THE INFLUENCE OF FRIENDS

Tochi was a student of community secondary school Opanda. His parents were very poor, His father used to be an attendant at a petrol station and his mother was a petty trader. Tochi was the only child of his parents and they love his very much. Although they were not poor, they made sure that they pay his school fees on time and also gave him all the things he needed for his education. Tochi's teachers in community secondary school opanda like him because he always come first in all the examinations.The principal Mr.Ugwu used to call him 'Tochi the clever boy', and sometime he would call Tochi into his office and give him puff puff or chinchin sometimes. All his classmates use to call him "Boi p", because the school principal Mr. Ugwu likes him a lot. Sometimes Mr. Ugwu would watch him and whisper to other teachers saying,"This boy will be very great in future, I can see all the signs of greatness in him" some of his mates even became envious of him because he always came first in all the subjects. Being a student who was serious with his studies,he knows that he must take his education very serious. He was the class captain since his primary school days.He always urged other student in the class to always be punctual and always dedicate their time in reading their books. He was also aware that his teachers would be disappointed in him if he ever lose focus or comes late to school at any point in time. They made him a role model for students, including his classmates to emulate. He know he must not disappoint his teachers and parents by oversleeping and getting late to school. He wakes up early every morning, despite his hard labour through the day. Tochi had to go to the farm to cut vegetables and sale it at the village Market. He also labour on the villagers farm land to get some money to support his mother at home. Tochi's parents were very responsible.They always check Tochi's school activities. maybe it was because he is the only child. Mr. Obinna, Tochi's father, always took part in most of his school programs. Because of his dedications to all the school programs he was made the vice chairman of the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) of the school. Tochi grew up among the creeks and lagoons of opanda.There were many water plants and trees around the village. There were reeds and stumps along the brooks and ponds.there were also thick growing roots. some of them were already decaying due to the wet ground. Many huts were built among the twigs and thistles of the riverine opanda. Most people in opanda are mainly farmers and most of them farm produce are cash crops such as garden egg, yams, mangos, and many of them. Many men at opanda are fishermen there where many rivers in opanda and this provide them the privileges for them to do fishing at any time and any season.