When your joy becomes the reason for my sadness
I have been working for Mr. Ayo as sales assistance at his head office in the market for over two years. Mr. ayo was a vehicle spare part contractor who offered me a job months after I had lost my dad.
My boss was the perfect example of a gentleman. Not only does he regularly buys me lunch at work, he also gives me money for my transport back home daily.
Three months ago, he had volunteered to pay the rent at the house where I, my mother and three sibling siblings lived.
It came to me as a big surprise when Mr. Ayo gave me the complete sum and told me I could pay him back in the next fifty years if I wanted to. Lol.
He even "apologized” that he would have loved to move my family to a bigger apartment, but his budget was quite limited at the moment. Of course, Mother couldn't stop thanking him for all that he does. In fact, there was hardly any morning before leaving for work that mom wouldn't ask me to send her regards to Mr. Ayo. This young man of 40 meant more than a boss to me. I see him as an elder brother, an uncle I never had.
Oh yes, after my father, I have never seen a man as kind and generous as My boss
I would be exactly twenty years old three months from now. More than half of my high schoolmates were already students at various universities. Three years ago, when I had completed my high school education, was also the same year my father died. No need to mention that my family had been devastated by the irreparable loss. And just like 70% of families in the country, my dad was the sole breadwinner. I thought my future looked bleaked at the time. I had to pause my dreams of going to college and get a job to support my mother and three siblings, who were still tender at the time.
All thanks to God almighty for giving me the most caring boss in the world. I was able to save at least 90% of my monthly salary since I don't have to buy lunch, neither do I have to spend on transportation. From my savings, I set up a small business for our mother. She prepares and sells a popular local delicacy ***(akara)*** at a busy motor Park, and she has been making good profits from her business.
So, food was never a problem in family again. It doesn't matter if we ate mummy's ***akara*** three times a day, so long as we had something to eat.
With what I and my mother had saved from the job and business, we now had enough money to take care of the educational needs for both myself and my younger sister who would also be completing her high school in a few months. At least the money could cover a year's expenses.
Then the unexpected happened.....
One evening, while I was getting ready to lock up for the day, My boss rushed into the shop in a very excited manner. He kept jumping up and down and thanking God!
Honestly, I have never seen him so happy before, and I was delighted that something good have happened, and I began to jump too even before he could tell me what the excitement was all about. This was because I knew whatever good that comes to him would also rub off on me and whatever evil befalls him would also affect me too, since he was my benefactor.
“My dear, God has finally answered my prayers!”
Mr. Ayo screamed in an elated voice. I couldn't wait anymore,, and I pleaded with him to just spill it.
I couldn't believe my ears when my boss told me that his papers were ready, and he would be leaving the country for good the following month.
But Unfortunately this was not the kind of “good news” I had expected, and I suddenly felt sad even though I managed to maintain my smiling face.
Mr. Ayo had informed me in the past that he was processing his Visa and would always tell me to include him in his prayers so that the processes would be successful. But I honestly didn't pray for that to happen. As a matter of fact, his idea of relocating to another country terrified me.
He had told me several times that he was already tired of Nigeria, and he wants to “run away”. He said that there was no way he would go far in life or reach his full potentials if he doesn't travel to Europe. But I reminded him that there were numerous young men in the country who had never travelled abroad but were doing great.
" You don't have to live in a foreign land before you become successful”. I would say.
But Mr Ayo had always replied, " you wouldn't understand my dear”.
Don't get me wrong, at least I was happy that his greatest wish had finally come true. But deep down, I wasn't comfortable at all and i felt like crying.
Of course I was going to miss him more than anyone else, but that wasn't the main reason why I felt terrible. Without telling me, I already knew that my Job at his office would come to an end very soon. Even though I didn't know his next move yet, I don't need a prophet to reveal to me that he would sell off whatever he owns in the country before leaving, neither would he take me along to Austria to continue working for him.
Just yesterday, my mother and I had a long talk about the future. I had suggested, and she had agreed that even after I start attending college in the next session, I would still continue my work at the office but on a part-time basis just so that we could still save money for the subsequent academic year. I knew that Mr Ayo would have agreed to this idea, since he was the kindest man. But now, that sort of arrangement wouldn't be possible anymore.
I watched as my boss ran out of the office to inform the other traders about his good fortune. With a heavy heart, I collapsed on my seat behind the table and tried as much as I could to convince myself that my future is not as bleak as it seems. After all, my boss hadn't packed his bags yet. I would remain here until the day he finally leaves. Anything could happen before or after that day. Hopefully, something good…
Thanks for reading.
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Special thanks to my ma'am @gertu13 @Theblackdoll and @Talecharm for the sponsorship renewals. I really appreciate your support amd I do not take it for granted..
I'm forever ever grateful to all my amazing sponsors, readers and commenters for the continued show of love. You all are the best 🥰🥰
Retaliation II
The first part of the story.
https://read.cash/@Bilqees/retaliation-i-b09728eb
Three days later, my mom returned to the police station alongside my uncle. When I saw my mom again, I broke into tears, but the police constable that was beside me wouldn't even allow my mother to hold me and this made her cry too.
My uncle only shook his head as he looked at the handcuffs on my wrists and I felt ashamed. I knew I had disappointed him.
The police officer in charge cleared his throat again, and we stopped crying and paid listened to what he had got to say.
According to him, I was very lucky that some people around the area had recorded the incidence on their phones. After watching the clips, the police had now arrived at the crux of the matter. It was now clear that both of us had been quarrelling. As shown in the video, it was the woman who assaulted me first by slapping me twice, and that was what prompted my reaction.
The police had now decided not to persecute me. The inspector added that I could decide to press charges and sue the woman for the damages and emotional trauma she had caused me since she was the one that ignited the dispute.
I was so happy and relieved that I would soon regain my freedom despite the heavy scare and threats that were thrown at my face that I couldn't care less about pressing charges and starting another case. Who has time for that?
The inspector also admonished me to always report my issues with people to the police rather than taking laws into my hands. “You might not be thus lucky next time if you fight again”, he said and thereafter, I was released to my father and uncle.
On our way home, My uncle really scolded me and vehemently condemned my actions. I don't think he had ever screamed at me like that before. Although he said he couldn't fault me for defending mother's honor, but what if the woman had died in my hands when I was fighting her. What would be my fate afterwards?
New waves of fears and panic grip at my heart as I realized how stupidly I had behaved. Of course, I never thought along these lines as I was already blinded by rage and revenge at the time. My uncle said that it was easy for people to drop dead nowadays, as many people are unaware that they have an underlying health issue. Any little push or even unpleasant news could make their already feeble heart come to an abrupt stop.
This revelation really shook. Mom also told me stories of persons who had stolen as little as $50 from a boss but ended up spending a long time in jail. No, thanks to the skewed justice system of the country that was tilted to favor the rich and corrupt at the detriment of the common man. What would have happened to me if I had mistakenly taken someone's life over a silly fight. No doubt, I would also die in prison.
Henceforth, I promised myself Omg family not to pull that kind of stunt again. In fact, I promised to bury my tough side forever. In fact, if someone even insult late father, I would only look at him like a dummy and pretend I didn't hear. I have learned my lessons. Mom also vowed never to work for the woman again.
But many people in the neighborhood were proud of me for standing up against and defeating the arrogant and foul-mouthed Madam T. She had yet learned her lesson as she addresses people with more decorum. She indeed learned her lesson too.
The end.....
To all my amazing sponsors, readers and commenters thank you so much for everything.🥰😁
Retaliation I
It has been exactly two years after dad died. Mom had to apply for a cleaning job at various homes. She only got accepted at two places and right now, she had lost one of the placements as her employer had informed her a month ago that his family would be relocating to another state, so her services were terminated indefinitely. This man was the kind boss who empathized with her and never delayed her salary,
On the other hand, her second employer was a very mean woman even though she paid her a lower salary. What's worse is that she hardly pay on time.
Mom returned home one evening from work and immediately began to cry. I asked her what the problem was and she told me that the woman she works for had insulted her just because she had requested for her last month's salary. She informed her that she didn't beg her to come work as a cleaner at her home neither was she responsible for her poverty.
Mom continued to cried and this made me feel awful, but I tried my best to calm her down and I assured he that everything will be alright soon.
As soon as I stood up from where I had sat beside my mother, I headed straight to look for this woman. I finally arrived at her shop and met her attending to three of her customers, but I didn't care if anyone was around.
In a harsh tone, I demanded why she had humiliated my mother in such a way . This woman was actually surprised that a young girl like me had the guts to speak to her in such a manner. But I wasn't through yet, I continued to scream at her and soon the both of us engaged in a hot war of words.
Then, she made a big a mistake by slapping me and that was it. I immediately jumped on her back and beat the hell out of her, and when she ran , I chased her as if she were a thief.
On my way back home, some people on the street were hailing me. They all knew madam T, she was not only foul-mouthed but also a renowned troublemaker who gets on everyone's nerve in the neighborhood.
That night, madam T led three policemen to our house and i was arrested. On our way to the station, I was charged with assault and battery and also constituting a nuisance to the public.
I wasn't in the leastconcerned about these “charges”. This woman had really hurt my mother and I had to confront her, I told the police. But madam T kept threatening me at the top of her voice. She promised that she would make sure that I rot in jail. Her husband was also there too, and he swore that there was no way I would get out of this
Now, I was becoming scared and uncomfortable for some reasons. First, I never took people's threats lightly, as humans are capable of anything. Moreover, I thought about my mom and siblings. How would they be able to cope without me after the death of our father?
Mom was devastated when she came to see me the next day at the police station. The last time I saw her cry that way was when our father died. This made me feel very terrible that I wished I never attacked madam T. I should have just allowed her to run her mouth. Now see where anger and retaliation has brought me, in the mud. All efforts made by my mom to secure my bail failed..
To be continued ...
To all my amazing sponsors, readers amd commenters, Thank you so much for staying with me all these while despite my inconsistencies . From the depth of my heart, I really appreciate the love and support.
God bless you!!
My dear friends, I have been battling pains in my neck and chest region for sometime now. The nurse said I have anaemia and I need all the rest I can possibly get . very sorry I wouldn't be as active on this platform as I used to be. Love you all.
Healthy rich
Ever since I knew my dad if there was anything that he was ever passionate about,then it was his children's education. Even though his monthly income at the plastics factory where he worked was meager, he always reassured me and my younger sister that he would see that we complete our tertiary education no matter how harsh economic situations turned out to be.
Never destined by the Almighty to see his children become university graduates, Dad died from a brief illness the year I completed my high school education. Mom was devastated, It was as if our whole world had come to an end. Being the first of two girls, I felt nothing good would ever happen to us again as the future certainly looked bleak at the time.
After mourning dad for months, there was nothing else we could do than to plan for our survival. In a developing country like Nigeria where student loans and grants are non-existent, the chances of acquiring a university degree were very slim without the support of relatives or a scholarship.
But I was determined to carry on and achieve my late father's plan for our education even though I couldn't proceed to college immediately due to financial constraints.
