Building construction is not like other professions which after graduation, one can venture into the labour market and start excelling with only or mainly the theoretical knowledge he or she acquired in school.
It's a discipline in which one has to acquaint himself with a sound practical knowledge and keeps practicing for perfection, unlike other professions in which some mistakes can easily be corrected without much damages, in building construction, any little mistake can cause a lot of irretrievable damages.
For example: building collapse which can claim lives and properties.
For the above reasons regarding building construction, no graduate in the department of Building Technology is advice to start taking building construction contracts and execution without following someone who has already been handling building construction contracts for mentorship.
A newbie into the industry will have to start following his mentor to construction sites to see and know how construction is been carried out in the real world not only in the class room.
Therefore, being a fresh graduate and a newbie, having a friend and course-mate who has already been handling building constructions, seeing it as a great opportunity, I decided to follow him.
He was already working on a particular site and luckily for him, he got another contract of which the client wanted him to immediately start the execution of the project without delay.
Now having two construction sites to handle, obviously, it's not going to be easy for him to handle these two sites at the same time couple with the fact that the two sites are in different locations, so he invited me to come and help him supervise(as a foreman) even though I'm not an idle type but knowing the benefit of being on site, that is, the practical knowledge, I therefore, left all I was doing and honored his invitation.
Note: we are from different states.
Considering the fact that he's my friend couple with the practical knowledge I wanted,
I never charged him him, all I asked of him was my transport fare to and fro and the cost of my feeding throughout my stay.
I also informed him that I will be staying for a week since his job on the former site will be completed before a week, in which he would now have all the time to focus on the new site.
The conditions was accepted and became our agreement.
On that faithful Sunday morning, I dressed up and zoomed off to meet my friend in a different state, I took care of the transport fare myself.
On getting there, being a friend and course-mate, he received me whole-heartedly.
The next morning which was Monday we went to the new site, and started with setting out (transferring the working drawing to the ground), pegging and marking the ground for excavation, which we couldn't finish it that Monday, and returned to base which is the old site where we stays and sleeps.
By Tuesday morning, we went back to the new site and finished up with the setting out, then, he rushed back to the former site to continue with the work because the client was on his neck, while I stayed back supervising the guys who were on the excavation of trenches.
From day two onwards, I was the one managing the project while he only visit towards evenings to inspect the day's job done and releases money for me to pay his workers.
During all his visitations, he never complained and from his looks I was well convinced that the job is going according to his expectations.
I was taking care of my feeding, believing by end of everything when I will be traveling he will value and give money worth my transport fare and feeding throughout my stay.
Then, on Friday, I reminded my friend that I will be traveling on Sunday and he also informed me that he too will be traveling to visit his fiance on the same Sunday.
Reaching on Sunday morning, he came to the room where I sleeps picked the stuffs he bought for his traveling and left my room, I thought the reason for taking those stuffs was just to baggage them for his traveling.
Note: he sleeps in a different room better than mine with two other guys, so he keeps his valuable things in my room for security purposes because I sleeps alone.
It was when I started arranging my things for my traveling that I noticed the key for the new site that is and has been in my possession was no longer where I kept it, with no doubts in my mind, knowing fully well that he must have taken the key probably trying to visit the site before traveling.
one to two hours, my friend haven't showed up, I went and checked in his room, he was not there, i looked around the room, those stuffs were not there, I asked those guys that sleeps in the same room with him, I was told that he left with those stuffs, I picked my phone and dialled his number, for up to five times, the line was going through but he never answered.
I felt being humiliated, being embarrassed, being betrayed.
I felt so bad but not stranded.
He sneaked out and left without appreciation of any kind, not even saying journey mercies to me.
What if I had no money in my bank account, what would've been my fate?
