Schoolboy Business
Even though he was in his final year in high school, James never liked school. Ever since he was a kid,his interest was always in the market rather than in the classrooom. His mom was the one forcing him to go to school.James father was a highly successful trader who never saw the four walls of the classroom.
James mom was more impressed and admired her husband's brother who was a medical Doctor even though her own husband was far richer. She would say to her son, James: "i want you to study very hard so that one day you can be a medical doctor like uncle Ben". But James never cared about uncle Ben or about being a medical doctor,he admired his own father more and would want to venture into the world of business one day.
But his father was hardly available to mentor him, he was always traveling for one business trip or the other but James and Mom never lacked anything as his father made sure they had everything they wanted.
James mom would say: "your father is a wealthy trader, he can afford to sponsor you to the highest educational level. He could even send you outside the country for studies. All you have to do is to get more serious with your studies."
" I would really love you to be a doctor one day, like your uncle. if you don't like the idea, you could choose to be a pilot like your young cousin jerry. You could also be a lawyer like George, the son of Mrs Helen, my closest friend", his mom said
As a matter of fact, James mom didnt really care about what James wanted for himself. She was just after the credit and prestige that came with being the mother of a respectable professional. Whenever she meets a son or daughter of a rich friend who have achieved the status of a Doctor, Engineer, banker or lawyer, she always feels envious and can't wait for her own son to complete his university educatio so that she could show him off too,just like the way the most women do. James knew this and he felt sorry for his mother. He was determined to choose his own path and his mother wouldn't stop him.
During school holidays, James would go to one his father's shops in the market. He would remain there all mornings and afternoons and watch how the sales boys attend to the customers. He was always swayed by the marketing skills of boys. Sometimes, When they had successfully persuaded a difficult customer to purchase an expensive goods, James would always applaud them for their spectacular business strategy . He found this more fascinating and satisfying than the boring lessons and notes he had to copy in classes.
When he comes home in the evening, mother would ask him where he was coming from. As soon as he replied that he's from the market, his mom would be furious and yell at him, telling him that he was not needed in the market .His mom would always want him to go out with other rich kids to see a movie, play basket ball, attend birthday parties, or clubs. That was the kind of kids that his mom preferred him to be hanging out with, and not "illiterate" sales boys.
As school resumed, the students met a with an awkward situation. They discovered that the Price of a particular chocolate which was their favorite had been increased by fifty percent at the school's shop. But the price of the said chocolate was still the same outside the school.
The student were really not happy about this, but they had no choice than to continue to buy at the new price from the school, since they couldn't go out to get it since it was against the school's rules for student to leave the school premises before closing time. James too was not happy with this unfortunate development. One night, an idea occurred to him in bed.
The following morning, James woke up very early. Before going to school, he rushed to one of his father's shop where he collected three cartons of the said chocolate. Somehow, he managed to bring them into his classroom. During break, he sold them directly from his desk to his classmates at the original market price. The students became joyous again and regarded James as their savior.
After school school hours, he returned to the shop. From his sales he paid the money for the chocolates to the sales boys, and he also made a profit of thirty percent for them. The boys were very happy and proud of him. James decided to start selling biscuits too.
This continued for almost three weeks before he was caught. The cashier who was in charge of the school's shop noticed that sales had dropped considerably for a while now. She observed the the students in James class who were her biggest customers as they had the highest population more than any other classes had suddenly stopped buying chocolates and biscuits from her.
On further investigation, she found out that there was a student in their class who had been snatching her customers. She became very furious and decided to report this little criminal to the principal.
The principal was a very strict disciplinarian who was reverred by all students and staff. When he was briefed about what has been happening, he was so infuriated that he called for an emergency assembly.
On the assembly ground, James was called out and he was made to stand in front of the students. The principal immediately launched into a series a discourse about morality and corruption. James was projected by the principal as a corrupt young man who instead of facing his lessons which were the reason for his coming to school, was rather engaged in sharp practices. He accused him of smuggling illegal items into the school. He was also accused of defrauding the school management and also extorting money from his classmates. The principal warned the rest of the students not to be like James as he promised them that james would be punished for his unruly behavior. The principal declared a two weeks suspension for James
On his way home, James was morose and gloomy. He knew he didn't do anything wrong, he knew that he wasn't a bad boy. he had never gotten into problems with the school authority or with any of his classmates before. He remembered how the principal had condemn and humiliated him in front of everyone and he began to weep.