I had to dedicate the next two years to working and saving up funds for my and my younger sister's college education.
After a month of searching, I was lucky to get a job at a restaurant with a take-home salary of 72 dollars. As soon as I was paid my first salary, I applied for a special type of banking system where I would only be allowed to access just 5% of my monthly income whenever the account is being funded at the end of every month by my employer. I would only be granted full access to the account after two years. By that time, my younger sister would be done with her high school education and I would have accumulated enough funds to pay for both our tuition fees.
Two months into my job at the restaurant, a customer whom I had been very friendly with informed me that she needed a science home tutor for her two children. I told her my story and she offered me the job after I had reassured her that I could provide solutions to her kid's academic problems. Luckily for me, I enjoyed two off days at the restaurant. So, I visited her residence twice every week where I engage her kids in a two hours lesson that we held in the evenings.
I was paid 30 dollars for my services but I was determined to save 15 dollars monthly. I did this by joining a local thrift and savings society that was designed to last for one year. It comprised eleven other girls who would make a regular contribution of 15 dollars to each member as soon as a month ends. I chose to be the last person to receive payment. And by the of the year, I would have saved 180 dollars.
Mother was a classroom teacher at a small elementary school. Her salary was about a hundred dollars which were enough to settle our day-to-day expenses without dipping into our savings.
Each time mom got paid, the salary is withdrawn and spread in four different envelopes labeled as follows; feeding ($6o), transportation ($20), utilities ($20), and miscellaneous ( $20).
We never fail to buy our food in bulk just in case there might be a price hike in the coming month due to an unstable economy. We mostly consume staple foods that possess a high satiety level since we feed only twice a day.
The three of us stuck to the above budget religiously even though there would be a sudden inflation that would bite hard. I recalled that on several occasions when the household toothpaste got finished earlier than before since we had bought a smaller size paste due to a sudden price hike. We had to resort to brushing our teeth with salt till the end of the month since we have always budgeted for one toothpaste a month.
And just in case I might need anything else, I also had about 20 dollars as spare money after I had saved the bulk from my two jobs. A woman should always take care of her hair you know. It's one of her unique adornments. But unfortunately, I couldn't retain my hair due to the tough austerity measures I was implementing on all sides. I took a bold decision to always maintain a low cut like a man's. After all, that was the same hairstyle of a popular female artist in my country. So, I wouldn't have to cope with an inferiority complex amid other girls who spent a lot of money on making their hair look good. Besides, I don't go out or attend social gatherings often. If I ever get bored during my off days, there would always be a book to read or a chore to do.
If I am to attend an event or a function, I made sure that I got paid for my time. This could be by participating in a sponsored traditional dance troupe that would entertain the crowd or by fixing decorations. I also get paid whenever I wash the dishes used at the venue.
I was also comfortable in cheap and fairly used wear that I bought at the local vendors. I visit them once in a while to get something for me and my sister rather than spending thrice the amount at an attractive boutique. The three nice dresses I bought for myself and my sister during this period were from the money I realized from working at the event venues and there was still something left for another day.
Even though I firmly believe that investing is a broader path to success, Savings for me doesn't just mean how much I can save every month, saving is more like a way of life to me. Perhaps, it's genetic as I and my mother are financially accountable to each other.
It makes me always feel that I am doing something good whenever I tuck the smallest currency bill I find in my purse into a little box each day I return home from work.
Currently, I am my sister is in her second year at the university. Mom had also invested in a business that looks quite promising in the new future. I believe there's still hope for us.
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The above story us imaginative.
Thanks a lot for reading 🥰🥰
Marriage blanc II
https://read.cash/@Bilqees/marriage-blanc-584d9707
Uche returned home at around 10 am after his regular morning jogging and was surprised to see Chioma was still at home. Chioma had been working as a shop assistant at a supermarket since she was yet to proceed to the university after completing her high school education.
Her brother requested why she was still at home, and she replied that she had quit the job. Uche asked for the reason for such a decision, and she told him she had agreed to marry Agu. She said she was doing this for the good of the house. She believed that the financial conditions of the family would improve if they had someone like Agu.
Uche couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he felt like striking his sister across the face. “Who had brainwashed her like this, why the abrupt change of mind?” He asked himself.
Uche was now angry at his sister and was blowing hot when his mother barged into the room. She turned to him and started screaming. She angrily asked him to leave her daughter alone.
His mother's sudden outburst surprised him. It was in her presence that Chioma refused the marriage arrangement with Agu.
“ What happened, mom? This wasn't how we discussed this matter”. Uche spoke in disbelief.
“Yes, your sister Chioma had considered her judgment and had changed her mind about refusing to marry Agu. And just as you had stated before, you would have to respect her choice. And oh, she's not like you that always disrespects your father”
“ Agu is a good man. He's also rich, and he would have no difficulty at all in completing her bride price. He had even promised to pay triple the amount”. His mother added.
“ So, you will sell your daughter to the highest bidder. You want to auction your daughter as if she were a piece of the item?, I am ashamed of you mom”.
Uche began to raise his voice, and Chioma came to stand between the both of them and pleaded with her brother to calm down.
She assured him she had already thought about the matter carefully, and she was sure that getting married to Agu was a step in the right direction. She told uche that Agu had promised her that after they got married, he would teach her brother his business for just a couple of months instead of spending the usual five years that a lot of apprentices serve under a master.
But uche found this ridiculous and laughed out loud. His sarcastic laughter made his mom angrier, and she felt like slapping him. Before he left the house, he told his sister to do whatever she liked with her life. Chioma felt hurt and sobbed.
Uche felt terrible that his sister had allowed their parent to deceive her. He was very disappointed with his mom too. Of course, he knew that it was his father who forced her to stand in the same stance with him on this marriage issue. He also made her to convinces Chioma about accepting Agu's marriage proposal. Uche was sure that deep down in her heart, his mom was not in full support of the marriage.
Well, it was not as if uche didn't wish his sister to get married, he just doesn't like Agu enough. Agu was an arrogant fellow who invariably need everyone to bow to him because he had more money. He was a man who believed he could have anything he wanted with nobody stopping them, without caring whose horse they gore. Uche has also heard how he repeatedly oppresses smaller traders in the market, and he didn't wish such a man for his sister.
It wouldn't be improper if uche imagined that after marriage, Agu might constantly mock Chioma's poor background at any slight mistake. He might even maltreat her since she doesn't have a relative as rich as him in her family.
Uche didn't know why he continued to harbor such ill opinions about Agu, and he assumed he might be blinded by prejudice. In the end, he concluded that he had little choice but to accept Agu like that since his sister had agreed to marry him. He let out a deep sigh and strode back into the house. All these worries and quarrels about Agu drove him tired.
Someone was knocking at the door before he could fall asleep. Uche knew that was his sister, but he would rather not talk to her now, but chChiomapened the door and stepped in.
Uche informed her that there was nothing else he could say to her since she had already decided to marry Agu. Chioma saw her brother was still angry with her and pleaded with him not to speak that way. He was the only sibling she had, and she couldn't allow this issue to impose a strain on their relationship. So, she said him that she could still change and mind again and tell their father that she will not marry Agu.
Somehow, uche felt bad that his sister had brought him into such a dicey position by saying this. He remained silent for a long moment, then he asked her whether she was sure of what she was doing.
“ If I don't marry Agu, how would I know whether he would treat me well or not? And what if I married someone else, and it ends up in regret?” Chioma said.
Uche thought his sister was quite right, and he relaxed.
The end.
Thanks for reading….
Marriage blanc.
When he returned home from the football field, uche's mother informed him that a very popular trader who deals in motor vehicle spare parts had come to seek his sister's hands in marriage. He immediately called his sister and asked her if she was ready to marry this man and chioma simply said No.
Without saying anything else to her, uche turned to his parents and implore them to respect her decision but their father flipped his lid.
" I wouldn't have a daughter of this size still living in my house, eating anyhow and getting fat everyday".
Uche asked his father if there was anything wrong in that. After all, she was his daughter and it was his responsibility to take care if her, and by the way she was only 20 years old. But their father insisted that she was already ripe for marriage.
The businessman that wanted to marry Chioma was popularly called Agu and this was more of a titled name since he had money. His real name was kelechi. He was one of the big traders at the city's market and always had people around him, singing him praises due to virtue of his wealth. But uche didn't care about him nor his money, as matter of fact, he suspected that the source of his wealth was no good.
Agu had embarked on a short trip and in less than four months after his return, he became a multimillionaire. A year ago, Agu had just a single shop with very few goods. But today, he has over twenty shops that were stocked to the brim with all types of electronic gadgets and vehicle spare parts. Uche thought about the possibility of Agu being a ritualist, but he didn't think about him too much since that doesnt concern and he had always minded his business.
But now, he's more worried that their father is forcing his sister to marry a man like Agu and chioma always cried each time their father talks about it.
"If chioma doesn't want to marry Agu despite his immense wealth, then you should respect her decision. She's no longer a child and I believe she knows what she wants in life and she have the right to choose what and who she wants". Uche had said to his father.
Their father had been very disappointed at uche. He had thought that he would be able to convince his sister to marry the rich man. He tried to make him understand that their family would benefit a lot from this marriage as Agu would take care of all their problems. But Uche told his father that he didn't need anybody take care of him. I maintained that the matter was entirely up to chioma and he would resist every attempt to force her into a union that she wouldn't like.
Uche's father became furious amd started insulting his son. He even doubted if he were his biological son, maybe his his wife had played a fast one since uche's thoughts are always divergent from his own.
Uche only laughed at him. He knew his father was a very selfish man. No doubt, the old man must have already started collecting money from Agu. Of course, he had been spending the money too and he was seriously expecting the marriage to work out so that he could continue to receive more money from a rich son in law.
A week later, Agu and his friends drove into his father's compound. Minutes later, some of his father's friend walked in. They all came to have a meeting with uche's father concerning chioma marriage. When he saw them, Uche immediately ordered chioma who was already crying to come into his room.
As soon as their father called chioma from the living room, uche stepped out of the room, locked the door behind him amd was getting ready to leave the house. He had already passed the group of men seated in the living room when his father screamed at him to stop.
He angrily asked him why he had locked up his sister and then ordered him to go bring her out. Uche looked at his father with hate filled eyes and warned him to stop looking for his trouble.
The old man became more angry and began to scream. " You cannot tell me what to do with my own child, you stupid fool. If you need someone to look after, then get the hell out of my house and go give birth to your own child".
Agu's friends came closer to uche and asked him what was the problem. Uche only smiled and told them that Agu should go look for a wife somewhere else. "There are hundreds of more beautiful, classy and more educated girls who he could get at the snap of a finger. So, why would he be so interested in a plain looking girl like chioma", he said .
They pleaded with uche not to talk that way, but one of them called his bluff and yelled out him to mention whatever amount of money he needed from them and he would be settled, instead of behaving like a kid.
