Website design By BotEap.comThe meeting took place from Friday July 29 to Saturday July 30, 2016, at De Vere Venues, Staverton Park, Staverton, Northamptonshire, UK.

Website design By BotEap.comDays before the event, a final list of who would attend was sent. They all wanted to look their best when arriving at the meeting to impress their colleagues, many of whom they had not seen in thirty years, since they graduated from medical school.

Website design By BotEap.comIn Australia, Switzerland, Canada, Nigeria and the United States of America, colleagues packed their bags. Anticipation reached a crescendo. The women bought sparkly dresses and the men shaved and dyed their hair. Only Moses left his gray going crazy, for which he won the Wisdom Hair award.

Website design By BotEap.comWhen we got to De Vere’s locations, matching all the names on the list to all the faces on the ground turned out to be a chore. Unless friends revealed themselves, they were strangers.

Website design By BotEap.comIn the middle of Saturday afternoon, Salako, rector of the Faculty of Medicine, at the speaking podium, looked at a man who had entered the auditorium. The man wore a brown domed hat. “The hat”, confessed the stranger, “hides poorly dyed gray hair.” Sympathy and laughter welcomed him.

Website design By BotEap.comAfter the ‘Remember to Give Back Alma Mata’ speech, people zigzagged through the hotel lobby in search of classmates.

Website design By BotEap.comHave you seen Fred Akpochafo? asked a sharp-eyed guy with a toothless smile, a bespectacled man with an easy smile and lively speech. “I’m Fred,” replied the guy with the glasses.

Website design By BotEap.comAfter mutual recognition, Chinwe Nwokoma and Fred attacked each other in fifteen-minute bear hugs and handshakes, after which both men suffered a dislocation of the elbow.

Website design By BotEap.comDid you see Ntekim Bassey? the guy with badly dyed hair asked Barry. A hoarse voice replied, “I saw it half a second ago.”

Website design By BotEap.comThe more people talked, the more certain they were that a particular voice belonged to a particular colleague.

Website design By BotEap.comAyo and I had exchanged many emails, but until Saturday I was unable to match the person with the name. However, it remained blurry in my memory. We continued exchanging handshakes and hugs throughout the night, waiting for a full memory dump.

Website design By BotEap.comEach handshake tugged at the memory. Each hug recruited more sleeping neurons. Yes! He is Ayo, his voice never left. It was just hidden, somewhere in the nuggets of the hippocampus. The same experience happened with Benjamin Oke, I think.

Website design By BotEap.comMore mental authentication occurred lazily when I saw Ajibola and Osahon, Mase and Mojisola, Adebayo, Prof. Musa, Pal Loolo, Man Jaji and Evelyn, Kehinde and Sammy Best, Chuks, Essein, Tony N. and Taiwo. Peter Olukowi almost slipped away. “My father is Henry Akpabio,” a boy told me.

Website design By BotEap.comI will never forget people like President Yemi, Obi, Abolade, Emeka, Bolo, Onome, Peter Eweje, Ngozi and Vero.

Website design By BotEap.comBy Saturday night, seventy percent of the class had been identified. The discoveries continued over dinner. Sunday morning and afternoon they saw new revelations.

Website design By BotEap.comIf Leslie took over Friday night for her perfect poses, then Goze celebrated Saturday night for her dance. Austin, Bhardwaj, Yinka, Titi George, Dayo, Ifeoma and Adanna tried very hard to match him. If Roro or Olaopa had been there, they would have given him a chance for his moves.

Website design By BotEap.comNo one could get enough of each other. The guy with the badly dyed hair hugged Emma Nnopu thirty times to make up for the thirty years they hadn’t seen each other.

Website design By BotEap.comDuring dinner, more surprises appeared like forgotten bills. Hands exchanged awards. A rain of money rained down on a baby. Members of the Adanta dance group soar through the air like adolescent eagles. An artist who transferred two rapidly rotating aluminum basins from his little fingers to broomsticks kept us on our toes for seven hours.

Website design By BotEap.comExcept for a cashew-colored mustache, Peter Olumese remained the same in physique and character and was rewarded. And for flattering Professor Cole, Leex and his group won a group contest.

Website design By BotEap.com“There he is,” said the man with poorly dyed hair when he finally saw Ntekim Bassey.

Website design By BotEap.com“Anselm, you’ve been looking for me, I get it,” Bassey said.

Website design By BotEap.com“Yeah, I haven’t seen you in thirty years.”

Website design By BotEap.comSuddenly the torsos, hands, and shoulders were brought together several times. Except for the weight gain of ten, maybe fifteen pounds, Ntekim hadn’t changed one iota. Later, in an unchanging, even, confident tone, he chatted with the ever-elegant Moji, O.

Website design By BotEap.comThe way Olamide and his team were able to stretch the funds to the level of fun we had is mind blowing. Prestige!

Website design By BotEap.comBefore the trip, I made labels with the names of each person on the list, not knowing the faces that would occupy so many labels. No longer. Every face is on my conscience.

Website design By BotEap.comFor two reasons, the London event would be hard to beat. Dancing legs haven’t reached a breaking point yet, but they will be soon. Second, almost everyone has been discovered within fifteen years since the meeting began in Memphis, Tennessee. If colleagues who have not yet attended show up at the next event, all bets are off.

Website design By BotEap.comThanks to the prayers, led by Morafa and Dave, all the heavenly stars aligned in harmony.

Website design By BotEap.comFinal