His mother was very mad at him when she heard what had happen . She was now screaming at the top of her voice
" Did me and your father send you to school in order to study or engage in business? Did me or your dad ever denied you money or anything you wanted before? Dont you know that other students would now think that your parents are poor and thats why you had to engage in such illegal business to cater for yourself. Why do you choose to bring shame and disgrace to your family,you wicked child?! She exclaimed and storm out of the room in a dangerous fit of rage.
When James father returned home, he was told by his wife that his son had been suspended from school and she quickly explained the reason for his suspension. James father looked at him for a long time, then he told his wife that he wanted to have a private discussion with his son, James mom reluctantly left the room.
To his surprise, james father told him that he was very proud of him. He tried to convince James that he did nothing wrong. "My son, you were able to identify a problem in your school, then you made use of your creativity and brought about a solution to this particular problem for your classmate".
" This shows that you have an entrepreneurship spirit and you would be able to solve bigger problems in the society by the time you have come of age. And there's absolutely no doubt that you would become a great man tomorrow".
James father promised to mentor and guide James in business as soon as he had completely his secondary school education. After all, his son would be the one to take over his business empire when he's no more
To all my commenters, upvoters and sponsors too numerous to mention, I would continue to say a big thank you. I am really grateful for the love so far. ☺☺☺
Miracle glasses
Hello everyone.. Hope we all are enjoying the friday. The weather over here is cloudy and cool.
I must say that i am very grateful for the previledge of writing once again and I'm so elated that you my friend have been impressed with the few works I have here. Believe me, my heart always gladdens whenever I read your comments, as they have the same gratifying feeling as the upvotes.
It was my first year in high school at a new school and I was just 11 years old. I was among the smallest students in class. The school bag that mom bought for me was obviously oversized. Mom said I would definitely grow bigger, and continue to use the bagpack through out my years in high school. My step- brother would taunt me and make fun of the bagpack as it always touches the back of my knee whenever it sits on my back. He would laugh and say that my bag was big enough to comfortably contain three human heads. I never paid him any mind because I knew he was obviously jealous since his own was much smaller.
My school uniform was also oversized too. Again mom explained that I would grow bigger and the uniform would serve me till that time. The only school kit that was really my size was my school sandals, even my socks were quite longer than my legs.
I was so small that when i sit down on my seat in class, my writing desk would almost be the same level as my nose as it was too high. Thus, making me to always stretch my neck beyond angle 90 degrees in order for me to be able to see what is being written on the board in front of me. This caused me a lot of discomfort and neck pains. Most times, I had to stand on my feet and lean forward on my desk else I wouldn't be able to see the board clearly or write faster.
I had a classmate called rukky. Rukky was same size as me and her seat was just beside mine. Surprisingly, she never struggled like me while writing. She's always sitting down calmly while copying from the board in front of her.
Taking a look at rukky, the first thing that strikes you is her prominent eye glasses which occupies almost one-third of her face. She also have a rope attached to the glasses at both ends, given her a weird but curious look. I have never seen a little girl with such sophisticated glasses before.
Rukky reminded me of my uncle who was a medical doctor as that was exactly the kind of glasses he always wore. Mom used to say that uncle Ali was a genius. I took a long look at rukky once more and thought that she maybe a genius too.
It didn't take long before I became certain that rukky was truly a genius!!! She had the whole answers to every question that the teacher asked. She was always the first person to finish and submit any classwork given by our teacher, including mathematics. In a very short time, everyone acknowledge her as the best student.
I have always admired human intelligence ever since I was a kid, so I decided to befriend rukky. She also agreed to be my friend and we became best of friends in class. Even though we were not seatmates, we were always together during break time, we would share our lunch with each other. We would also leave the school premises while holding each others hand till we get to where our parents would be waiting to take us home.
