Solomon's Star

Before I was twelve, we lived in a police barrack. Dad was not a cop, but as a journalist, he often covered some stories for the police. My fellow country people in this platform would vouch to the fact that most barracks in the country (both military and police) were more like urban ghettos .

The youth population and the growing children are so wild that one begin to wonder how come the children of the men of the law were so indisciplined and erratic (both males and females). Sometimes, these young people would leave the barracks and go spread chaos and corruption at outside communities.

I remember vividly, at the mention of "barrack boy" or" barrack girl", the heart of an outsider would automatically heave a bit. Barrack boys are believed to have more "liver" ( bravery) than other boys. "I will show you that i am a barrack girl". A disappointed barrack girl would threaten her ex boyfriend, and she'd definitely carryout her threat.

Infact, it is believed that there was nothing too evil, eccentric or extraordinary that a child who grew up in the barracks could not do.

There was this handsome youth called Solomon. He should be around twenty or twenty -one at the time. His late father was a soldier. He was killed when Solomon was very young.

Mama-solomon was a strong woman who never remarried even though she was still young and beautiful. She was determined to do her best in training Solomon and his younger sister with the help of the almighty.

Mama-solomon was a food vendor who sold common foods beside one of he linkup roads in the barracks. She was a really good cook and since her meals were cheaper,she attracted alot of customers and friends. Through her daily profits, she was able to send her two children to school after feeding them. Solomon was really not your typical " barrack boy". He had a very good character that was never influenced by the decay in the barracks.

He was so devoted to his mom, that everyday, after school hours, he would rush to his mother's shed and assist her in serving the customers. Solomon was never seen walking or hanging out with other young people in the barracks. His activities perfectly fits the vertices of a triangle; School- restaurant- home . Sometimes church.

When Solomon finally got admitted to the state's University to study engineering, he refused to live in campus and enjoy campus life. Immediately after taking lectures, he would always return to his mother's little restaurant and assist her in the business.

To cut the long story short, Solomon did his IT (Industrial training) and NYSC ( a program for graduate after they had completed their education) at his mother's little restaurant. He refused to be taken anywhere else.

Other women would look at Solomon with pure admiration as they observed how devoted he was to his mother. No need to mention that they also felt depressed when they try to compare him to their thick-headed and wayward sons.

"Just take a look at Solomon, he's about your age. See how humble he his, everyone loves him. What have you gained in all your stupidity and arrogance?". Mothers living in kalapanzin barracks would continually mention Solomon as the perfect exemplar of a blessed child when scolding their criminally minded sons.

Solomon continued to remain focused. He never cared if the other barrack boys giggled at him when they see him washing the dishes close to the road side at his mother's restaurant. He was never ashamed to prepare and serve meals even when the barracks girls were watching him

You could say that mama- Solomon was about the luckiest mother in the barracks and she was proud of her son. She never hesitated to show him off to her customers and other envious women.

Just recently, My mom told me that she heard that Solomon was now working as an engineer in a technology firm in Dubai. Solomon now has a wife and two kids and his mom lives with the family too.

Most of his childhood mates who laughed at him are still living in the awful barrack where their parents also lived. Nothing ever happened to them.

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Thanks for staying with me ♥️♥️♥️