Arrival

September 2003

Zibby sat impatiently in the Murtala Mohammed Airport waiting lounge. An hour earlier, he had said goodbye to his parents at the outer departure gates. The image of his mum quietly crying through her smiles remained imprinted in his mind, as did her words earlier. "Goodbye, son. Hold on to Jesus!"

At long last, he was on his way to London. Zibby had secured a place at King's College to study for a Master of Laws degree and he knew exactly what he wanted. He would work so hard that his lecturers wouldn't fail to notice him. He'd be retained by the University upon graduation as a member of staff and would thus take his place among the academic elite of the world. No, Zibby did not think his expectations were unrealistic. Far from it. Rejections from Harvard and Cambridge earlier that year had brought him down to earth with a massive thud. He knew the going would be tough but he had faith that all would be well in the end.

As the flight boarded and for its entire duration, Zibby felt a sense of excitement slowly rising in his chest. All too soon, the plane touched down at Heathrow.

"Passport please." The immigration officer stretched out his hand to recieve Zibby's passport. He probably didn't notice the beads of sweat slowly forming on the edge of his brow. Not that anything was amiss, of course. Zibby just had a nagging feeling that if anything were to go monumentally wrong, it would be now.

"Why have you come to the UK?" the officer asked. "To study" Zibby confidently replied. "What will you be studying?" Zibby restrained himself from rolling his eyes. This was the visa interview all over again! "I'll be studying for an LLM - Master of Laws, at King's College London." "Can I see your offer letter please?"

Looking back at the long queue behind him, Zibby was very grateful for his parent's advice to keep his admission documents handy. He had a mental picture of himself explaining how he did have admission documents, but they were at the bottom his yet uncollected suitcase. The picture was not pretty. "Enjoy your stay" the officer said, stamping his passport emphatically.

Next, Zibby proceeded to the medical room for his compulsory X-ray screening. There, he bumped into one of his mates from Law School! "Hey, what're you doing here?" asked the friend cheerily. "I've come for a Masters!" Zibby replied. "I'll be studying at King's! How about you?" "Same thing, but I'll be at UCL!" "Great," Zibby replied. "We should meet up sometime."

Zibby never saw him again. Thus he would learn one of the first things you learn about London. It eats your friends. They disappear down a long dark hole of "busyness" and you'll be lucky to get a phone call once a month reminding you that they're still alive. In time, Zibby too would be so eaten. But that's a tale for another day.

As he completed his medical exam and went down the escalators to retrieve his baggage, Zibby noticed that he felt considerably lighter. His briefcase! He had taken it onto the plane as hand luggage and it contained all his certificates, course-related documents and 4500 pounds being the first deposit for his fees! He was beside himself with fear and worry. It had happened. He knew it was all going too smoothly, that something would have to happen somewhere to mess everything up.

Zibby dashed back up the escalators and headed for the immigration desk. "Please! I think I've left a briefcase on the plane! Can I go back through?"

The immigration officer looked bewildered but not in the least bit sympathetic. "Once you've come through, you can't go back again."

Zibby was on the verge of tears. He quickly considered his options. The medical exam. He could not recall taking the case there, but it was worth a try. "Can I go back to the medical room?" he asked hopefully. The immigration officer looked back at him and nodded. He was off like a shot, heading straight for the medical reception desk. "Excuse me, please, I don't know if you can help me, but I think I might have forgotten a grey briefcase..."

The lady at the desk smiled and said, "Ah, yes... Jill! That briefcase you found..." Zibby's heart was pounding so hard he was sure it was audible. Another lady appeared from another room with the missing case and he almost melted with joy. "Thank you sooo much! That would've been a major problem! My entire life is in that case!" he gushed, as the ladies handed the case over to him.

Okay, he thought, that's done now. That's the drama. Everything's going to be fine now. He clutched his beloved case and headed out to get the rest of his luggage and to meet his uncle who had been patiently waiting for hours. He was in London, and he was going to enjoy himself!