I told my step-brother about my new friend rukky and her astounding brilliance in class and about my admiration for her. I also mentioned that she wore some big glasses which makes her more unique and outstanding. My step- brother took a long look at me with squinting but serious eyes and asked me if I would like to know the secret behind her intelligence. He said that I too can be as brilliant as rukky when I get to know her secret.
I was so excited that I was speechless for some seconds and my heart begin to thump faster.I was so eager to hear this secret that i grabbed my brother by his arm, pleading with him to tell me. I also wanted to be a genius, who wouldn't want to ? But my step- brother push me away from him roughly and hurriedly walked into the house.
For the next three days, I kept pleading with him to tell me the secret of ingenuity but he would always ignore. When he couldn't bear with my constant bugging, he finally yielded. But there was a condition, he told me that I have to surrender every piece of meat that would be served on my food(lunch and dinner) to him for a week before he reveals the big secret. I readily agreed to his terms.
I was told that the secret of rukky was in her glasses. He called it " **miracle glasses".**
He said that, without her glasses, Rukkly would be nothing. he said that she was always wearing her glasses even when taking her bath, crying or sleeping. He said that the glasses should never touch the ground or any surface, else it would vanish and rukky would loss it forever. I kept staring at him with my mouth agape as he kept revealing more ridiculous stuffs about the glasses. I swallowed all what he said hook, line and sinker . Afterall, he was three years older and I thought him more knowledgeable and experienced.
My step-brother told me he could help get the exact type of glasses if I wanted it. I readily agreed even though he warned me they were quite expensive to buy. That didnt bother me at all. I was ready to save enough money to get my own "**miracle glasses".**
I decided to be saving my pocket money for r the next two weeks. When I thought I have saved up to a substantial sum, I handed it all to my step-brother to help buy the miracle glasses since he said he knew where to get them. He hurried collected the money and left the house.
It was now examination time, and i have already gotten my glasses a week before. My step-brother carefully advised me on its usage. He said that I should wear them before entering the examination hall. He explained that as soon as i see the examination questions, the answers to each question would start forming on the glasses in the manner pictures form on a TV . I would be the only one that would see these answers since i was the one wearing the glasses, all i have to do was to copy as much answers as i could. He warned me never to take them off till the end of the exams.
So this was rukky's big secret?! I exclaimed in a triumphant voice.
Our first exam was maths and I never studied before the exams. Why would I ? There was absolutely no need for that kind of stress anymore.
With a big smile plastered across my face,I was in high spirit and full of confidence as I entered the examination hall with my glasses on. By the time I had sat down, everyone was staring at me and surprised at my new look. I turned sideways and gave my friend rukky my best smile, she could only stare back and I saw bewilderment all over face. My class teacher walked to my desk and asked me weather I had suddenly developed a condition that warranted me to start using glasses. I only smiled at him without saying a word. He was also perplexed and left me alone.
The exams commenced shortly afterwards. My question paper was given to me and i immediately turned it over to see the questions. Of course I had no idea about the answers. I waited for five minutes so that miracle glasses can start "manufacturing"the answers for me to copy but I saw nothing. My smile had now become awkward. I waited for another ten minutes, but nothing appeared on the glasses. My hands were now clammy as cold sweat broke out on my forehead when it was thirty minutes into the exams and yet I saw nothing. I turned around and I saw rukky was busy scribbling answers on her paper and anytime from now, she would definitely ask for an extra sheet.
"For Godsake, what was wrong with my own glasses?" I screamed in my mind. I vigorously cleaned the miracle glasses with the hem of my uniform several times, yet nothing showed. I closed my eyes for a minute or two before opening them again, hoping to see the answers on the glasses but saw nothing. The third time I closed my eyes, a tear ran down my cheek as I heard our class teacher's voice from a distance " you have ten minutes left". My heart sank and I swallowed hard. I felt I lost control of my bladder.
