A Classmate Who Helped Me

A high school classmate of mine at Starehe Boys' Centre, Munene was appointed a sub-prefect in 2003 when we were in Form 2. He rose through the ranks to become a deputy school captain in 2005.

During the assembly he was promoted to that position, the whole hall burst into a seething cauldron of cheers. I would have chimed in by running my fingers across the piano had students not jeered me when I attempted it earlier in the assembly.

After finishing high school in November 2005, Munene and I chose to return to Starehe to pursue IT diplomas in the institute division of the school. As we waited to join the institute, I advised him to emulate Gilbert Kimani, a previous friendly and easy-going school captain.

While I doubt whether Munene kept my advice in mind, he was a nice fellow during our institute days in 2006. He held me in high regard, at one time telling our schoolmates that I was a genius for setting up a website for our high school class. That was before the advent of Facebook and WhatsApp that we take for granted.

And he wrote me a glowing peer recommendation letter when I was applying to Dartmouth College. He mentioned in the letter that I had volunteered to teach piano in a remote Catholic parish during the 2006 August holiday.

Unfortunately, and I say unfortunately for a reason I will explain later, Munene dropped out of Starehe Institute in November 2006, a few months after becoming the school captain, and chose to take gap year at the Armidale in New South Wales, Australia. He became the first school captain in my time who didn't finish his one-year term.

Had Munene finished his term as school captain, he would have been offered an opportunity to enrol at Deerfield Academy, one of the best college preparatory schools in the United States, from where he would have been accepted at such elite colleges as Yale, Harvard and Stanford. Why he chose to drop out of the institute is something I craved to understand.

A few years later, in 2010 to be precise, I asked him in a Facebook chat why he sacrificed an opportunity to study at Deerfield. He didn't disclose the reason; he just told me he lost something by not flying to Deerfield but gained something by flying to the Armidale School. That sounded wise to me.

I've had an inkling that Munene would have had me take up an opportunity that opened up in 2007 for one Starehian to enrol at a college preparatory academy in Cleveland, Ohio. That's why I've said it was unfortunate he dropped out of Starehe Institute in November 2006.

After his gap year days at the Armidale School in Australia, he flew to Great Britain to pursue a degree in business information systems at the University of East London. He graduated in 2011 with first class honors. As I wish him success in his future endeavors, I pray he remains a good friend of mine.

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RECOMMENDATION: If you've enjoyed this story, you might also enjoy "A Genuine Friend".