Tales of the Tiger Cub

Have you ever lost touch with someone for years and years, not even consciously thinking of the person but upon seeing the person, instantly recall their full name and all the good times you had together?

Happened to me today.

Adaeze Achinivu. One of the funnest(sic), funniest, life-loving, big buxom ed girls I have ever had the pleasure to call friend.

And to make it even more interesting, I didn't meet her in the flesh but online. I was logged into my email when the new message ping sounded. I looked at the screen name and Ada's face jumped into my mind. I instantly recalled every single bit of skulduggery we got up to in AIESEC (where else?) but couldn't immediately recall her name "Amaka?" I thought to myself. But that didn't sound right.

She typed one more question and her full name suddenly flashed in my mind like neon lights on a popular Vegas strip joint!

Adaeze is doing very well indeed, lives in the UK now has a Masters degree I believe and works for some fancy company I didn't quite catch the name of.

But I remember her from a more innocent time of my life. When the most important thing in the world was how to get to the next AIESEC conference. I took a few road trips with Ada and she it was who introduced me to the taste of fried snail. (of the Giant African variety) on the highways of Eastern Nigeria. We didn't have a lot of money but we were also debt-free. We didn't drive fancy cars but seemed to get around much much more. We didn't plan beyond the next weekend but there was never ANY doubt about what we wanted to do and become in life.

How things have changed in the last 5-10 years.

I am 29 years old. I have been married for 2 years or almost 2 years depending on how you look at it. I have worked for the same company in the same business unit for the last 4 years. I have recently started a part time post graduate program at the University of Auckland that will earn me either an MBA or a Masters of Management in 3 years. I have a six month old son.

My Tiger cub. Born in the Chinese year of the Tiger, he constantly amazes, amuses, inspires, and motivates me.

It's a cliche I know but my life has not been the same since he came into it. I have heaps of single friends who make it clear they are in no hurry to jump into parenthood. But who wants to do this in middle-age? My tiger cub is slowly starting to show me exactly what "the energy of a toddler" really means. I am humbled at the thought that of all the prospective ones out there, he chose me to be his progenitor. His pack leader.

So these are no longer just 'my' stories. They are his. Everything I do, touches upon him. Daunting for some individuals to be laden with such a huge responsibility and some even label it a burden. I consider it a privilege.

So watch out for our stories. We have taken too much time off from sharing. Those bestsellers are NOT going to write themselves.