I walked back home in a mournful and dispirited manner with miracle glasses in hand. I heard rukky's voice behind me. She was asking me the reason why I was crying throughout the exam. I turned around and saw the affection and genuine concern in her eyes. I burst into hotter tears as I hurried my steps, trying to get away from her as quickly as possible
I went straight to my step- brother's room as soon as I arrived home. I started yelling at him at the top of my voice. I told him that the glasses he bought were fake. I told him that he should have checked them properly before buying them. Now they had cause me to fail a very important exam.
He looked at me for a brief moment as if he as if he didn't understand what I was saying. Then suddenly realising what had happen. He burst into a series of extensive laughter. I kept my eyes on him as he continued his horse laugh. Then and there, my eyes widened and I came to the shock realization that he had made a fool out of me. Or should I say I made a fool of myself for believing in such a preprostrous and silly story of some "miracle glasses". As he continued his guffaw, he kept saying that he never knew I was this SILLY. He told me he used the money I gave him to play video games at a game shop. ugly glasses I was given was actually for his friend's grand mum who died a month ago. With blazing eyes, hot rage completely took over me. I silently left his room and went to our back yard. I fetched his school uniforms and sandals from where he had dried them under the sun. I came to the front of the house and threw them all into the well.
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Thanks so much for taking your time to read.
Note that the write up is a figment of my imagination. But I had actually believed in my younger days that anyone who uses spectacles was definitely a genius as a result of their unique spectacles. Now, I am convinced that the majority are actually geniuses
Love you all 💓💓💓
The grass is not always greener at the other side.
It is a fact that a lot of people are not always satisfied or grateful for their present situation, be it living, feeding or working conditions. So, they tend to explore other options and try their hands on something or someone else. After all, there is no commandment in the scripture that says that "thou shall settle for less". It is normal human nature to be more, to do more and expect more." There is absolutely nothing wrong in trying to grow or become a better version of your former self. Abraham Lincoln once said " I don't think of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday".
Alot of people are always in a hurry to change their environment and migrate to other areas they believe will favor them than their present location. I think before anyone should arrive at that conclusion, he or she should ask themselves: Have I fully explored all the opportunities or potential opportunities in this area?Have I been doing things the way I should be doing them? What if I acquire another skill or get tools that would help modify my present environment and make it more suitable for my survival and favorable for my success and growth.
According to report, more than 5000 Africans have died as a consequence of the enormous risk of migrating to Europe. Taking the italian route, they crossed the endless sahara via the Mediterranean sea. I once watched a documentary on BBC where I saw scores of people who died on a boat trip that lasted for several months without no food and under terrible conditions. I was really moved to tears. What a great sacrifice, all in the name of "searching for greener pastures". Then I began to wonder if every other successful African I know of went to Europe first before becoming fortunate.
Sometimes, we don't have to change environment in order to be successful. There might be an hidden treasure waiting for you somewhere in your present location. So, all we have to do is to develop thyself and use the the people, materials and tools that God has given us to move to greater heights.
There is a very popular business man in my country who once boasted that he could sell ice to the Eskimos in Australia. No need to mention what he meant by this statement. It shows that he was very confident in his abilities or skills. He also believes in himself to adapt and succeed even in the most harshest conditions when all the odds are against him.
He would say " if all you crave for is "greener pastures", then why dont you just get some vessels of Green paints and a brush then begin to paint all the grasses around green". By the way, this man started from the very bottom, orphaned, without no loan, capital or inheritance.
Alot of young people with the " follow the herd" mentality would always compare themselves with others. Especially when their peers who live in another environment seems to do better than them. They might become uncomfortable in their present environment and decide to move to the desired environment. Some do this out of ignorance, without considering other factors like their adaptability or if they have the required skills or talents that the new environment demands. They also forget that we are all created differently and we also have different destinies and destination in life.
Some young people might be truly passing through difficult times even after exploring every other alternative to make their lives better in their present environment . They might inevitably come to the conclusion to search for greener pastures in areas they perceived has more opportunities and avenues to meet new people who they believe would help them accomplish their dreams.
Often, the search of greener pastures have exposed some people to life-changing opportunities while others have experienced more daunting life challenges which made them regret their earlier decisions.