This statement really enraged uche amd he gave the fellow a hard punch on his face that cause one of his nostrils to split. The meeting broke into a tumult and all his father's friends ran away. Agu kept threatening to call the police on uche. He further told him that he would marry his sister and there was nothing vie could do to stop him as Uche warned him not to dare him.
Uche's father felt so ashamed that he almost had an heart attack as he watched Agu and his friends storm out of the house angrily. But Uche didn't care about his father's reaction. The old man could go on screaming insults at him as much as he wanted.
As soon as all the men had left, uche went back to his room to release his sister. He only had one sister and he swore he wouldn't allow a deadbeat father to ruin her life.
Thanks for reading. 😁
The money spirit 2
https://read.cash/@Bilqees/the-money-spirit-1-415ac4f6 https://read.cash/@Bilqees/the-money-spirit-i-415ac4f6
There was this currency trader that operated a black market (bureau De change) some distance away from the state's central bank. Chidi had been stalking him for a while now and have observed that he usually returns home to foeign currencies on Thursdays and Fridays.
The plan was to lay ambush and collect all the dollars he had in him, very simple. But uche wasn't too comfortable when Ike, his other friend made mention of where they would get guns needed for the movement. Uche didn't like guns even though he knew some members of the larger gang had them. The idea of using weapons had always revolted him since someone could get hurt and he never supported that. Ike saw the worried look on his face and he quickly assured him that no one would be harmed. The guns would only be used to strike fear in the heart If their victim so that he would easily cooperate with them. There would be no time for shooting, Ike promised.
The night of the operation was chosen. As soon as they got information that the trader had arrived home, they scaled through the fences at the other side of the house and surrounded him before he could even enter his sitting room.
**Image source** https://tribuneonlineng.com/armed-robbers-invade-three-banks-kill-two-persons-in-kogi/
Unknown to them, the smart trader had a weapon in his bag. As they ordered him to go on his knees, he made a casual movement to reach for the shotgun he hid in his bag, but uche was smarter. He suspected this movement and threw a punch at him and the man fell on his back. Uche came closer amd searched the side of the bag where the trader wanted to reach and a brought out a pistol.
Now, the trader was struggling and cursing the three boys. He swore that he wouldn't allow them go away with his money, it was his business money. But the boys didn't care. They had already seen the money and nothing is going to stop them from taking it. They were disappointed when they found out that the money was only $20,000 since they were expecting a much bigger sum.
As they were about leaving the house, the man began to scream for help even after they had assured him that they would not harm him. Chidi warmed him to stop but he continued to scream ever louder.
Suddenly,uche shot the man on the chest with his own gun and he fell down without a sound. It was more of a reflex action than a deliberate act as the incident happened before uche could check himself. He couldn't believe what he had just done and cold fear gripped his soul.
**Image source** https://www.vanguardngr.com/2021/01/residents-lament-upsurge-in-armed-robbery-activities-in-warri/amp/
Chidi immediately grabbed him by the arm and the three boys ran out of the house leaving the middle aged trader in a pool of his blood.
Cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he continued to shiver. Uche couldn't believe what he had just done. He pleaded with ike who was driving the car to turn around and return to the trader's house just to check wether he was still alive. But Ike told him that it was not going to be possible. Chidi was now laughing at him and said that he was behaving like a woman.
His two friends praised him for the important roles he had played in the operation. He saved them the first time before the man could pull out his gun. He also stopped the man from jeopardizing their safety when he started screaming.
"Calm down uche, as soon as you get your own share of the twenty thousand dollars and start spending it on liquor and ladies as usual, you would totally forget about that miserable fellow". Chidi teased him.
" To hell with the money, to hell with girls and alcohol! How can you guys be so heartless? I have just killed a man for Christ sake. I have just signed my name in the book of murderers! " Uche covered his face with both hands and began to cry out loud.
Now, his friends were becoming tired of this childishness. Ike brought the car to a halt by the side of the road. He opened the door and angrily dragged uche out of the car and started giving him some hot slaps thet would bring him back to his senses.
Ike continued to scream at him to pull himself together while chidi consoled uche with the fact that he was also about to shoot the mad man before he beat him to the draw . So there was no point feeling guilty or acting like a fool, because if he hadn't been shot, maybe the three of them would have been burnt alive by an angry mob by now.
When they got back into the car, uche felt more relaxed. Ike warned uche that they would be approaching a police checkpoint very soon and if the cops saw him in such a mood, they might start to suspect something. Ike told chidi that if a cop observes anything unusual about their friend, he should simply tell him thst uche had just received a call that his mother had been involved in a ghastly accident and they were on their way to the clinic to see her.
***To be continued.........***
Thanks for reading
The money spirit I
On their way back from the football field, chidi told his friend Uche about a lucrative job opportunity that he might be interested in, since he was always complaining about being broke. As expected, uche asked what the job was all about but chidi merely told him that it was a quick job, and all he has to do was accept the offer without asking questions.
Uche had known that his friends had always engaged in illegal activity just to make quick money. He knew the reason why chidi refused to reveal the job details. He was afraid that he would back out if it turns out to be a dangerous job.
Seeing the worried look on his face, chidi had to open up to him. He would still get to know about it soon by the way.
The job was all about oil bunkering!
One of the members of the gang received information of a route that lead to an underground oil storage facility at a remote village some kilometers away from their community. The boys had already started to organize oil equipment and trucks for drilling and transportation.
**Image source** https://amp.dw.com/en/nigeria-blast-at-illegal-oil-refinery-kills-scores/a-61574022
Chidi informed uche that their job was to fill the big oil tankers and move them safely to a given destination, after which they would be rewarded handsomely.
He assured uche that even though it was a risky job, they would be working for some corrupt top officials in government who would guarantee their safety since the big men had more to lose if the security agency gets to know about it. So, the operation had already been carefully planned and there was absolutely nothing to worry about.
Uche was now convinced that this was a good deal. He had earlier thought that chidi and the other boys were planning a robbery. But oil mining was a cool racket that comes with a lot of money and he needed the money. He thought about the beautiful things he woukd do for his mom and sister.
His mother never liked his friends since she never knew which business they were engaged in, neither were they students. She had pleaded with him not to threaten to kill his father again as this was considered an abomination, according to their culture. Uche hissed at his mother and asked her if it was a good thing in their culture for a man to always hit his wife. This question made his mother angry and she told uche to forget all about that. She only wanted him to listen to what she was telling him now. She screamed at him and accused his never-do-well friends for being responsible for his bad behavior towards his father.
"You are the first son of your father uche, and you should make him proud. Why don't you go work as an apprentice for your father's friend who is a big trader at main market. After serving him for three to four years, he would give you a capital for you to start up your own business. That's what a responsible young man would do if he couldn't go to the university". His mother pleaded.
Uche was tired of listening to this dry talk from his mother. He was almost 25 years old, he couldn't afford wasting another five years of his life serving under a master. He thought he was bigger than that sh*t. He wanted big money. Quick, easy, big money.
Two days later, uche and chidi met the other boys to discuss more on how to pull the job. Uche saw that some of the boys were also childhood friends and most of the other faces were familiar. This made him relax.
They got down to the dirty job almost immediately at the oil trenches. Some of the boys even had prior experience and this made it easier for th others to learn. Before the end of the week, they had already filled five oil trucks and uche had made so much money that he had never seen in his entire life.
**Image source** https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2019/04/21/why-illegal-bunkering-thrives-in-the-niger-delta/
Unfortunately, the job didn't last long. Before the month ended, the government got wind of the criminal activity going on at the oil site and armed forces were sent to seal and guard the facility. Well, this was expected to happen since the mining had been taking place at a far away community and oil trucks were impossible to conceal when travelling through such long distances. So, the villagers in the surrounding communities kept talking about it and they continued to talk till the authorities got to know about it.
**Image source** https://leadership.ng/wike-declares-vigilante-commander-others-wanted-for-illegal-oil-bunkering/
However, before the fraudulent activity came to an abrupt end, uche and his friends had almost made a million naira each, in less then four weeks.
Well, free money is always sweet and easy to squander. One who never worked for it spends it recklessly in the hope that they would continue to multiply magically from the source.
Although, uche had bought alot of food for his family and even gave out more money to his mother and sister. However, most of the money were spent at the bars and brothels in the neighbourhood. " ***A man had just one life to live and he should enjoy it to the fullest as tomorrow maybe too late".***
In less than two months, they cleared all the money they made from the oil racket. Their eyes also clear and they realised how stupid they have been with money.
Soon, they began to make plans to pull another illegal mining racket. After alll, they lived in the oil-rich south of the country.
"Anything for the money".
To be continued.......
Saving mother II
When uche got to the pharmacy, he found that he hadn't any money on him, but since he was a very popular guy in the neighborhood, the store attendant was willing to give him the drugs on credit.
He returned home and saw that his sister had done a good job tending to their mother's wounds and mother was now eating her favorite meal of pounded yam prepared by her daughter
Uche was glad to see his mom in a better mood and he handed the drugs to her to go along with the meal, as prescribed by the pharmacist.
According to Chioma, their mother onlyasked their father if there was anything else she could do around the house before leaving for evening program. But their father had mocked her and said that he still couldn't see the results of her prayers and church activities as their family's financial condition remained the same after all these years. To this, the woman replied that she was not worshipping God for material possessions alone as there are other things in life to be grateful for. Before she could even finish what she was saying, her husband became mad at her and threw a punch.
On hearing this, uche wondered whether his father was mentally stable. It was not as if he had been insulted neither did his mother behaved in a rude manner . This was the same man that is well respected in the neighbourhood because of his simplicity and candour, but turns out to be a violent husband at home. If his father could beat his mother for such a lame reason, uche feared that he might kill her one day. He had to invariably come to the conclusion that unless someone stops his father, he would continue to beat up his mother for fun.
Uche and his sister engaged their mother in a light conversation just to make her feel better when his father suddenly walked in. Uche caught the sheer look of horror in his mother's eyes and this made him feel bad. How could a woman be so afraid of her husband as if she had just seen the angel of death, he thought bitterly.
As soon as his father was close enough, uche stood up immediately and looked him straight into the eyes.
"If you don't stop beating my mother, I promise I will kill you one day ". He said sternly and walked out of the house, leaving his father screaming amd cursing after him.
Uche went straight to the " joint" to see the boys. The "joint" as it is popularly called was an old depot where miscreants hangout to abuse drugs. Among them were petty thieves who break into shops at night. Some of the members were also amateur internet fraudsters. Once in a while, when a member doesn't have money to pay for the hour at a small hotel, he's allowed to bring her to the depot.
The depot was the fortress of the gang members and any stranger who was unfortunate enough to wander into the den would be delt with "***woto-woto".***
Ike was the first person to hail uche as soon as he came into the depot. But uche didn't respond to the greetings. He only collected the half burnt cigarette offered to him by chidi and sat down silently on the exposed roots of a tree.
"What's the matter uche?". Childi asked in an anxious tone.
