We had been friends with Drake since childhood. I first met him in primary one. He was a very honest friend. Our bond grew stronger as we progressed through primary school. We even promised to go to the same secondary school.

During holidays, we kept in touch by phone. I always admired his character of simplicity and calmness. However when we went to secondary school, I noticed that Drake had changed his lifestyle. He no longer went to church on Sundays and this was unusual. Talking to him about it was futile.

One day, during a conversation, I noted that his breath smelt of alcohol and cigarettes. As a real friend I tried to talk him out of smoking and drinking but the response was unfriendly. He said I was over lecturing him like a parent.

Drake further stated that he was mature enough to handle the new trend that his life was taking. He even attempted to convince me to smoke a cigarette and drink alcohol. With each passing day, we spent less time together.

This deeply troubled me so I prayed for him because I wanted to do more. The gap between us was getting wider. Sometimes, it seemed like we were never friends before.

Drake continuously dodged me but I did not give up on him. I persistently created all possible ways of talking to him since I realised that he was a struggling Christian.

After so many years, I had stopped running after Drake since he looked comfortable with his new click of friends. All I did was greet him whenever we met though we did not chat as friends do.

When we reached senior six, that is when I believed that everything is possible. One day, Drake came to talk to me. This was so unusual. He confessed to me that his performance had declined in class.

He attributed the decline to his change of lifestyle and new friends who had influenced him negatively. We became good friends again and this is when I realised that my earlier determination to be his friend had paid off. This is what I now consider as true friendship.

Ends