Le gang pour la vie.

“Friendship is everything. Friendship is more than talent. It is more than the government. It is almost the equal of family.- Don Corleone” ― Mario Puzo,

Friendship becomes more than family when you share a workplace. Nantianna and Scar are my gangos, the ones with whom I shared a work place. Friends are the relatives that we make in life and in these people, I made wonderful sisters. Let me write about each of them much as life later brought us together, there is a starting point.

Nantianna was either in Simba/Africa house at Makerere College school and I in Muteesa house. She was one of those who pursued Music and drama a lot that even she cast in a play,”Ndelike’s diamond” at Ndere cultural Center. Music and drama are part of the Makerere College Culture that you have to be part of them,in fact I showed her a photo while performing a traditional folk song as a traditionalist with herbs and this reminded me that Drama and performance was part of me. Later when I joined Lawschool, Nantianna was my senior and you know with law students, there is a healthy respect for seniors, this even continues at practice level, one who has been enrolled before you is your senior.

Scar and I shared a high school but different campuses so that is Cosmos working to bring us together. We were at the same Lawschool and we were classmates. Scar has this dark sense of humor and she likes the bad uncle of Simba in Lionking so much that I call her Scar, she is a good friend and I was reminding her today how I never run out of cocktails at campus, thanks to her.

Nantianna and Scar.

Scar was the first person that I called when I was reporting for my first day of work. I recall she advised me to use the Kyambogo route. Nantianna and Scar must have been in the same department at work(Community Empowerment) while I was a research assistant to the Executive Director. We had our bond as the three and would often meet to talk about career and what we ought to do to get better with our lives. In 2015, the three of us went to the book launch of a friend and an OG

When I fell ill and a fundraiser was held for my rehabilitation, CEHURD my workplace was one of the contributors to the fundraiser, and they are very much in touch up to today and that is priceless. Nantianna and Scar came to check on me and everyone wondered why I was so jovial even though I had been Paralyzed and Speechless, this was early 2017. I guess that even in the illness, I could afford to smile because I knew that I was loved and supported. Love and Empathy are powerful things to anyone at their lowest and I can attest to that. I must have done the right thing to deserve the love, support and encouragement from Nantianna and Scar.

Birthday, 2019

On the 19th September 2019, Scar and Nantianna did surprise me on my birthday and brought me cake to celebrate with me and that was priceless yet again

The years go by and it must have been 2021, I have a habit of calling up on buddies to find out how life is lifing, so nga I call Nantianna to check on her only to find out that the timezone changed. Sometimes when I do call Scar, she says that, “Banange thank you for not giving up on us”. This comes naturally to me, I want to know how your job is going, basically those life goals because these are the people who stood with me and it is proper that I reciprocate

Friyay

So it is Wednesday in the morning and I get a happy Wednesday from her and she tells me that she wants to come check on me, Unknown to me, Scar was in the plot as expected. When I saw the two, I was super excited and even asked Scar about Roman!! Dear Scar and Nantianna, thank you for your friendship, support and encouragement, I could not ask for a better gang than yours, yours is la gang pour la vie.