Uche took two long pulls from the cigarette, allowing the smoke to fill his lungs. With his eyes closed, he remained silent for the next two minutes.
" I am tired of my father, he's always beating my mother at the slightest opportunity ".
" So you mean your dad atill beats your mom?", Ike blurted out. " What a shameless man".
" I have warned him already, i am going to kill him one of these days if he doesn't stop". uche said angrily.
" I think that would be the best option, in fact if I were you, I would have killed him a long time ago". Ike laughed.
At this point, chidi revealed to uche that when he was still living in the north with his uncle, a man had contacted them for a job. The man had a brother in law who was fond of beating his sister. The assignment was simple, they had attacked the wife beater on his way back home and gave him the beating If his life. And that was the day he ceased beating his wife
Uche smiled at this story, he thought that it wouldn't be a bad idea if he organise the boys to inflict serious injury on his father or even break his arm so that he would never hit his mother again.
The end.
Saving mother
Uche was at the football field in the neighborhood cheering the boys when his sister choima pulled him by the arm and began to plead with him to follow her home. Fear and anxiety was written all over her face as she continued to urge her brother to come with her.
"What is the matter choima?" uche asked. But she wouldn't tell him because of the other boys that were listening. She grabbed her brother by the arm and they both hurried away.
When they were now far away from the field, uche stopped abruptly and demanded to know what was happening.
"Dad is beating the hell out of mum as we speak". chioma burst into tears.
" So that man has resumed hitting mom again, after all the promises he had made never to lay his hands on her again. After I had warned him". Uche said through clenched teeth and fists as hot rage shot through his muscular body.
" pls brother, let's not waste much time , I couldn't stop the fight he was too strong for me. Let's hurry up before he beats our mother to coma"
The distance between the house and the field was not very far but far enough for their mother to lose her life if she couldn't get help fast. So, the two children increased their pace.
When they got home, they saw their mother sitting on the floor, her face covered in blood. Uche looked around the house for their father but couldn't spot him. As usual, their father had beaten the poor woman and walked away. He would confront him when he returned home in the evening.
For now, the most important thing was to take care of their mother's wounds. Uche instructed his sister to go call a nurse who was also a family friend that lives down the street. "Aunty nurse" as she's fondly called was the one who always attended to the family's medical needs except in worsened conditions in which they would have to visit the hospital.
Chioma returned home ten minutes later without the nurse. Unfortunately, the nurse had traveled to attend a wedding ceremony in another city.
Uche didn't have enough money to take their mother to a clinic, so he instructed his sister to heat some water for massaging their mother's face. While chioma attended to their mother, uche strolled to the nearest drugstore at the other street to get some painkillers.
Uche had been living with his uncle at the northern part of the country for seven years and now he was 24. His uncle had four daughters and treated uche like the son he never had. The relationship between the both of them was so beautiful that a lot of people even thought uche was his biological son. But uche longed to see his family again after so many years and he pleaded with his uncle to allow him return home. After much persuasion, his uncle agreed reluctantly.
He was deeply saddened on the day he arrived home and saw his father beating up his mother mercilessly. His sister chioma told him that this has been going on for a long time now. She even told him that their uncle knows about it as they have informf him on several occasions to call their father to order. Uche became furious that his uncle never told him about this, but his sister told him not to blame him too much. Maybe their uncle was ashamed of their father.
On his way to the pharmacy,, he kept thinking. This would be the third time in five months that his father would beat his mother. Anytime his father arrives home feeling sore and frustrated, he never hesitates to transfer aggression on their mother.Sometimes he even beats chioma too.
Uche was worried that he would return home one day and meet his mother dead. He thought about what to do about his father.The least he could do is to scream or warn him to stop hitting the women, he couldn't possibly beat him up, the man was still his father . if he had money, he would have moved his mother out of the house a long time ago, he thought bitterly. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he wasn't aware that he had already passed the drugstore...
Thanks for reading.
Consoling the bereaved.
I couldn't see the mother of the late young man among the many people I met in the sitting room. I had wanted to see her and give my condolences but I was told that she was in her room with her loved ones. In the middle of the big sitting room stood a table where sympathizers go to sign a condolence book. Everyone had something good to say about the deceased.
Unlike the lavish burial ceremony that is held for a person who had died at a ripe old age, the funeral of festus was kept simple. Since he was still a young man, his death had been unfortunate and there was absolutely nothing to celebrate about.
As soon as the coffin of the deceased was lowered into the earth, his mother sprang forward in an awful run and was about to leap into the grave before she was restrained by other mourners. This was not the first time I would be seeing such a scene at a burial ceremony as it's quite common in my side of the world. Sometimes, I wonder what would happen if a grieving mother or wife is not restrained . Would she just shut her eyes while crying and holding the coffin and let them bury her alive with him?
**Image source** https://www.nairaland.com/6300425/meet-ghanas-professional-mourners-get#96811662
**The loss of a dear one** could be one of the most painful experiences a person can ever pass through. Sometimes, it's quite difficult to know what to say to such a person since you can't even pretend that you know what they are passing through.
They are mostly inconsolable during this period and one might feel awkward around them. But you wouldn't leave them alone in that state as they need all the support and care they could get so that they could be able to cope with the pain.
There are different ways people might grieve. Some are able to bottle up all the emotions even if the heart are shredding to pieces. While others just have to let it all out, screaming at the creator, chastising death and the deceased for abandoning them or even fuming at other mourners who try to console them as they cry for hours nonstop.
There's also no set period for grieving over a loved one. For some, the period of getting better could spend up to a year while fir others, it could take a longer or shorter period.
In such situations, don't try to persuade a saddened heart to get over it or make them look as if they are mourning longer than necessary. You would only succeed in making things worse by reopening old wounds.
Instead, express genuine concern by listening to the bereaved. Allow them to talk and think about the deceased for the meantime since they never see them again.
Don't feel uncomfortable or afraid of bringing up or referring to the dead person in your conversation with the bereaved do long as you keep saying pleasant things about their memory. Nice things about them, the impact they had made in the lives of others and how they would continue to be remembered for a long time. This would definitely lighten the heart if the breaved knowing that their loved one had lived a honourable and admirable life.
Don't forget to always check up on and be there for the bereaved. Do not hesitate to offer a lot of unsolicited assistance as possible.
Thank you .
On the run II
The fight between chidi and his father was the talk of the village for weeks. The elders had said that Chidi had committed an abomination by beating up his stepfather and they'd have to consult the gods to decide his punishment.
Chidi was determined not to allow these elders determine his fate just like they had done to his mother, so he ran away from the village. He decided to go to Lagos but he didn't have any money on him for the bus trip. He had to settle within asaba instead. Chidi didn't have any relatives or friends living in Asaba. So when night came, he slept under the bridges. He begged for his day-to-day meals from women who operated roadside restaurants. Soon they got tired of him and he began begging for money from passersby. But most people were not ready to give him money, instead, they looked at him suspiciously as if he were a common rascal, judging by his dirty appearance.
So, he started to cook up stories about a mother who was terminally ill and he had to raise money to save her life. His best lie was that he had lost all his money and possessions to thieves on the highway while travelling to a particular destinations and now he was stranded.
He was not always lucky with the lies. Sonetimes, he would meet someone who he had beg for money in the past without recognising them and tell a different lie. But they'd always recognise him and he would be humiliated.
That means on days when he doesn't make any money, he'd have to sleep on an empty stomach. And when he still couldn't get any money the next day and the hunger becomes unbearable, he'd have to choice than to steal. He had learnt this habit from the village but he never liked doing it. He feared that he would be caught one day and might be lynched by an angry mob.
He just had to settle down at a job worth doing. At first, he worked as a porter, helping traders to carry their heavy goods from the market to a waiting vehicle at the roadside. This was really a difficult job and at the end of the day, he would end up with pains all over his body. The little money he had made would now be spent on buying drugs to enhance his body for the next day's job.
He soon got tired of this yeye work and decided to work as bus conductor. Working as a bus conductor was indeed far more profitable. On a good day, he made good money. He was still planning and saving money for his Lagos trip. Who wouldn't love to stay in lagos? The land of opportunities.
After serving as a bus conductor for six month, he became a driver and the money began to come in. Now, chidi began to lose focus. He now ate as heavily as a king. He began to smoke marijuana and spent senselessly on loose girls at the park. The more money he made, the more he blew them away.
***To be continued.......***
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On the run
Chidi hated his uncle who was now also his stepfather. Two years ago after the death of his father, tradition demanded that a man's brother should take care of his family by marrying his wife and assuming the role of a father to his nephews and nieces. Chidi never liked his uncle because he never liked his father when her was alive. As a matter of fact, rumors had been going round that his uncle had killed his father through a diabolical means after a quarrel over the land inherited by the two brothers from chidi's grandfather.
Chidi's uncle was a no-good. He didn't care one bit about chidi. In fact chidi had been out of school for months now due to the blantant refusal of his uncle to pay his schooll fees. Of course, an idle mind is a....... so, chidi was gradually becoming a naughty boy and each time he was reprimanded by his stepfather, he would feel more motivated to behave more foolishly. And whenever his mother supported his stepdad instead of her son, Chidi becomes angry and started resenting his mother too.
He didn't care anymore whatever they both said and thought about him. He had decided to live his life however he wanted to.
His stepfather on the other hand would always resist his bad behavior and would order his mother not to give chidi any food through out the day anytime he proves sturbborn.
Chidi thought that it was ridiculous for his stepfather to prevent him from eating in his own father's house. It was not as if he contributed any money for feeding o. It is always chidi's mom that supports the family with whatever she makes from selling her farm produce. Chidi's stepfather would spend all mornings and afternoons under a tree drinking ***kai-kai*** and playing cards with other drunkards whose wives also shoulder all the responsibilities of their respective families.
Chidi believed that such a man does not deserve to be respected. He made it his duty to continue to disobey and frustrate his stepfather in his father's house. His mother would always advise him to be good but chidi never listened. Instead, he was so angry that his mother had now become pregnant for such a "useless" man.
Sometimes when Chidi returns home at night after spending the whole day at the football field, his stepfatherr would creep into his room when he was fast asleep and begin to flog him on his bare back. Chidi would wake up immediately and try to run away only to find out that the door of his room was locked. He would be beaten by his stepfather for hours.
The last time his stepfather visited him at night, he was so bitter and sour that he left the village. He didn't return home for three days and this made his mother worried.
When he eventually came back, his stepfather still wouldn't let him be. He instructed his mom not to give him any food. But chidi did not care about food now. He had already eaten enough from wherever he was coming from.
Despite the fact that chidi didn't disobey his stepfather by entering the kitchen when no one watching, just like how he usually does. His stepfather still crept into his room that night to flog him again.
Now chidi couldn't take this anymore. He was so enraged that he snatched the cane and pushed the older man violently and he fell flat on his back. With all the anger and hate bottled up in him for a long time, he began to flog his stepfather.. He flogged him seriously.
