Dear Lola

Dear Lola,

I am in anguish as I write this to you. My heart can no longer hold it in so I have decided to spill everything out. I want to pour the contents of my heart out.

You used to be my best friend but with the arrival of Fatima and Tope to our friend group, you suddenly changed. You no longer cared about me. All your concerns were about becoming popular, wearing the latest clothes and shoes and obsessing over handsome boys. What a vain person you had become.

I remember the fun times we used to have before you changed, when you used to tell me to swear never to desert you. Now can you see who deserted who? You were such a good friend back then, so loving, putting my needs before yours and always checking whether I was happy. When we got into senior secondary class one, I noticed some changes in you which I pointed out but you pushed my concerns aside and said you were finding it hard to adjust hence the changes.

Lola, you played me at first, pretending to be nice to me and talking about me to Fatima and Tope behind my back. Then you grew bolder. You started making crude comments to my face. As if that wasn't enough, you started body shaming me, pointing out my plump thighs, my stretch marks, my short stature, my awkward social habits and my overall unattractiveness as you put it. I tried to make you see the error of your ways but you were long gone.

I warned you when you started attending night parties but you refused to listen to me. By that time, you had stopped talking to me. You even spoilt my reputation. You made people to despise me because you were popular and whatever you said stood firm on the ground like a law. Of course, everyone had to obey you because you were a prefect. Disobedience meant cutting grass because you had the power to make them do so. You had sunk to rock bottom.

I remember the day you wanted to go for a night party that your university boyfriend invited you to. I implored you not to go but as usual, you didn't stop to listen to me. I left you to go because what else could I do?

We were in the classroom the next morning when an emergency assembly was called. The principal informed us that a drunk unidentified young man had been driving a car with you equally drunk inside, in the early hours of the morning. You both were singing along to the songs playing on the Bluetooth speaker and therefore could not see the incoming fuel tanker. The young man collided head on with the fuel tanker and the car was immediately engulfed in flames.

When they recovered you from the burning wreck, you were burnt beyond recognition. Oh Lola! What a life! If only you had listened to my warnings. If only you had heeded my advice. But you didn't and see where you are today. Languishing in a morgue while your parents rally around looking for money for your funeral.

Yours sincerely,

An aggrieved soul.