Patrick September 1986 Achimota School Lugard House After prep time, we, the Form One boys, were milling around, still feeling somewhat homesick. In our first week at school, many of us hadn’t made friends yet. Suddenly, a sharp voice barked out of nowhere, “Hey, boys, everyone against the wall!” We didn’t need to be asked twice. With military-style obedience, we lined up against the wall, our hearts beating with trepidation. “When I point at you, step forward and say, ‘Yes, sir!’ Then, mention your name and your date of birth. Remember to say ‘sir’ at the end of each sentence!” he barked again. Starting from the far right, my mates began to mention their names and dates of birth. By the time it was my turn, all the contents in my stomach had turned to water. “Yes, you!” the senior barked, “Yes, sir! Sir!” I shouted like my mates had done. “Patrick Sogbodjor, sir! Born on December 5th, 1973, sir!” My heart was beating wildly in my chest. The senior moved to the boy after me and screamed, “Yes, you!” “Yes, sir, sir! Alfonso Amorin, sir! Born on December 5th, 1973, sir!” I was stunned! Alfonso had been so scared that he had actually repeated my date of birth instead of his! I wanted to burst into laughter, but I dared not. However, as soon as the senior left, I turned to him, eager to give him a good teasing. “Hey, Alfonso, you were so scared you actually mentioned my date of birth as yours!” “Why? What is your date of birth?” he asked, and I told him. Looking at me suspiciously, he said, “No, that is my date of birth.” “Mine!” I said, thinking that he was pulling my legs. “Okay,” he said, “we will know who is lying when the actual date comes up.” It turns out we were birthday mates! That formed the foundation of a rock-solid friendship. He became “Alonzo,” and I became “Stix.” We were inseparable; when you saw one, you saw the other. To make things more interesting, we were in the same classrooms from Forms One to Three until Form Four. 55 The Birthday Journal
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