Chidi was 19years old and his step father was almost 50, but the man looked a lot older and frail due to excessive consumption of alcohol. Chidi didn't hear when his mother was screaming at him to stop and he continue to beat the old man who was almost unconscious till the neighbors rushed into the room. It took four men to hold chidi and pull him away from his stepfather.
To be continued.
Thanks for reading.
Special thanks @Kushyzee and ma'am @gertu13 for the sponsorship renewal. 😆
Neighbors turned the other way around
Recently, I visited the home of one of my coursemates. We sat in her elder sister's retail shop as we discussed about school and other topics. Her sister's shop was located on the ground floor of the three-story building in which they lived. It also contained three other flats that were all occupied by other families.
As we were talking, she pointed at a middle-aged woman that had just passed the shop. According to her, this woman hardly patronizes her their shop even though they had been neighbors for almost two years. She prefers to go buy similar stuff elsewhere across the road.
**Image source** https://starthustlenow.com/business-ideas/how-to-start-a-wholesale-provision-store-business-and-make-money-in-nigeria/?amp=1
This was not the first time I had heard of a case like this and I don't know why it happens this way.
Sometimes last year, a member of my extended family who is a hair stylist complained how some guys whom he was very friendly with prefer having an haircut at some other barbershop. And these are the same guys that would always run to his salon to boost the battery of their mobile phones whenever there's a prolonged power failure.
**Image source** https://howtos.ng/how-to-start-a-barbing-saloon-business-in-nigeria/
I wondered whether these were cases of "familiarity breeding contempt" or could it be a case of jealousy. I mean if my neighbor opens a business or starts offering a service, the least I could do is to support him. In fact it would be my utmost pleasure to patronise him because I would stand to achieve an optimum customer satisfactionion by virtue of the relationship between us.
Maybe this could be one of the reasons why some successful entrepreneurs never considered the idea of setting up a business in an area where they are well known by the people around. This is because of the fear that some people wouldn't be happy seeing you grow richer than them or make steady progress and they might start plotting ways to run down the business.
I might be wrong though, it's very possible that the neighbor already have a relative, friend, or old-time customer operating the same business. An old seller that has been providing them with the best customer experience long before her sister opened her own business. And I don't see anything wrong in that since everyone has their preferences and also the right to exercise their will. No one owes anyone anything you know.
By the way, it's quite understandable if one skip his neighbors shop and go buy elsewhere. You wouldn't have the free mind to haggle the price of a product as much as you would like since the person selling it is someone you know personally. But when buying at a stranger's shop, you have the liberty to haggle and beat the price down without feeling shy. And if the seller refuse to sell at the ridiculous price you are offering, you can always walk away. But the situation might be quite awkward if the person was someone as close as a neighbor and this could affect the relationship between the both of you afterwards.
It could also be that the problem was from her sister. Probably the young lady might not be that nice. It's possible that she's not the type that smiles often, maybe the introverted type. You see, business especially small scale retailing is very competitive. It's entails more than just stocking your store with assorted goods just so you could attract buyers. Having excellent communication skills and been cordial even to much younger buyers goes a long way in determining one's success in such a business.
**Image source** https://hotels.ng/places/shop/3211-wumex-provision-store
I remember when I was younger, mom would insist I buy the milk and bread for breakfast from a particular shop even if there were two other shops that sold the same products and were closer to our house. Apart from the fact that she had the best attitude, I later found out that items from this particular lady's shop were cheaper than the two other shops whose owners always hike the prices of their goods unnecessarily.
I wouldn't care if my neighbor ignores my shop and decides to go patronize someone else. But if when they are broke and want to buy something on credit, they shouldn't dare come to my shop.
Thank you.
Anna's rush
In my first two weeks at the university, most of friends had already gotten a boyfriend in the department. No need to mention that a handful of departmental guys are always on the lookout for "new arrivals" and they quickly place their orders before "we are sold out". Lol
I was the only one among my friends who hadn't a boyfriend yet. Not that I didn't have admirers too, but I politely turned all of them down. This was because I was determined to build a very strong academic foundation in my first year that would guarantee me graduating with a first class honors.
Ofcourse my ambition didn't stop me from socializing so long as my study time is not affected. Apart from weekends, I don't hangout on any other days and during exam period. I also make sure that my assignments and lecture notes are always intact.
Environmental conditions on campus were appalling. Apart from the fact that water is not readily available, it's also mostly contaminated from its source and if you don't get up early enough to go fetch the first drops, you'd have no choice than to take your bath with muddy water. Think about the risks involved in using such water in cooking or drinking.
Also, our hostels are mostly overcrowded as eight girls are assigned to live in a single accomodation. This makes it feels quite like hell during the summer period when there's always constant power outage. Living on the university's accomodation was so exhausting that before the end of the first semester, alot of new students were already moving out in search of more comfortable and decent accomodation outside the school.
My friends also considered and were already pulling their resources together to secure an outside accomodation. I thought that was a good idea but I told them that I wouldn't be able to go along with the plan cos dad had insisted I stay on campus. They began to laught at me.
"Come on Anna, you are no more in high school, you are a big girl now. You don't have to tell your parents about every single step you take", Kiki said.
"If I don't tell my parents, how would I be able to raise the money for my rent?", I asked stupidly.
"Well, that's why you need to have a rich man that would foot all your bills and take care of you while in school." kemi said mischievously.
"For Godsake, is it Anna who has refused mingling with the younger guys on campus that you are now telling to go roll with older men?" Lydia asked in mock surprise and the others laughed.
I didn't like how my friends were making fun of me but at thesame time I didn't want to be left behind. Suddenly, I became determined to get the money for my accomodation without asking dad or fooling around with men.
That evening, I chatted with my cousin Julius on Facebook. Julius had left the country some eight months ago to go play football in a middle division club in Europe . On two occasions, he had sent me money in hard currencies and when I converted them to the local currency, I was shocked at how huge the amount turned out to be. I informed Julius about how hard living on campus was and how most of my study mates are already planning to leave for better spaces.
I didn't tell him that the rent would be shared evenly between me and my friends because I wanted him to send enough money so that I could have something left to spend after the contribution for the rent.
The following morning, I had just finished taking breakfast and was getting ready for a class when I sighted my dad matching angrily in the hostel premises, he was heading directly to my room. Before I could open my mouth to greet, he screamed at me and started raining insults on me.
"So Anna, you have started fooling around with men and that's the reason why you have decided to start living outside the school just so that you would have more opportunity to misbehave at will, isn't it?"
Dad continued to say alot of awful things at me. By this time, alot of students had already come out of their rooms to check what was going on.
The humiliation was too much for me to bear and I cried bitterly, I wished the ground should open up and cover me. Dad couldn't even ask the reason of my decision, neither did he let me explain. He gripped my wrist and dragged me violently to where he had parked his car.
"It's better you remain at home than bring shame and disgrace to me all in the name of going to school". He said.
How could Julius have told Dad about what I planned to do when he knew how eccentric dad was. Besides, Julius is close to me enough to know that I definitely wouldn't have any other motive about getting another accomodation apart from the reasons I had told him about. I felt betrayed!
I later learnt that Julius didn't tell Daddy, he only informed mummy about my decision and asked for her counsel on wether it was right for me to live outside the school instead of returning home. And ofcourse, mom told Dad about it and dad made hasty and reckless conclusions.
The end..
Thanks for reading 💖💖
Your sanity at stake
Right to protection is a right that's widely acknowledged by all religious and constitutional laws, it is a person's duty to protect himself when he is threatened or when his life is at stake. Murder, despite its great magnitude is justified even in the greatest court of law as long as it is done in an attempt at self defense, protecting one's self and property is not only a recommended act and we can say that, to some people extent it is even commendable.
Before I go any further, mental health is by far given less importance than physical health that's why we see seemingly healthy looking individuals commit heinous things that a sane human being wouldn't dare commit, not to talk of those who commit the unthinkable.. You have as much right to protect yourself when a person messes with your mental health as you do when it comes to physical health. Here I am talking about relationships that are toxic. When we are involved with people who are of a toxic nature, they either physically or mentally abuse us. Sometimes, mental abuse comes with a greater intensity than physical abuse that's why it takes more time to heal from emotional or mental trauma than it takes to heal a wound. The mind is a powerful tool and once it's messed up, it can be quite difficult but not impossible to correct it for the better.
Take sometime to examine the relationships you find yourself in, are they okay? Are they what normal relationships ought to be? Would they still be firm and solid for years to come? What some people lack is reflection. Taking time to reflect on various aspects of our lives can give us an overview of what needs to be changed before it is too late. If a relationship is characterized by a high level of toxicity and you find out that it is slowly messing with your mental health, the first step to take is to communicate things with the other party, from there you would know if you should take things further. If there's a non compliance, you give them the silent treatment to make them realize the harm they are inflicting on you, if they use it as an opportunity to drag you down or cross boundaries or play the victim by making you seem like the bad person while you were just trying to protect yourself, protect yourself further by distancing yourself from them. Cut them off completely as that's the only language these sort of people understand. You have no excuse not to protect yourself once you find out that your sanity is at stake, it is an act of bravery, courage and self care to protect yourself. It doesn't mean that you don't care, it simply means that you have to preserve yourself for those who actually do.
Whatever you do in this world, never let a person mess with your sanity, that's the only thing that's keeping alot of us from flipping our lids and exploding in a world that's getting crazier by the second. Protect your sanity at all costs because that's all you've really got. That's what helps you in making decisions beneficial to yourself and those around you. Once it's messed up, it can be hard to correct. It is your duty to protect it, do not let anyone steal it from you!
Thanks for reading 🥺
Overcoming procrastinating
Laziness can be described as a state of mind or a feeling characterised by a lack of motivation to do what a person ought to do at that particular point in time. The most annoying thing about laziness is that is doesn't spring from a lack of knowledge to do what a person has to do, it is rather a lack of motivation. So how do we overcome that feeling of lack of motivation that comes?
Personally, I device ways to help me become more sensitive when I feel like I am deviating. Whenever procrastination begins to rear its ugly head into my affairs, I take a step back to analyse the situation and figure out the root cause of the feeling so that I can act accordingly. If it's hunger, I make sure I get something to it at that exact time. If it's overfeeding which is, in many situations the case, I do a couple of jumping jacks if not for anything but to renew my motivation and maybe allow me to get some of the excess food down. Sometimes too much work results in tiredness which is also a cause of procrastination. I take a break when this seems to be the case.
Here I am talking about procrastination when I made a title about laziness, why? It's because they are almost the same thing. Laziness is the by product of prolonged procrastination just like how success comes from hard work. When we don't pay heed to the amount of time we spend procrastinating and take adequate measures to help curb that habit, it would come as a shock to us when we find out that we are down the abyss of laziness and when we get there, it would take a much greater effort to come out.
