Some friendships form instantly, like sparks catching fire. Others grow slowly, like roots digging deep into the soil.
Akutu and Nathan's friendship was somewhere in between.
Their first conversation in the library had been unexpected, but something about it felt natural. Like they were supposed to meet.
And soon, what started as a casual exchange of ideas turned into something deeper.
They began studying together, bouncing ideas off each other.
Nathan, with his structured, logical mind, helped Akutu refine her storytelling with clear plots and stronger arguments. Akutu, with her emotional depth, challenged Nathan to see beyond logic and embrace the beauty of creative expression.
They learned from each other.
And they understood each other.
One evening, after a long study session, Nathan asked, "So… why do you write?"
Akutu thought for a moment. "Because I want to make sense of life. Writing helps me understand things—myself, other people, the world."
Nathan smiled. "That's deep."
She laughed. "What about you? Why do you love storytelling?"
He hesitated. Then, in a quiet voice, he said, "Because sometimes, I feel like I don't have a voice in real life. But when I write… I do."
Akutu looked at him, realizing that beneath his confident exterior, Nathan carried his own struggles.
And for the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn't alone.
That night, as Akutu walked back to her hostel, she thought about how much she had changed since her first year began.
She had come to university expecting to study, to follow the routine, to get her degree.
But life had given her something else—friendships that mattered.
The pulleys of life had shifted once again.