We held a 12 hour conversation

Shantal:

How would you describe Annah?
Ann is confident and a very loving girl. However she’s very serious; that if she says I’ll see you tomorrow at 10 O’clock, it’s hard to get an apology from her. And she’s very committed and dedicated, although some people mistake her for being tough.
How did you meet?
When we enrolled at the same school. We were both new and adapting to a new environment.

What are some of your earliest memories with her?
Back then, we were both very chubby and would even share clothes. I maintained the look and on her side, while at university, she lost the weight.

What is the craziest thing you’ve done together?
Those have been very many. There’s a day they suspended both of us and hell broke loose. Imagine suspending two prefects. We had delayed to get out of the dormitory, and yet we both had strict parents.

What are some of the highlights of this friendship?
I remember one day, we stayed up talking about random things. We talked from 7pm to 8am the following day. You can’t believe that we were there seated on our beds; talking for the whole evening through dawn; to the next morning. The stories just kept flowing, yet we hardly knew. We later slept when other people woke up

How often do you meet up?
What has kept us together is that we are not friends of kajanja (overly tagging along). We don’t call each other all the time, to prove our friendship. We are both too busy, but meet when we must.

Who of your is the naughtiest?
I guess I am because there are some things I do that she wouldn’t.

What do you like about her the most?
Ann is very caring and helpful

And what don’t you like about her?
Oba she’s too rigid! If you’re dealing with her, honestly you have to think too much.

Is there a nickname you have for her?
Not any.

Do you ever fight?
We disagree on some things; for example she’s too economical. She doesn’t like us to spend money even if we have it. She says it’s wasting it.

What does she like the most?
Having her house in order. Even before thinking of herself when she steps out, she’ll think of how she has left her kitchen, bedroom or veranda. Plus her daughter!

And what does she distaste the most?
Delaying her at an appointment, and falsely accusing her.

What constructive thing have you got from this friendship?
I’ve learnt a lot from her; and we sat down as friends and brainstormed on looking beyond our official jobs, which birthed our businesses.

Annah:
How would you describe Shantal?
Shantal is such a sweet soul; I mean a real nice person.
She is that one friend you always look forward to meeting, full of life, and turns tears into laughter. She’s also a party animal.

How did you meet?
When we enrolled for A-Level at Immaculate Heart Girls Nyakibale. Our friendship happened naturally, I don’t remember that exact point when our paths crossed but her character brought us together.

What are some of your earliest memories with her?
There’s one incident I will never forget; as we were getting done with our Senior Six exams she decided to throw herself a birthday party, which we celebrated out of school. However one thing I’ve never known is how we got out of that fence. It was meant to be a light gathering, but things turned into a mega party; buffet, décor, music and photography.

What are some of the biggest highlights of your friendship?
We are accommodative of each other; and this has kept us moving. We take our challenges as open doors to greater heights.

What is the craziest thing you did together at university?
We’ve had crazy moments but the winner was when we had just joined university and we went for a campus night at a club with our admission letters as the pass, we had not yet secured IDs.

Who of you is the naughtiest?

Definitely Shantal.
What do you like about her the most?
Good friends are loyal, and accept you for who you are, during good and bad times. She’s also a strong, hardworking lady, hilarious, and above all she is supportive.

And what nags you about her?
She is such a bad time keeper. When our appointment is for midday, I give myself an extra hour.

Is there a nickname you have for her?
Not really, but of late she is “Good Morning Uganda.”

Do you guys ever fight?
We have never fought.

What does she like the most?
Shantal likes being smart.

And what does she distaste the most?
Taking her for granted, and someone treating her with no love. To her no love is no life.
What constructive thing have you got from your friendship?
Working hard amidst all odds and never giving up.

Titbits:

•Shantal is a Rotary club member of Kampala Sseese islands
•Annah is currently reading: The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth by John Maxwell.
•Annah holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences.
•Shantal is into honey business.
•They were both prefects in school, with Ann being the minister of discipline, while Shantal was the environment minister.