One thing I do to reduce my level of procrastination as I am still struggling is to make out time to procrastinate, yes I do that and I'd recommend that to any one struggling with procrastination because it has helped me. When you're fond of procrastination, it can be very difficult to stop even with all the motivation you think you have inside you. The thing is the human body needs time to adapt to new situations and you can't just change things in an instant or else you won't keep up or stand a chance of burning out too soon. If you're the type who procrastinates for up to six hours a day, start by cutting it down by a half. Why not do three hours instead? Of course those three hours could be spent doing something important but it is okay to start small. Use the first three hours to do something productive like reading a book that's if there's nothing you have doing at that time and use the remaining three hours to do whatever you do when you procrastinate. Try your possible best to make sure you don't exceed three hours else you would mess up the whole cycle.
As time goes on, you will on your own make a decision to cut down on the time you spend procrastinating to do other productive stuff. If the first three hours are spent on something beneficial to you you would come to love it more. People like things from which they benefit. You can read a storybook for two hours, engage in some other productive stuff for three hours and then use one hour to procrastinate. This is perfectly okay as this would no longer be considered as procrastination but resting.. Which is infact important.
It is worth noting that what we eat also makes us feel lazy. Imagine having a heavy meal that sits at the very core of your soul early in the morning or in the afternoon. That's not so good. The most common happening after a person eats a heavy meal is falling asleep, which you don't wanna do if there's really something important you want to achieve.
Let's all cut down on our excesses and focus solely on the grind!
See you at work!
The price for freedom
One night, he came up with a plan, a beautiful plan that if executed carefully could guarantee his freedom. With this realization, Tobi became more cheerful in the following days as he continue to go over his plan.
" Recently,you have been radiating happiness as if you had been been selected for a presidential pardon. I hope you are not planning on how to escape from this prison". His cell mate kunle, teased him, when the two men were taking a walk in the prison yard.
Tobi was surprised that kunle had guessed right but he couldn't possibly tell him about his plan of escape.
"Oh, don't be ridiculous kunle, I was only remembering the good old days, when I was a free man. By the way, breaking out of prison requires partnership and team work and I'm just an ordinary inmate like you. Not a high profile inmate who might have strong connection both inside and outside the prison walls". Tobi laughed.
Tobi became more and more optimistic about his plan each passing day. The plan was more dangerous than simple. But he was prepared to take the risks He was ready to die while escaping than spending another twenty years of his life in prison for a murder he never committed. Needless to say, this was what kept motivating him fir a long time till he came up with this perfect escape plan.
The plan was to start a terrible fight with a member of the most dangerous gang in the prison. Tobi was expecting to sustain serious injuries that would warrant him to be taken out of the facility for proper medical attention since the prison's clinic was small and unsophisticated.
He scanned through the faces of the prisoners and decided to pick on the most merciless among them.
Rambo was about the most feared inmates and he fights like a beast. To him, the prison was his kingdom and he was the emperor. He'd deal brutally with anyone that dare to challenge him in the world he ruled.
Tobi knew that this plan was crazy, he might even lose his life in the battle and his family wouldn't see him ever again. But he was determined not to waste another month in prison.
He took another look at kunle and he felt a tingle of emotion run through him. No doubt he's going to miss him when he's finally out of this hellhole. They have come to be best friends in the prison. Kunle had been sentenced to fifteen years for stabbing the man who had molested his nine years old daughter. Kunle had told Tobi that he never regretted his actions, and if the man had survived, he would have gone to the hospital and finished him off.
But alas, two days before the day he planned his escape, Tobi fell seriously ill that he couldn't move. The medical officer of the prisoners clinic suggested that it was a major illness and Tobi have to be taken to an hospital outside where he could be properly taken care of.
At the hospital, Tobi kept observing the two guards that were stationed at the door of his ward. It was over a week he had been admitted and he had already started to recover. During his five years in prison, the warders have come to regard him as one of the most respected inmates. Unlike the other inmates, he was a man of education, he had a doctorate degree, he was a gentleman. They felt sorry for him when he told them about how he was framed up for a murder which he was entirely innocent and they believed him.
The next day, there had been just one guard at his door and later in the evening, the guard left his post to visit the restroom. He trusted Tobi just like his other colleagues trusted him. As soon as Tobi saw that he was out of sight, he quickly got off the bed and loosened the cuffs with an improvised needle he had made in his cell. He didn't take more than a minute to unlock the handcuffs .It was a very easy task that prisoners rehearsed whenever they daydream about escaping from prison. He also took off his prison uniforms too and with a bare chest and shorts, he jumped out of the windows into an alley that brought him to one of bustling neighborhoods of Lagos, Nigeria.
***The end......***
Thanks for reading.
A curious cat II
I sincerely appreciate everyone that have taken their time to read and drop comments under the first part of this story. So Sorry I couldn't reply to you all, I was scared that I would keep repeating my replies since most of the comments are similar and this might affect my account. For those of my friends who missed the first pages, you could check them out **here** https://read.cash/@Bilqees/a-curious-cat-d183cfe3
The hotel was an impressive three-star affair that stood at the outskirts of the city. James approached the middle aged mayguard who regarded him with a suspicious stare. He looked hungry and was clearly not in the mood for pleasantaries. James studied him for a while and brought out a roll of money from his pocket and the eyes of the mayguard brightened up immediately.
James took his time to explained what brought him to the hotel and presented his wife picture to him. The mayguard confirmed that the receipt belonged to the hotel but he didn't quite recognise the face of the women on the photo. James proceeded in handing him the roll of cash, the photo, and his phone number too. He asked the mayguard to give him a call anytime the woman in the photo visited the hotel. He promised him more money when he supplies valuable information about his wife activities at the hotel.
On his way back home, James kept wondering if his wife had the tendency to cheat. He silently prayed let it be that he was wasting his time and money.
James wife returned home later in the afternoon. She was in high spirit and she began to fervently tell her husband how her day went. James was pleasantly surprised at this sudden change in her behavior. They had been enjoying the moment together when they were suddenly interrupted by a call from her phone. She picked it up immediately and as soon as she saw the caller, she apologized to her husband that she had to go out again for an urgent meeting. Before James could say another word, she had already dashed out of the room.
James woke up later in the evening and found out that he had missed several calls from the mayguard of the hotel. He called back immediately.
"Your wife just stepped in with another man two hours ago", the mayguard said, breathlessly. He told James to check his WhatsApp where he had sent several images of his wife and her lover.
James felt his blood boiling in his veins and his body vibrated with violent rage from his head to his toes. Minutes later, the mayguard sent more damning photos of his wife and the other men in loving embrace and requested for the remaining part of the money to be transferred.
James couldn't confront his wife when she arrived home. Days pass and she continue to act as if he was the love of her life. James had now began to suffer from awful headaches and chest pains as a result of the accumulated rage in his body, especially when his mind remembered flashes of the pictures the mayguard had sent.
Sometimes, when his wife was out, he'd feel like following her to the hotel and inflicting harm on her and her lover. But he quickly dismissed such thoughts even if he knew he had the guts to carry it out. He wasn't also afraid of going to prison, but he had to consider his five year old kid too. James had more questions than answers but he was still unable to comfront his wife over her infidelity.
For a while now, there had been this beautiful lady in the hood who had been giving James all the signs that she's up for grabs but James never took the opportunity because he held his wife at such a high esteem. Soon, James began to contemplate on having an affair with this younger lady. After all, if his wife could cheat, he thought as a man, he had a higher appanage to cheat. Two can play the game and he knew he could even play the game so well that his wife would never be aware. But he quickly dismissed that thought too.
"You don't eat dust because your friend is eating dust too, you would only harm yourself and your soul". Two wrongs can't make a right, it only makes things worse. By the way, he isn't that kind of man.
James monthly income had increased considerably from the online jobs he was engaged in. Maybe this was the time to exit this sham of a marriage and go live somewhere else. He couldn't stop himself from thinking that the reason for his wife brazen infidelity was because she was the breadwinner of the home, hence she might believe she could behave any way she wanted.
He came to a decision to confront his wife about her cheating and whatever the reactions, explanations or apologies, he wouldn't care. He'd pick up his son from school the following day and that would be the last day his wife would ever see him and their son again.
The End
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Thanks for reading.
A curious cat
James had been waiting for his wife at her superstore for hours now. He has been told by her maids that his wife had left the shop since 9am leaving their five year old daughter behind. He became more worried when it was getting dark and his wife hadn't yet returned. After trying her number several times without getting a response, he instructed the forls to lock up while he took his daughter home.
By the time his wife arrived home, it was already past eight. She explained she had been in a meeting with the commissioner of women affairs whose birthday would be coming up the following week. His wife had been awarded a contract to supply assorted drinks that would be served on the birthday party.
James was very proud that his wife had grown so big in business that she was now mingling with the high and mighty in the state.
James was a freelancer who had been working from home ever since he lost his job at the bank some three years ago. Needless to say, he was the one doing the cooking and taking care of the children while the wife was away at her business. The couples loved, copererated and respected each other very well....
His wife very pleased when James served her favorite dish. No doubt t, her husband was very romantic.
Suddenly, her phone began to ring but she ignored the caller. She told her husband that she doesn't like being disturbed by business calls when she's having a good time with her family. But james urged her to answer it, it could be another opportunity, who knows. In a sarcastic tone, she screamed at her husband and the phone to allow her enjoy the meal. They both laughed.
James observed that most evenings, his wife spends more time chatting on her phone at the sitting room even when he was expecting her to come join him in the bedroom. He also noticed that her eyes light up with excitement whenever she's is engaged in one of those chats.
Further more, she had recently been always in a hurry to leave the house every morning and whenever he comes visiting at the office, she's mostly absent.
One day, James summoned his wife and advised her to take it easy with her job as she seems too busy to have time for other things. His wife smiled and said:
" I have never been a lazy woman. I wouldn't be able to do all I have been doing for you and our children if i don't work so hard".
James reminded her that he now has something doing too that brought a steady income from working online. This made his wife laughed out loud.
" That's right dear, but our life and future is worth more than the pennies you claim you are spending on the family.
James felt hurt but he was a man that had an enormous self control. After all, it's not everything that a woman or child says or does that a man should react to. He said to himself.
He was quite scared that his wife busy schedules wouldn't take a toll on her health in the near future. He knew that If anything happens to her, his family would be in trouble.
It was on a Saturday, his wife had gone to her superstore. An hour later, a call came through her other phone which she had left on the sofa. James dared not answer his wife calls else she'd raise hell. By the way, he was never interested.
But the phone kept ringing and distracted him from the article he was writing on read.cash. when he picked It up, he saw that it was a man calling from the other end. He didn't think much about it, perhaps, he was one of her business partners.
He was about putting the phone inside her handbag when he saw a strange piece of paper sticking out of the bag. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and saw that it was a payment voucher which indicates that his wife had ordered food from the eatery of a hotel.
Now, James had a very inquisitive nature. He didn't know this guest house, neither did his wife ever told him about it. He took a closer look at the address written on the piece of paper and decided to go pay a visit to this strange lodge.
***To be continued.......***
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Thanks for reading
The embezzlement plan II
Hello beautiful people. Trust you all are doing great and in high spirits despite the strong wind ravaging the crypto market.
