Dear Tomi

Dear Tomi 
   I’ve never been good at expressing my feelings face to face, in fact I’m a total tyro when it comes to those, hence this letter. Knowing you, you’re already laughing at how surprising and funny this is, trust me it is. Just take your time while reading this. 

   I’m so grateful I met you, frankly I never thought I’d get to meet someone like you, someone with all those qualities, someone I considered to be “near perfect”, someone who in just 21 days I fell flat for. I know you’re aware of all that happened during these few days, but that’s from your own point of view. Another purpose of this letter is to show you how i saw it from my own point of view, so sit back and enjoy. 

  As you well know, these 21 days were the days we spent in and out of the Nysc Abuja camp. Twenty days in camp and that one day out of camp. I can remember vividly the first time we met on that first day of camp amidst all that madness, I heard a lovely voice with what I considered an African American (Akata) accent, say to me, ” thank you for the shade”, I looked down and saw you for the first time, a dark skinned, Beautiful, glasses wearing, average height lady, enjoying the shade from my shadow, and right there I knew we had to be friends. As luck would have it, we ended up in the same platoon and it seemed to me like the universe was working things to my favor. We became friends after all, but there was something I hated about our first serious conversation and that was what you asked me to do for you, pretend to be your boyfriend to chase guys away, joke was on you though cause these were two things Im awesome at, acting and being a boyfriend. 

  The first seven days with you were in one word, epic! You may think that’s too much but it’s the truth I thought I would be the type of guy to make lots of friends on the first week, but I just enjoyed your company so much that I was less interested in other people- by other people I mean girls- and yeah our deal too. It’s funny how we then formed a click of friends and became what you called the coolest click on camp, so you know, only you thought that. 

 I remember how we’d have long conversations just the both of us and I’ll stare at you with the single thought in my mind “she’s amazing”. Remember during the morning parades, we would always stand together and it was always cold so you’d always get comfy on me, yeah I looked forward to morning parades cause of that. At night you weren’t fond of coming out, but during the second week, I got you to start coming out to spend more time with me and I remember you saying you never thought anyone could get you to come out that late, well I did, another thing I looked forward to everyday. Remember how you’d get jealous when I was talking to other girls, then you’d tell me later that You thought I had eyes for only you, well that was just it, I did. 

  We had spent so much time together, every single day and on that last week what felt like a fake relationship was getting so real, we were such good actors that we got completely into character, I remember when I told you for the first time that I was redeploying from Abuja to serve in Lagos, you looked so upset that’s when I asked you out on a proper date once we’re out you didn’t agree immediately and I new I had to do something to convince you. I told you I was traveling out of the country after camp before going to Lagos first, but I’d move my flight so I can spend a day with you in Abuja, that’s when you smiled at me and agreed and I was ecstatic. 

  The last four days were unforgettable…. There were so much unspoken things, but we gave into our feelings, had our first kiss and made lots of plans and promises… I considered you a really smart person, I was especially attracted to your brains and learnt a lot from you. Lots happened and I can’t mention them all. 

   We finally left camp and went on that date, it was amazing! From the movies to our conversations to dinner to the stroll after dinner 😉 and the cab ride home 😉. I was so sad when I had to leave you, remember how your major general father almost came out to drag you inside the house when I dropped you home… that was funny. At the end of everything, despite the plans and promises we made I knew that it wasn’t meant to be, I only wished I met you earlier or later in my life and fell for you then, but I’m completely grateful for meeting you when I did cause I got to meet and fall for an amazing woman and although we’ve both moved on with our lives now, this is one memory that will stay with me for a very long time, I hope you feel as I do. 

I will never forget you, and you’ll always be my Tom Tom.

Thank you Tomi 
With love Uvie.