Many times we meet with a lot of people in life. Maybe only when we are no more, might be the time you would have to stop relating with humans. In life you meet with the nearly perfect person, you meet with some that would get you frustrated, and some would remain as lovely as anything.
The first time I met with Elino was in my third year at the university. He happened to be the next tenant our landlord would take in after some ladies vacated the apartment.
Elino had a cool personality and his character was admirable. You would always want to be around him.
The way he connects with people is what amazes me the most. At times I just conclude it’s something natural or maybe he is just gifted.
Elino was in his penultimate year.
My first conversation with him almost cracked me up in his presence. But I tried to hold it to myself as much as I could.
His accent when speaking his native language (Yoruba) is just so funny. This is because he grew up in his hometown, schooled there, and had most of his teenage years there. That doesn’t define his intelligence. He was so brilliant and determined.
I once heard that he was among the top students in his classes. When he proved that, he introduced to us a guy who started living with us. The guy was the scholar of their department.
He was also playful but knew what he was doing.
“How are you doing today Elminos?” One student asked.
Elino stared at him for a while, “You are not serious! If you don't know how to pronounce someone’s name properly, then you ask!” Elino responds.
You could see the reaction on his face. His mood switched immediately. But the new guy was cautious of himself. He apologized and went his way.
Mtcheew, Elino hissed.
I watched both of their actions from where I sat. I was still trying to understand Elino's personality before I could get closer to him. I know people admired him and wanted to be around him but am I also ready to cope with being around him too? I asked myself
I have been trying to know more about him since he got into the apartment. But what I found funny about him is that the more people got closer to him, the more they gossiped about him too.
There was a day when Elino returned from lectures, I guess he must have been so stressed and hungry too. Elino has the nature of not joking with food. Though everyone does but his own was just on another level.
I felt people of his nature should try as much to avoid cooking with others. But Elino didn’t, maybe not for someone with his kind of jovial and friendly ways.
By the time he got inside, he dropped his book and bag on the table and then headed straight to the kitchen. Elino didn’t find the food he had his mind on in the kitchen. The next thing he did was to express his anger.
He would speak bluntly and also whine alongside. He never had a single patience. I was sleeping in my room when I heard him. I had to jump out quickly to tell him that his roommate left the food in our room because of the cockroaches that perched on them while everywhere got silent.
Elino’s face already changed a lot. His eyes already got red in tears.
This is something you can just call your roommate and confirm the whereabouts of the missing food but he chose to whine heavily.
That was my first experience with him though. Not until a discussion related to that issue came up among everyone in the hostel then everyone begin to testify to that.
I was a little disappointed in him for that. But I felt there should be more to know about him.
What pissed me off was a scenario where Elino cried for days and even decided not to speak with everyone.
What could have happened to him?
There was a girl called Love, she was beautiful and friendly. We all liked her. Though she does come around to take tutorials with Elino. We could tell that Elino also admired her but she never had him in mind apart from being a tutor.
On getting on vacation, Love shared her wedding invitation with us. We were all happy and rejoiced with her. But it was different for Elino. He wept bitterly all day. Despite all, we did to make him get over it. Nothing worked.
Elino was cool but his habit of whining over trivial matters set my tooth on edge. In the end, I couldn’t get closer to him as I wanted to.
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This is an interesting character study, @abdul-qudus. Elino is a person who needs to find a way to calm down if he wants to have friends! Thank you for sharing your creative nonfiction story in The Ink Well, and for reading and commenting on the work of other community members.
Elino is rude. He's the kind of person who just has the aura of bringing out the worst in people. Let's hope he changes soon. Nicely written!
Yeah he his kind of. But you can hardly tell from a distant relationship with him.
Thanks for the compliment
I think Elino has to work on himself, patience is key.
And about love, his students, maybe he should have told her his mind that will save him from the shock he had later.
Yeah yeah. He is married now hehe. Everyone will surely get theirs it’s just a matter of time
Thanks for stopping by
We are wired differently. like you Said we will never cease to come across people of different personalities, we just have to create space to accommodate them for the space of time we have to spend around them. I have met a few persons like Elini, always taking little things too serious, trust me that attitude is annoying but it's who they are, maybe with time they might discover that loophole and work on it
Yeah I believe he must have done that now. He his married and I am hope he got to change. Thanks for the contribution
🤣😂🤣😂 I use to be a cry baby like Elino too. I knew how frustrating it gets for others when I get in that mood. The atmosphere is usually very tensed. I am glad I was able to outgrow that. I hope your friend does too.
Oooh. That’s my Elino junior ooo. 😂. Most times we get outgrow some behaviors of ours the more we get to mingle with others. I am glad you got over yours too.