THE WIND OF FATE ; Life of a Nigerian Youth 1


That night I was deep in thought, perusing through the myriad events of the day. But what caused my misfortunes?? I questioned mother nature which gave me no answer. From my room in the deadliest of slums in Ajegunle, I could hear different sounds... from the crying baby, the moving cars, to the noice of "Alaye" boys chanting in their loudest of voices. I checked my time it was exactly 11:30pm, I opened my cupboard and took the remaining garri left, turned it to a bowl and added water, there was no sugar so I used salt and within seconds, I had gulped everything with no grain left in the plate. Life isn't a bed of roses like I thought after all.

Its barely 1 year since i returned from service and the reality of life has began to set in, No more 'free' money from uncles and parents, even the #19,800 I received during service was now looking like a million to me, but this wasn't what I hoped for, this wasn't the life I envisaged, I remember how I and my roommates in the hostel then in the university boasted of getting a multi million naira job after graduation, flying around the world in exotic jets to withhold the beauty of nature, but the reality of things now is what I never thought about. I was the best graduating student of my set, and like I was told by my lecturers, Large firms should be scouting for me already, but what is wrong? All these thoughts were flowing through my brain till the cool breeze carcass me to sleep.

I woke up to the sound of a text message from my phone, I felt it was a message from one of the firms I had applied for a job inviting me for an interview, only to see a text from my estranged girlfriend Joke which read "..Am sorry Chike, but we can no longer continue with this relationship". I was shattered! I heard a knock on my door, if only I knew he was coming to compound my woes... To be continued.

THE WIND OF FATE ; Life of a Nigerian youth 2


I have always heard people reiterate that life was unfair, but I never made any meaning out of it, here am I entangled in a situation I can't explain, if I say am doomed then its an understatement.

My nervous system paused for a while, I remembered Tobi, the one our lecturers always described as a "never-do-well", he is now working with one of the multinational companies in South Africa, Is it Emeka? We all laughed and jelled at him for dropping out of school, but he now owns 3 large shops in Onitsha main market, is it Philip, Gozie, Echeta? They are all big boys doing very well for themselves, but these were people we looked down on, we were still basking in the archaic saying that 'Education is the key to success', but here am I with an excellent grade and living from hand to mouth, God punish poverty! hmmmm.

" Yess come in" I retorted when my door was almost about to be pulled down. "..So you the hear me since and you dey inside there abi?" He shouted, "sorry oga landlord" I said. "Be sorry for yourself, your papa, mama and all una people for village. I come remind you say your house rent don expire, if you no fit renew am make you jeje pack out make another tenant enter!" "I don hear you Sir, just give me small time make I run around" I replied.. "That one concern you" he said as he banged the door and left.

I stood up, picked up my rumpled shirt, wore it and set out. Joke's text was still replaying in my head coupled with the embarrassment I received from Oga landlord few minutes ago. I left for the streets to see if there is anything I can lay my hands on. I met a group of boys offloading goods from a trailer and I begged to join them which they obliged, at the end we were given #500 each. I quickly rushed to mama iyabo who sells rice by the roadside for breakfast. I was about crossing the road when I saw a black jeep pull out from the other side of the street, guess who I saw inside

To be continued...

THE WIND OF FATE; Life of a Nigerian youth 3.

If there is one thing I have learnt throughout my surgeon in Life thus far, it's not allowing myself worry about things I can't afford, But this moment, I felt less of a man.

I looked through the tinted glass of the jeep and saw Joke sharing a kiss with a matured man old enough to be my father, I saw smiles and signs of ecstasy all over her face. This was same girl who almost swore an oat never to leave me. I remember how my guys always came to wail about their respective Girlfriends to me and how they were dumped for richer guys, but I would always tell them 'My Joke is different! ". My friends were right after all, girls aren't to be trusted especially in this materially driven society we are in.

I covered my face in shame, I contemplated going to meet them so she can see me but that would be immature of me, so I ignored them and jumped into mama Iyabo's restaurant. For the first time in my life, I contemplated suicide, not because I was ditched by a girl I love, but the reason behind it - POVERTY. Joke who was humble and loyal to me suddenly started behaving rude, I knew all wasn't well. But I knew the doomsday was near when the girl I loved and cared for all these years opened her mouth to call me a "broke ass nigga", to me...that is the greatest insult a man can receive from a girl in his lifetime.

I requested for food, after eating, I gave her the #500 naira and got #150 change in return.

I passed through a lonely street and saw some guys moulding block, I begged their boss in charge to join them. He saw the pain in my eyes, he asked me about myself and was more stunned to find out I was a first class degree graduate from one of the leading Nigerian universities. He asked if that wasn't way below me, I told him No, I just needed something to lay my hands on to live on. He allowed me to join them and he payed me #2000 each day instead of the #1500 collected by the other guys. Within a week, I was able to save up to #7000 since I also fed from the money and incurred other expenses, but one thing I learnt from my days in the dormitory to my days in the University is the act of being prudent with money. One thing most Nigerian youths lack.

Things were going on well for me, at least I can feed, until I received a call from the village on a Wednesday morning...a moment in my life I would never forget. I had faith, but fate wasn't just smiling upon me...I think I was cursed!

To be continued.....

Pls don't just read and pass, try to drop a comment. it really helps to encourage one.

THE WIND OF FATE; Life of a Nigerian youth 4

The greatest lessons I've learnt in life is through experience. I now make meaning out of the vague philosophy classes I had received in school that empiricism is one of the bedrocks of true knowledge. If am to advice, Never judge people because you don't know what they might be passing through. I bet most of my mates whom I've lost contact with would be thinking I'm living a fulfilled life because of how intelligent I was, others may think I became successful and forgot them, if only they knew reverse is the case.

At exactly 9:30Am on a Wednesday morning I received a call from my mother, sounding heartbroken and weak...her mouth was heavy, she managed to mutter the words "Your dad was rushed to the hospital, he is vomiting terribly" "what could be the cause?" I asked, " I don't know, it all started last night " she replied. "I'm coming straight away to the villa, it's all gonna be fine" I assured her. I quickly took my bath, wore my clothes and was off to the motor park headed to the villa.

I took a bike straight from the park to the hospital were he was. I saw my Iroko of a dad, lay haplessly on the bed. I tried to wake him but the doctor said he just took some injection and needed to rest. He assured me my dad would be fine, that I should go home and change my clothes.

I had barely moved 2 minutes away when I heard a loud cry from a voice which sounded like that of my mum, I ran back into the hospital to see my dad shaking like an epileptic patient, he took his last breathe and began his journey to the land of the dead. I stood there like it was all happening in my dream, I couldn't move, cold spine ran through my body. I saw my mum and siblings cry like never before, that was when reality hit me...my dad is gone! I wept profusely, went and held my mum and siblings and consoled them. By then people were already rushing in, with sounds of cries heard from my every corner.

Life has battered me, pushed me to my limits, made me a shadow of myself, an icon of misery I was. But I would never give up, I said to myself.

The death of my dad was one sinister event that shaped my life. Its the wind of fate, same fate which turned it's back on me when I cried must definitely smile upon me someday...

To be continued.....

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