Ada was in her room one Monday afternoon when her phone rang. It was her friend, Tolu.
Please, are you busy? Tolu asked.
A little. What's up?
Can you help me with this assignment? I don't really understand question three.
Ada looked at her laptop. She hadn't even finished her own assignment.
Okay, send it to me.
Thank you I knew I could count on you.
Ada spent the next two hours explaining the questions to Tolu. By the time they were done, she had barely enough time to get ready for her lecture.
A few days later, another friend asked to borrow her favourite dress. Ada had plans to wear it that weekend, but after listening to her friend beg her, she eventually agreed.
Please, I'll return it tomorrow. I promise.
The dress came back three days later, and there was a stain on it.
Ada wasn't happy, but when her friend apologized, she said it was fine.
One Thursday evening, she returned from lectures feeling exhausted. She had barely settled down when her phone rang again.
Where are you? her friend asked.
I'm in my room. Why?
Please, can you come with me to get something? I don't want to go alone.
Ada looked at the time. She still had an assignment to finish.
Can't you ask someone else? I'm really tired.
Oh. So you can't come?
I'm sorry. Not today.
Okay, no problem.
The following morning, things were a little different. Her friend wasn't talking to her as usual. When Ada tried starting a conversation, she got very short replies.
Later that day, she overheard two of her friends talking.
Some people have changed o. You can't even ask them for a small favour anymore.
Ada heard them, but she pretended she hadn't.
She wanted to explain that she wasn't feeling well the previous evening, but she decided against it.
A few days passed, and things remained awkward between them. Ada began wondering if she had done something wrong.
One evening, while going through her messages, she noticed how many conversations started with people asking her for help.
She couldn't even remember the last time someone had called her just to gist or ask how her day went.
She was still looking through her phone when Tolu called.
Ada, please, I need your help with this assignment. The submission is tomorrow.
Ada looked at the assignment she had been working on.
Tolu, I haven't even finished mine. I don't think I'll be able to help you this time.
Really? It's just this small thing.
I know, but I have to finish my own work.
Okay then.
Tolu ended the call.
Ada felt bad. She almost called her back, but she dropped her phone and continued with her assignment.
A few days later, she ran into another friend who jokingly asked when she had become so difficult to reach.
Ada laughed.
I've just been trying to do my own things too.
Her friend shrugged and changed the subject.
That evening, Ada sat on her bed thinking about everything that had happened.
She still loved helping people. She just wished they would understand that sometimes, she had things to do too.
The next morning, she received another message.
Ada, please, can you do me a favour?
She read the message, dropped her phone and continued getting ready.
She would attend to it when she had the time.
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