A REAL FRIEND IS THE ROOT OF A TREE

Cynthia and Kate were roommates who, except for a bed which they both laid on, were totally independent of each other. Each had her cooking stove, plates, pressing iron, plate rack etc.


They were final year students of the University of Jos, lived in a four storey building private girls hostel. They had stayed together since they were freshers.

One day, Kate visited one of her friends in the hostel, a 3rd year student who occupied Room 402, just three rooms away from her room. Kate's friend, Maureen, is a spend thrift. She has the habit of spending her tuition fee carelessly but this time, her father threatened to stop paying her school fees if she doesn't cultivate a savings habit. 

Maureen told Kate about her dad’s decision and asked Kate to keep her School fees for her till the next academic session. Kate agreed.

Later that night, Cynthia, who is the gullible, fun loving type, invited some girls who occupied the fourth floor to her room to have a chit chat. They all gathered to talk about lectures, boyfriends and upcoming events in School.

Kate arrived her room and met a crowd of young ladies. She was however accustomed with Cynthia's fun loving attitude so she sat down to join the ladies for a short while and then left them in the sitting room and went into the bedroom which the both girls shared. She hid the money, a sum of N30, 000 which Maureen had given to her and went back to chat with the other inmates who lived in the hostel.

While both girls prepared for School the next morning, Kate noticed Maureen's money was missing. She asked Cynthia about it but Cynthia said she knew nothing about the money. Kate reported the issue to the hostel's female Matron, a lady in her 40s who took care of the girls and made sure boys do not go to their rooms. Male visitors were always received at the reception hall which was supervised by the Matron.

The Matron called for a meeting to be attended by all the girls who occupied the fourth floor. The main aim of the meeting was to find out who took Kate's money. All the girls said they knew nothing about the money.

The Matron invited other matrons’ form other hostels to conduct a room search. Everybody's room on fourth floor was searched but the money was not found. Each inmate was also searched but yet the money was not found.

The Matron organised another meeting in Cynthia's absence. She asked the girls who they suspected took the money, all the girls except Mary said Cynthia is a prime suspect since she is Kate's roommate. Collectively, they suggested that Cynthia should be arrested and interrogated by the Police to get the truth on the missing money.

However, Mary, also a final year student, the girls' neighbour who occupied the room just before Kate and Cynthia's room has been friends with the girls since they were freshers insisted that for three years they have been neighbours and friends, she has never known Cynthia to be a thief and despite the fact that both girls had individual properties, Kate has never complained of Cynthia using something as little as her plate to eat. Mary insisted that if Cynthia has been loyal all these period, she is not the thief.

Fortunately, the Matron bought the argument and embarked on a thorough investigation. The thief was caught, one of the girls the day the money was stolen went into the ladies (toilet) which is just beside the room Kate and Cynthia shared, since the room door was opened, she watched Kate hide the money and when she left the room went in to pick the money.

Meanwhile when the truth was finally out, one of the girls told Cynthia of how Mary saved her from an arrest, as the other girls apologised for the false allegation. Cynthia with tears in her eyes said: "Life is like a tree, the leaves are friends who stick with you but when there is a storm just like the leaves of a tree, they fall off. Some friends are like the branches, though they stay by your side, but because they are not firm, just like the branches when there is a heavy storm, they break away from the tree. Real friends are like the roots of a tree. No matter the storm, they hold and protect the tree. I say thank you Mary for being my root".

THE END.