I know of a young man ( lets call him Tobi),whose monthly salary at a factory was not that bad. He later took a decision to quit and search for greener pastures in a bigger city.
This was because he thought that his childhood friend who was living in the said city was living a more comfortable life than him ( judging from his pictures on social media). In fact it was Tobi's friend that persuaded him to come over and promised to help him secure a better job afterwards.
On getting to the city, Tobi tried contacting his friend,informing him he has arrived but his line remained switched off. He tried reaching him through the house address he was given but it he was told that the address was non-existent. Now, Tobi couldn't go back to where he was before, partly due to shame and he definitely knew that someone had already taken his place in the factory. He had little or no savings to fall back on, as his friend had informed him earlier that he would be responsible for his welfare so he squandered all his money before coming over.
Tobi had no choice than to begin from the beginning, start all over again from square zero. Living from hand to mouth as he desperately searches and engages in the most degrading or slightest means of survival in a very competitive setting which is totally alien to him,where he knows nobody and without a backup plan. If you ask me, the probability of Tobi falling into more desperate straits is quite tall.
There are a bundle of young men out there like Tobi. Who have also fallen into bigger mess in searching for greener pastures as a result of a promise of asistance made to them by a friend, uncle, brother or a distant relative, only for them to arrive at their destination and realise that things were not as easy as they thought it would be in the new environment. Left with no option,some might even associate with scoundrels and become criminal-minded in the battle of "survive of the fittest".
I also know of a young lady who abandoned her boyfriend that have been loyal to her over the years. Even though he was struggling, he was able to sponsor her tertiary education out of love. She later found a "greener pasture" in some rich guy ready to spend on her without stress. She later called off her relationship with her first. The rich guy later turn out to be a monster. At the end of the day, she lost both ways. No need to mention that her life never remained thesame again.
In conclusion, before we set out to look for greener pastures, be certain you know who you are, your abilities and what you are capable of doing and not doing. Also, make sure you have a backup plan as you brace your self up for any eventualities.
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È Thank you all so much for taking your time to read. God bless and Guide you all.
I want to say a bigger thank you to my "day ones" @Olasquare @Kiingsley @jasglaybamjasglayba
@Princessbusayo @Jane @freedom07@Giddyboy @Kleah97 @chelle@Jijisaur @@Kushyzee @Winx1988 @Jerrysavage00 @Maryjacy @Trofi01 @BCH_LOVER @G_lenahhh @Murakamii.7 @FarmGirl @Theblackdoll @Mazekin
Uncle Biology
Hello everyone!!!
Its really a great pleasure to be part of this community. My name is bilqees, you can call me "Queen of Sheba" . Lol. I'm 25 years of age and mom is a best friend
This is my first post on readcash. Lovely family, I'm not a perfect writer but I firmly believe that with your support and guide, I would develop immensely, God willing.
So, when I was still in high school, my favorite subject was biology. I love the subject so much that I was reading it for pleasure, just like how you would read short stories and novels. And how beautiful it was when you read a particular course just because you enjoy reading it and not for the sake of some boring exam or test.
I became interested in biology when I was in junior high. Then it was taught as basic science ( a rudimentary of biology, physics and chemistry). Here , we were taught about the human body and its various metabolism and functions.
I would never forget our vibrant biology teacher who was a genius in the subject. He simplified and made plain every biological concept and terms in the most comprehensible manner, thereby making each topic uncomplicated and unambiguous. He was so good that we nicknamed him " **Uncle Biology".**
Since when I was a little child, I have always been told about a very important table manner which is "**Don't talk while eating ( dont talk while you have food in your mouth)". if you do, you might choke.**
I have always wondered the reason for this occurrence. Why would we feel a peppery sensation at back of our throat during choking. I mean, the morsels of food have always been passing through thesame direction, so why would there be a problem that makes me feel pains at the throat whenever i choked and what causes this ?
I have never had anybody that would explain this strange phenomenon to me. Mom and dad would always advised that its bad habit to talk while eating and left it at that.