So, here is the concluding part of the story I created yesterday. For those of you who missed the first part, you could find it here https://read.cash/@Bilqees/the-embezzlement-plan-e4442d4d
"There's absolutely nothing to worry about, femi. This isn't a trap neither is it a test of loyalty to the company. This is what you were employed to do since the first day you joined this company". Judith said in an exasperated tone.
" My fiance is a very smart lawyer and you are also a competent accountant, he would take care of the legal aspect in case anything goes wrong. And I am very sure that as long as you play your role well, nothing would go wrong",
At this point, the lawyer leaned forward and with a smile on his face, he revealed to femi what his percentage would be each time they successfully pull a scam.
Femi's throat immediately went dry after he was told the huge sum of money he stands to gain from each racket. This was almost six times his monthly salary.
Alot of thoughts kept racing through his mind. He thought about his mother and his good upbringing. She'd be disappointed in him if she learns that he's a party to such a heinous crime. But he quickly dismissed this thought when he looked at all the comfort he could enjoy with all that money. He thought this was a magnificent opportunity and he began to relax. By the way, if he refuse to do it, he knew that he would be kicked out of the company. He'd be back on the street again with his poor mother.
He believed he didn't have much of a choice.
By now, he had already begun to regain his composure. He looked straight into the eyes of the lawyer and gave him a nod. With a smile on her face, Judith came forward to embrace him.
The criminal activity lasted for more than a year and all the three partners continued to rake in huge amounts of money into their bank accounts.
Femi had already acquired two expensive cars in addition to his company car. He had also recently moved into a magnificent three bedroom apartment located at a highbrow area inside the city. He also acquired landed property and was already building a big shopping complex for his mother. He would add other branches later.
Judith had been the one managing her father's company for sometime now. Daddy had complete confidence and trust in her and believed she could handle the company's asset better than her elder brother who had a very strong dislike for their father.
Femi didn't care anymore, after all, it wasn't his father's company. So, he never objected anytime Judith suggested that they pull a bigger scam. Life's so beautiful right now for him and all thanks to Judith. He had multiple businesses and also had a company of girls.
Soon, femi didn't know what to do with so much money that kept coming and he gradually began to return to his senses. He met Judith at her office one day and told her that it was high time they take a break since they had already ammassed alot of wealth that would last them for decades.
"You don't have the right to tell me when to stop femi, this is my dad's organisation and you are just an employee", Judith snapped at him.
Femi thought the young lady was right afterall. But he also knew that they were all sitting on a ticking time bomb and one day, their shady activities would be busted.
Two weeks later, femi tendered his resignation. Afterall he also had the right to leave.
Judith didn't take this lightly at all, she continued to scream and rain insults on femi. She even called him cheat and a thief. But femi couldn't have cared less, he has made a lot of money that would last him a long time even though he chose never to lolk for another job again. This was the perfect time to leave the company before he gets into a deep trouble.
One evening, femi was at his bar, interacting with some of his customers when the police barged in. He was arrested for abetting money laundering at his former company. The evidences brought by the police was more than enough to put him behind bars for thirty years as all the illegal documents had his signature.
Two days later, femi was released on bail, all thanks to the lawyer and Judith. The lawyer gave a stern warning to femi about keeping his mouth shut about all what had happened in the company.
" You have already played your role and you played it very well. Leave the rest for me". The lawyer assured femi that he would handle everything perfectly and no one would go to jail.
A week later, femi was assassinated in his hotel room. It was a very neat job as no one around was able to spot the Gunmen and their vehicle.
The lawyer had earlier advised femi to stay isolated at this partcular hotel for sometime in order to keep a low profile from the press and public.
The police wanted to investigate femi's murder but Judith's father never agreed. He didn't want bad publicity for his company. Judith's father was angry at her for allowing an employee embezzle huge funds under her administration. She was merely asked to step down from her position as the company's director due to her incompetence and the lawyer continued to work as the company's legal representative.
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The end.
Thanks for reading.
The embezzlement plan.
Just like the majority of graduates in his country, Femi hadn't yet secured a job for over five years after obtaining a degree in accountancy. Instead of idling at home after many unsuccessful job hunts, he took it upon himself to go assist his mother at her small restaurant. The restaurant was on the roadside, a few meters away from the state's high court.
A young lawyer in his early thirties frequently visited this restaurant and he immediately took interest in femi the first day he saw him. He was so impressed by the young man's humility and devotion to his mother's business and he pitied him.
After observing femi for a long time, one day, the lawyer promised his mother that he would get her son a decent job that befits his educational status.
Both mother and son were very happy and grateful when the lawyer finally got a job for femi at a reputable firm in the city.
The lawyer told them that since femi had graduated with a first-class honor, it was very easy for him to convince his fiancee whose father owned the company to employ him. And by the way, he had seen how humble and hardworking Femi had been at the restaurant, so he had complete confidence in him that he would give his best at his new job.
He assured femi that a lot of benefits and promotions would come his way soon, if he remained diligent in his new job.
Within a short while, femi had given so much to the company that he was rewarded with an official car. Mother was very proud of her son and she couldn't stop thanking the lawyer anytime he came over to the restaurant for lunch ......She also thanked God too.
One evening, at around 8 pm femi got a call from Judith, the deputy director of the company, who was also the lawyer's fiancee. She instructed him to come meet her at a bar immediately.
When he arrived at the venue, he was surprised to see the lawyer also present. Femi became uncomfortable and he feared that he might have done something wrong. He thought that Judith wanted to query him in the lawyer's presence since he was the one that recommended him to her company.
As if she knew what was going on in his mind, Judith smiled and assured him that he hadn't done anything bad. In fact, She told him that she urgently needed his help.
Judith reveal to femi that she needed his cooperation in a deal. Since he was the company's accountant, she wanted him to help divert some of the company's funds without her father's knowledge. To put it more straight, He was expected to assist her in siphoning millions of naira to her bank accounts regularly.
Femi couldn't believe what he was hearing. He sharply turned to look at the lawyer's face and the look in his eyes told femi that these two had conceived this idea together. He felt his heart skipped a beat and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead when he finally realized that he was about to be used as a tool in orchestrating a sophisticated crime.
"This was the reason why I had recommend you, a total stranger for this lucrative job offer. You graduated with an impressive grade and I believed that you are the smartest guy that we need to make our plan successful. Now is the time you pay back my generosity". The lawyer said in a cold and hard voice.
The way Judith explained how the operations would be done made femi convinced that these two had taken their time to carefully plan every process. Perhaps, this money laundering had been going on for a long time with the aid of the former accountant, before femi joined the company and they wanted to maintain the status quo.
As femi continued to listen to the details of this devilish plan, he felt a sudden sick feeling in his stomach as something whispered to his heart that he had no choice.
***To be continued..........***
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Thanks for reading
My hearty appreciation to @theblackdoll fit the sponsorship renewal. Would never forget all the love and support you'd showed me since day one on this platform. As my first sponsor, My read.cash story would never be complete without mentioning you and the great role you played in my journey.
The Dead people roaming around.
The world is full of mysteries and some occurrences are just inexplicable. Life itself has been proven to be controlled by the spiritual as some strange happenings have defied science, logic, and reasoning.
I got the idea for this topic from an article written by ma'am @gertu13 where she told a story about a young lady returning home to say goodbye to her neighbor after she had been killed somewhere else. Of course, these are the kind of things that we only see in the movies. Even the writer acknowledged that it was fictional at the end. While reading the story, I was reminded of a similar story that happened in real life.
Some eight years ago, my Auntie's stepdaughter died of cancer. She was a married woman in her early forties. She battled cancer for a while before she later succumbed.
Later that year after her death, she was spotted at the market by an old family friend who hadn't been aware of her death. They talked and laughed as they caught up with old times. The friend asked about her family and the dead woman replied in tears, that her husband ran away and left her alone with the kids. The husband's friend was furious and promised the woman that he would call and talk sense to her husband that evening. The woman thanked him and they parted ways after having more discussions.
Later in the evening, the man called the dead lady's husband and demanded why he had abandoned his family for another woman. The husband thought this was a silly joke and warned his friend to stop fooling around as he was still mourning his wife.
It came as a rude shock to the other man when he learned that the woman who he met earlier at the market had been dead and buried some four months ago. He still couldn't believe what he was hearing until he visited the couple's house the next day and confirmed the information.
The woman who claimed that her husband had abandoned her and the kids was actually the one who had abandoned her family!
Mom alsontold me about story that happened at the hospital where I was born. Another woman had given birth to a baby girl at that time. A month later, she visited the hospital to get her infant immunized. On her way out, she was called by a very familiar voice. She turned around and saw one of the nurses who had assisted her in labor. The two women were happy to see each other and the nurse congratulate her once again.
" She's going to grow into a beautiful lady".
the nurse said while carrying the baby.
As the two women were talking, the nurse suddenly reminded the mother about a very important supplement that she should get for the child. She volunteered to help carry her baby while the mother go look for the drug at the pharmacy.
Ten minutes later, the mother of the child returned with the drug but couldn't find the nurse and her child at the spot where she had left them. Of course, she didn't think much of it. She dashed to the nurse's station but still couldn't find her. she reckoned the nurse might be busy in one of the wards so she decided to wait.
Two hours had passed and yet both nurse and child were nowhere to be found and she became worried. This hospital was a big general hospital with over a hundred nurses and doctors, unlike a private hospital where you could easily count the health workers on one hand.
Time continued to pass and she had no choice but to begin to ask questions. She approached a group of nurses and told them who she was looking for. She went further to give a perfect description of their colleague who had helped her look after her baby.
The nurses were shocked beyond words at the woman that they thought she had gone mad. They called other nurses to come to listen to what this strange woman was saying. The woman was now furious as she didn't understand what was going on. Just to be sure that she was not mistaken, a photo album containing all the faces of the nurses in the hospital was brought forward. It didn't take long for her to identify the missing nurse from the others since the nurse was very fair in complexion.
Nurse Martha(not her real name) had died almost a month ago and her remains were still at the mortuary!
The pandemonium that broke out was indescribable......
Some minutes later, the family members of the woman arrived at the hospital and demanded to check the mortuary. They were immediately granted access by the hospital management.
There they found the corpse of the nurse lying on a table. With a thin smile across her dead face, the face of the dead child rested on her naked chest.
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Thanks for reading
How do you view optimism
Reality is too hard and brutal for a lot of people to bear,when it keep getting harsher and harsher to the point where we feel like breaking, some of us develop coping mechanisms to help us deal with it better, even if that means drowning themselves in illusive thoughts. When things get difficult to bear, rather than bouncing back from the push to the wall, we hope that things will be alright instead of actually doing something about it, creating a false feeling of contentment or happiness because that's what we want to feel at the moment.
