberalism comes a worrying statement; that the UK, comfortable with the EU when the EU was comprised of nations like France and Germany, finds the prospects of stronger ties with people from Poland, Hungary and (God forbid) Turk...

   Exactly one week later, we were rounding up with our study group for the day at Blessing's house s when Valerie collapsed.We tried to revive her but all our efforts proved futile. One of our friends David,rushed to Val's house to call her parents. They immediately phoned the family doctor, Doctor Hakeem who rushed down to the house within few minutes. Val was carried to her room by two of our study group members; males. The doctor did the necessary check and after some minutes declared Val sound. He encouraged her to have a good sleep and assured us that she would be fine. Like he said, Val woke up later after having 3hours of sleep and seemed fine.We observed her for the following day and the next and concluded she was fine. We were shocked when four days later, Val fainted again. This time, her parents rushed her to the private clinic the family was registered with since Dr Hakeem was out of town. Val was revived but this time, a series of laboratory tests...

Christmas and New year celebrations came and went by and things seemed to return to normal between Val and I. Although, she still wasn't attending, she had resumed rehearsals and increased her number of visits to our house. She even slept over once. We had never been allowed to travel on our own to anywhere so I shocked when one Sunday evening, early in the month of February, Val came over to our house, hurried me into my room and informed me that she would be travelling to Minna which was four hours away to see Kene. "Minna!...For what?"  I asked. "To see Kene na" was the reply."Haba na..Minna is four hours away. how do you intend going there without your family noticing? I enquired. "Thats why I have you here". The main issue is that I don't have transport fare but I have a plan" By this time, I was speechless. Val continued "I will tell my parents that we have an emergency mock examination at the lesson centre for ...

..... Ok sorry.I'll give it to you. The following week, Val borrowed #2500 from me and promised to pay. Meanwhile, the #1500 was still not refunded. I complained about this but Val hushed me saying she had it in mind. December came quickly and it was time for Kene to go back to school. The day he left was a very sad one for Val. She dragged me along to the bus park to bid him goodbye.I was grateful since his leaving meant we would go back to been best of friends and she could go back to her books. I was wrong. Val became more attached to Kene's absence more than she had been to his presence. She often used 'the pocket money' her parents gave her for offerings, airtime and transport to buy recharge cards which she forwarded to Kene. Many times, she begged me to be her partner as she framed one payment or the other from the lesson to extract cash from her parents, which she of-course sent to Kene. I was particularly angry that Kene throughout this time had never as muc...