During a lesson on the digestive system of man, I asked uncle biology about this. **He explained that there are two tubes( passages) in our neck region. The one at the front is called the trachea which is a passage for air( it is used in breathing), while the one behind is called the oesophagus and it is for food. During swallowing, a soft muscle called epiglottis which is in the form of a towel or blanket flips downward and covers the trachea in front so that** ***food*** **would** **only enter the oesophagus at the back. So,when you are talking while eating, you would be disrupting the function of the epiglottis as you would be moving your mouth and voice box(larynx) at the same time. Then, there would come to a point where the epiglottis would miss covering the trachea, and food would go into the trachea which is the wrong way. At this point, you would feel a sharp pain at this region( choking has occurred), as food is not meant to go into the trachea .**
I found this piece of information I had just learned very fascinating. By the time I got home, I explained to my mum and friends the reason why choking occurs and they were amazed.
The nervous system is also a very awesome topic that I would never forget. I was taught about how the CNS cordinates all the activities of the body. I remember when I was in senior secondary school 2, I and mom went to visit a a neighbor who was involved in an accident and afterwards, couldn't speak even though he didn't sustain any injury to his mouth and tongue. This was very strange to me and I needed an explanation.
The following day at school, I told uncle biology about this and asked him why was the man unable to talk. Uncle explained to me that when the accident happened, there had been a damage to the part of the man's brain called the "**Broca's area". This part of the brain was responsible for speech and formation of words, in addition to learning of languages.**
He further explained to me that there was also a part of the brain that controls hearing, vision, respiration, digestion and also movement. He also explained what causes stroke and why a person who had stroke would be paralyzed and unable to speak. Uncle biology went to his office and came back with a comprehensive chart of the human brain. In here, he pointed out the areas that were responsible for these functions.
I was really impressed and intrigued yet again. I went home and explained to my mum this interesting fact in biology and the reason why our neighbor lost his ability to speak. She found this really amazing
Growing up, I have always loathed snakes. There was a time I fainted when a snake-charmer brought a snake very close to my face. But when we started having lessons in ecology, uncle biology made us realized that snakes are not as bad as we imagined. He said that there was absolutely no reason for me to dislike these slimy reptiles. As a matter of fact, they play a very important role in the ecosystem. Uncle biology told us that without snakes, the human population would be overwhelmed by pests, such as rats and mice. No need to mention that these little animals are can be very annoying and can cause great damages. Rats and mice are capable of raiding our homes and feed on everything they see, from food items to any other thing they could lay their mouths on. Uncle told me that if not for the snakes that help us control the rat population, they would have eaten all my books and bags, probably my hair too. Then and there, I realised the benefits of snakes in my world.
Again I ran home after school and informed mom about this exciting discovery about snakes i learned in biology class. Mom was convinced and satisfied about what uncle biology said about snakes. I further asked mom wether we could get a pet snake at home since they were not bad after all, but mom yelled at me and said that she would never do that.
Evolution was another branch of biology that really opened my eyes and expanded my horizon. I have always wondered the reason why we bear so much similarities with the monkeys especially in physical behaviors. Uncle biology told me that we share the same ancestors with them. He said that we were also in the same order and family as the monkeys and other primates. He referred to the monkeys as our "**cousins".**
He said that primates are 95% identical to each other in terms of DNA . He further told us about the **origin of man. That all living organisms come from a common ancestor.**
In evolution, Uncle biology taught us about different theories of life: Darwin theory, larmack theory and others. I must say, evolution was quite a controversial topic.
I went home and told mom about the interesting stuffs uncle biology told us inevolution. mom was not comfortable at all with my explanations. This was because Mom was very religious and she believed only in divine creation and nothing else. She was not happy at all that uncle biology taught me about other theories of life contrary to divine creation. She feared that I had believed him and might begin to doubt our faith. Then and there, she made up her mind to go along with me to school the next day and have a word with uncle biology.
**To be continued.........**
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Thank you so much for taking your time to read through. I really appreciate itand it means a lot to me. God bless you. ☺☺☺
@Bilqees
