I have heard stories of weird and dangerous happenings in waters, but in all my encounters with all kinds of pools, rivers and seas, I have never for a moment experience something weird or bad. On that freaky Friday, I was weighed, I was measured and I was absolutely found wanting.
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My name is Austin, and the young man you see beside me in the picture above holding the camera with his right hand is Sam. We both grew in the same neighborhood, attended the same college and graduated together. We were brothers from different mothers and if we didn't tell you or you know little or nought about us, you would mistake us for blood related brothers, that was how close we were.
Sam and I had a very fun childhood, while growing up, we do virtually everything together, the one thing we did mostly together and were renowned for was diving and swimming in water. At highschool, we were together in the underwater hockey team. There was no match we lost that had the both of us playing together. The swimming competitions had either of us as the winner.(I have lost count of our wins, that is if you are hoping or anxious to know who is the best among the both of us, lol). "Water is life", we were just the perfect representation of that statement. Our love for water made us bear the tag "MERMEN" at school, We accepted the nickname with good fate and even looked to improve our skills under water.
After Graduation, Sam and I decided we would be applying for different swimming competitions while we wait on our respective institution for admission letter to further out education. There were several events we were called for and we went over and showed our "mermen" skills. We won more than we lost and continued our watered life journey until a fateful good-bad Monday. I woke up to a letter at our post box, after a sound woke me from the gate. I climbed down from the bed and went to get the letter, lo and behold, Nnamdi Azikiwe University has offered me an admission. I leapt in joy, what could make a day more sweeter than waking up to a very good news. I rushed back inside the house calling out for Mum, she answered from the garden at the back of the house and I rushed to break the good news to her. She told me Dad would so very proud of me right now but unfortunately, he left for the mechanic very early in the morning. My joy knew no bound as Mum promised there would be a celebration for that. Speaking of celebration, I thought, there is a being on earth that is supposed to be climbing down from that same bed with me, walking with me to that postal box and reading the great news with me. Although, such happening would mean we are glued to each other, I just see him as the next person to hear the good news after my family. I freshened up and ran 50 metres to Sam's house to share the good news. On getting to the gate of, Sam's family gate, I began calling out for Sam before I reached the gate. Sam immediately recognized my voice, looked out the window to be sure it was me and ran down to meet me. He opened the gate for me with smiles all his face, I bent, smiling and panting at the same time. Sam anxiously asked, this time grinning, "What's up Tino, another swimming competition is up? I raised my head to look at him whilst waving my hand over his stomach and managed to utter the words "far from that" amidst panting and laughing. He continued, what then would make you run all the way from home to my house early this morning? Jennifer asked you out on a date?(Jennifer was the smartest and hottest girl in class while we were at school) This time I was done panting and fully standing, I saw him winking at the end of that question. I chuckled and replied No, far, far from that. Then what? Sam shouted. I slowly brought out the letter from my pocket and handed it to Sam. Sam collected the letter and opened it, I watched the happy expression on his face diminish. Next he began folding the letter and said to me, "I am happy for you man, I am going to miss you". That wasn't all that was on Sam's mind, I was sure of that. I knew he wanted to say more but there wasn't a need as I understood everything going on in his mind. I managed to convince Sam I will always try to return some weekends and he should also return because I am sure he would be getting his admission letter soon too. With the weekend returns, we get the chance to hangout and have fun in water as always. Next I invited him to the congratulatory party and he promised not to miss it.
Few months after our separation, I couldn't return as soon as I promised Sam but we got to interact on calls and texts. Sam ended up taking over his father's Vehicle distribution business as his father decleared himself too weak to continue and Sam was the only son around and the last child. He had to ditch education for business and it is a deed I applauded him for as he has done so well in it few months after taking over.
It was to be the weekend of my arrival, I was done with exams and called to alert Sam of my arrival within the week. On Thursday I packed up and left for home. Sam came to pick me from the train station, we chatted and laughed while in the car, summoning all the lost fun and heaping them in one piece. Then Sam came up the news I always wanted to hear. He said, "You know Tino, we are going for a beach party tomorrow, what do you say? " In anxiety and joy, I replied "Yo man! Count me in". We visited several fun places and had the time of our lives and saved the main fun for tomorrow.
It was Friday, the day of the party. Sam called and requested we leave early so we couldn't afford to miss any fun. I got prepared, packed my swimming shorts and every necessary equipment and waited for Sam to pick me up. Immediately I heard a horn at the gate, I looked out and it was Sam, I moved out with my bag and entered the car and we drove off to Masami Beach.
On getting there, we highlighted from the car and joined the party. We sat and had few drinks and next we changed to our shorts and joined the others in the water. I swarmed like it was my first time but with experience. Everybody were enjoying the fun until a distant shout was heard, a swimmer that swarm deeper into the sea was seen swarming back with speed and an unknown creature following him up with a fast pace. Everyone started to panic and swim out of the water, I and Sam was surprised, never have we seen such behavior in water and never have we been forced to exit water without our consent or the normal procedural reasons. The rate at which people were shouting and swimming towards the shore put much fear in me that I put my swimming skills to greatbeffevt and before you could say "JACK", I was ashore. There were continuous cries from people who felt the creature was closer as they tried to swim ashore as well. It was a shocking a fearful sight to behold
The rescue team were alerted and they immediately assisted in bringing everybody out from the water and set out to catch the creature. We over heard one of the rescuers saying it is a shark that has travelled quite a distance. We all believed him after we saw them position themselves and injured some goose till they were dripping blood before setting them free on the sea.
Minutes later the creature was seen swimmmg fast towards the birds, as it got closer, shots were fired at it till it gave up the chase and ended up floating on the sea. Behold it was a shark as we all thought and understood. It was brought ashore, and pictures were taken.
I and Sam couldn't believe our eyes, we have been hearing stories of animal attacks in water and we are only experiencing ours for the first time despite clamining to be MERMEN. It was really an adventure worth remembering and thank gracious we all survived.
THANKS FOR READING...
NOTE: Images without a source attached under it are gotten from Google.
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