While having a good amount of optimism in our mindset is recommended, to survive harsh situations, blinding ourselves to the negative things we can curb while building a facade of optimism is not a good thing, and might even translate as stupid. As people usually say, I kind of disagree with the narrative that says "reality is what we make of it". Reality is stark naked. You see it when you want to and you unsee it when you don't want to, you can avoid reality all you want but unfortunately you cannot avoid the consequences of avoiding reality. It always comes to stare you right in they face before you know that's happening. Truth cannot be denied, it can only be delayed, the hidden that needs to be revealed will always find a way of exposing itself, for the benefit of those to whom it presents itself, if at all they are men of understanding.
We all have tough times in our lives, life is not all bed of roses. Instead of blinding ourselves to the reality of our lives to avoid facing pain, which is an act of cowardice, we should strive instead to face the pain for there's a cure we know nothing of in every pain. Tackle the situation head-on. Do your best and I mean your real best before leaving the rest to God or chance while hoping for am overall rewarding outcome. That's how to be optimistic. That's what optimism and real hope is about. Doing your best and leaving the rest. Even if you fail, you already know that it might come but it won't hurt you as much as it hurts the person who's blinded himself from reality. If we take a good look, reality isn't all that bad, but a necessity so that we may reflect.
Thanks for reading.
I will like to use this opportunity to wish our dear friend @Mafer8866 a happy birthday. God mercies and blessings be upon your life always😁
Dare to step out of the mundane
In a world where most of our lives revolve around a series of repetitive activities, we not only know how mundane it is, but also how tiresome and demotivating it can be. Life has never been this boring. Social media take up a very large angle on the pie charts of our day to day activities. We realize that plenty time has passed since we started engaging ourselves in this routine but we still keep doing it. In this zone there's no growth, no exploration and no adventure, what is life without adventure?
A mind is strong enough to break unhealthy cycles or habits is indeed a great mind and I strongly believe that every mind out there is a great mind, all we have to discover is to unlock the courage needed to unravel this greatness of ours. What's that thing that you've been wanting to do for ages but you keep convincing yourself that you haven't enough time? What about that skill you promised yourself you'd learn? What about that book you would like to read? What about that gym you would love to start visiting?... and that meditation class? Now I what a person spends all his time doing if he doesn't have the time to do life changing things that will change him forever. You tell me!
Bear in your mind that when you wake up everyday, there's a war that you're going to fight. Our whole life is a battlefield and everyday is a war and that's the one between YOU and you. There's no war greater than that between a person and himself. To win this war, a person must equip himself with weapons and those weapons are our own mindset. When our minds are weak, the battle can never be in your favor, we need to train our minds to do the things that really matter. We need to train our minds to become better weapons in defeating our baseless desires, that's the only way an ordinary person can add that "extra" to "ordinary". That's the only way we transcend, that's the only way we become the realest and best versions of ourselves.
Life is too short to spend useful time on mundane and unproductive things. Let's spice things up! Try something new! Dare to do something you've never done before, get scared and then overcome. Life becomes more exciting when we do self explorations on a regular basis, we find pieces of ourselves in places we never thought they'd manifest, that's life, everything is connected so try to explore as many things as possible to keep feeling that connection and live your best life.
Stop dreaming, Start doing!
Thanks for reading. 💖💖
Jinxing opportunities
Has anyone ever noticed that as soon as they reveal their plans or an expected opportunity to others, then the chances of it coming to fruition becomes slimmer or even become a mirage?
**Meet my loving sponsors**
From a philosophical and religious point of view, we have always been adviced since childhood to always keep our plans and expectations to ourselves till the time they materialize, or atleast when they come close to fruition.
It is believed that the world is filled with sadistic and malicious minds, so we need to be very careful about revealing too much, even among family members, friends, colleagues and neighbors.
As a matter of fact, most people already are aware of this golden rule. " ***Always work in silence and let your results speak for you."***
But Unfortunately, applying it is an issue for alot of people. Biologically speaking, humans have an inherent trait to always want to flaunt their qualities and possessions just like other forms of life. We'd always want to look and sound admirable especially when everyone else around us are also enjoying recognition for appearing cool too. No one wants to look poorer or appear unlucky than the next person. So, it really takes alot of discipline and restraint to resist the urge by not following the crowd especially social media.
Don't get it twisted pls, discussing about those big plans and ambitions with the people around you isn't always a bad idea. Friends and family could always support you and give you all the motivation and encouragement you need. They could also chip in valuable contributions and help you plan carefully too.
But you can't see through a person's mind no matter how close the friendship. Chances are that such great expectations might arouse animosity in the core of humans. In most cases, the implications of a strong jealousy could be far reaching and this could pose unimaginable stumbling blocks on your path, and in worse cases, might entirely thwart your plan.
However we could reveal our plans to a friend who sincerely wants the best for us. But it might turn out that such a friend wouldn't be able to keep his mouth shut. So they tell a friend, who would tell another person ..... till the information falls on a dark mind who could make bad things happen. Alot of people have learnt this the hard way.
A few years ago, there was a popular rumor going around that a young man accused the founder of a popular social media of stealing his idea, which gave birth to the platform. According to the story, they had been friends at Harvard and it turned out that the young man didn't have the necessary resources and support the project. So, he told his friend about his idea and the factors limiting it. And that was how the other guy cease the opportunity to build on the idea, market it and reaped all the fortunes, credit and fame.
We should always learn how to be discrete with our plans. If we don't succeed, we'd definitely be able to save face since no one else knew about it. And when it works, it would announce us to the world and everyone would congratulate us.
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Expectations, expectations
Love, care, support, kindness, compassion, respect are beautiful things and well meaning people will want to give them when they're in the position to do so, it becomes more beautiful when the people on which these are bestowed upon reciprocate. It's indeed a wholesome feeling.
It's only human to want to get back what you give others in some form or the other, that doesn't mean that's your main aim of doing it, but because you feel that the person appreciates what you're doing for them better when they show appreciation by doing something similar even if it's not the same as yours. Reciprocation is an act of appreciation, sometimes the want for others to reciprocate turns into a desire which results in expectations. When it grows more intense, the expectations become more unrealistic and one ends up setting standards that are far beyond what others can achieve and when they realise that the person doesn't meet up to their expectations, they end up disappointed and heartbroken.
In my encounters with people, I have come to realise that the higher the expectations we place on people, the more likely they are to disappoint us. Expectations have a way of disappointing and hurting us more than a heartbreak sometimes. We realise that the person won't do what you want them to do, you realise that you have been wasting your time all along, you realise that you've been fooled. The truth is that, when we expect we're mostly bound to be disappointed one way or the other but does that mean we should stop the expecting? I don't think that's possible. However it is very helpful and recommender for us to minimise our expectations of others to avoid stories that touch.
**Love yourself :**
This is the most important of them all. Most of the things we expect from people are love, understanding, care, kindness and stuff like that. When we love ourselves deeply, our expectations of others reduces drastically because then we realise that no human on earth can love us more than we love ourselves... except perhaps one's mother. Self love teaches us to minimise our expectations because what we crave from people we have already given to ourselves. We're kind to ourselves, we understand ourselves, we love ourselves so we wouldn't be bothered much if a person doesn't reciprocate but again we'd appreciate it alot if they do. We're sufficient in our own selves.
**Forget about your good deeds:**
Doing things from your heart and them forgetting about them or forgetting that you've ever done them to people comes with a different type of feeling. This way you don't even care on whom your goodness falls upon. You just do it because you want to, not because you have to or because you have expect them to do the same for you. The freedom that comes with this cannot be expressed in words. You become happier, more peaceful and more loving.
**Humans will disappoint you:**
In your life journey, you will come across a lot of people, some good, some not so good and others towards the other extreme. Any of these people can disappoint you either intentionally or not. The best thing to do here is to not expect them not to disappoint you. This isn't the same as thinking that a person would do worse, it is acknowledging the fact that everyone is capable of doing something bad if they want to. It is up to them to choose which way they wanna follow. So if you bear this in mind, disappointment resulting from expectations wouldn't be an issue to you because you understand that humans are what they are. Most don't really care about what you have done for them in the past, at the end of everyone does what they want to do anyways regardless of your past good deeds towards them.
Know this and know peace. Expectations will always be there. You can't tell me that a mother doesn't expect her child to love her, but would she be disappointed when it turns out to be the opposite? Yes it can be hurtful. What about living with expectations that can be avoidable? That's what isn't necessary at all.
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Reacting to Betrayal
Heartbreaks and betrayals a lot of us here have experienced at least once in our lives. We trust, we love, we care for somebody with everything we've got and then all of a sudden it gets reduced to rubble and taken for granted like it was nothing to them. We become heartbroken, sad, and even angry for what they have done to us. In most cases our initial emotions are that of resentment and vengeance but do you, as a person let these initial emotions take over you or do they turn into something else over time?
A period of betrayal is an often difficult one. We find a hard time wrapping our heads around the fact that we have been betrayed, since the most hurtful betrayals come from those who matter alot to us it takes time for us to come to terms with the reality of it all and that's a form of suffering on its own.
In life, things are much easier if we view them through a lens of optimism and hope. While it can be extremely difficult to accept what has been done to you, especially by someone you love, do not try to deny yourself to feel the pain of what has been done. Do not call them immediately after the realisation as you're still very vulnerable to your emotions at this point and anything you say wouldn't make any sense. Cry if you wish, hug your pillow and make sure you drain every piece of hurtful tears into them. If you have a close supportive friend, go to them for emotional support. Empty your heart to them, this can do you some good for the meantime and after getting into the overwhelmingly emotional stage of the betrayal, we become more logical and less emotional. We start thinking than just reacting blindly even if much of they thinking revolves around why the person had acted the way they did. If you spend much time in such thoughts you get drawn into overthinking which can lead to depression. In my opinion the best thing to do is to try to contact them if they haven't ghosted you already. If they reply to your call or messages, fix a meeting with them and tell them there's one last thing you'd like to discuss with them. If the meeting is agreed upon, meet with them and ask them why they did what they did..get to hear their side of the story, from there you would know why it all happened and know steps to take. I know this seems kinda unwise but I figured that uncertainty is one of the reasons of sinking into depression due to betrayals. You bother your precious brain with questions like, "why did they do this?" "Did they even love me from the beginning or were they just using me?" and things like that. All these questions can do serious damage to your self-esteem and you'd end up thinking you're not enough for them nor for anybody. Be careful, before doing this, make sure you've overcome the stages of overwhelming emotions as it can end up messing up the conversation that you might regret not having.
What if they aren't picking my calls or decide never to meet again?
If this is the case, leave them alone. I think by now you've had enough answers about their intentions from the start. Allow yourself to grieve for as long as required. Allow yourself to feel all pain so that you won't have to feel them again when you finally get back up on your feet, unexpressed pain is sure to come back sooner or later to mess things up. Dealing with betrayal is a difficult thing but with the right approach and loving and supporting people around us, it is much easier.
Do not hold any resentment or hatred towards those who betrayed you in the past, don't even expect "karma" to deal with them. Just wish them all the best and move on with your life. Betrayal isn't always a bad thing, it can be a means to becoming better as grief has a healing effect on a scorched soul.
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