Today was a very eventful day. I went to Ikoyi to process some documents with an organization. After everything went down successfully, I boarded a bike from the place to Obalende, then a car to Oshodi from where I’ll take a tricycle to 7&8 park and then another tricycle to Canoe.

Yeah, long and stressful journey. Welcome to Lagos. I was trying to save money, if not, an Uber would have been ideal.

Anyway, what I’m writing about happened at Oshodi. The car stopped us at Oshodi Saleh. I had to cross the very busy road, and trek down to the place from where I’ll get a tricycle to 7&8. My story happened along the road.

Oshodi is very notable for hundreds of people selling lots of different products along the road where people pass. I’m sure they’ll all be making loads of sales and profits. Why wouldn’t they? I estimate an average of 50, 000 people tread that same road every day. It should definitely be more than that, as Oshodi bus stop is one of the most popular bus stops in Lagos.

I was walking by while admiring the traders and their wares until I was walking towards a man. I’ll guess his age to be early 60’s or at best late 50’s. He probably was less than that, but you know what staying long hours in the harsh weather, plus other factors can cause to an individual’s age. He sells belts.

As I was walking, I was busy admiring the traders’ wares, and when I reached his turn, I started looking at, and admiring his belts. His gaze caught mine, and I guess he noticed that I was looking at his belts. This was when his eyes lit up.

He started walking towards me with full speed, showing me his wares with much enthusiasm.

‘I’m not interested’, I responded. ‘I don’t want to buy’. ‘Don’t worry sir’.

He didn’t budge.

‘Bros, abeg, just check out these belts’. He folded and squeezed one of the belts over and over, then he bit it so hard with his teeth that I was almost scared his teeth would fall off.

I was still walking briskly and he was following me energetically as well.

I didn’t want to stress this old man further, so, I stopped walking, then in order not to offend him, I started telling him politely, that I don’t really need a new belt.

‘Oga, I nor need new belt’. I responded nicely, with a smile. ‘Abeg, no worry sir’.

He didn’t even mind what I was saying. He gave me one of the belt to hold, a black belt, while he brought another one, a brown one, and gave me to hold still. Total number of belts he had with him was like 6 or 7.

I was now holding two belts that I didn’t really want, and they weren’t quality belts. They were just, you know, normal local belts that everyone knows will wear and tear within a month.

He insisted. ‘Brother, abeg, I never sell anything since morning’. Abeg buy from me, abeg.

My restrictions and constraints were gradually melting, not because I suddenly needed a belt, but because the old man was so desperate to make a sale, and I didn’t need a seer to help me figure out why.

Economy is bad. Things are hard. Unemployment is through the roof affecting me too. Money is difficult to make and the situation in the country isn’t helping matters.

I was sad and worried for him.

He probably has a family. Kids to feed. A wife and a home. Bills to pay and others.

People that age should be in retirement, with a relatively stress-free life, but here he is, probably since morning, like he said, in the hot sun, trying to sell belts to some people who wouldn’t even look at him twice.

I wasn’t financially buoyant per se, but I felt for this man. I know I naturally have a soft heart, but I also knew that I wouldn’t forgive myself if I didn’t buy a belt from this man.

And for how much?

After much, I finally asked ‘Oya, oga, how much be the belt?’ ‘The black one’. I wanted to discourage him with price in order to save my very limited resources.

I went ahead and tried testing the belt. I wound it round my waist and told him. ‘Oga, you see, this belt no even go round me well’. ‘I nor like am, abeg’. I wanted to discourage him and make him let me be.

He didn’t budge or feel disappointed one bit.

‘Ah, ah, bros’. ‘Na old men dey wear belt wey dey go them round like that nah’. ‘Young guys dey wear belt wey nor dey too long and wey dey reach them for here (as he motioned on the place on his waist where ‘young guys’ belts reach them)’.

No need. I didn’t want to haggle further.

If you know me personally, you’ll understand that I’m quite a haggler. After an episode of a man selling me an electronic wrist watch when I was very young, for more than three times the actual price, I swore never again to be cheated in any market.

This man’s case was different actually. Or was it?

The man responding to my question for the price: ‘Oya, bring N600’.

‘Haba, oga, noo’. ‘I nor get N600’

‘Oya, bring N500’

‘No, I nor get N500’. ‘You nor go sell N300?’ I replied as I tried walking away.

He felt sad and I instantly stopped walking away.

‘Bros, nobody go sell you this kind belt for N300?’ ‘Abeg, help me, I neva sell any market since morning’. ‘Oya, pay N350’.

‘Oga, na only N300 I fit pay’. I said with a sense of conclusion.

I turned my back and started to walk away. His enthusiastic shoulders dropped like a sack, and he also turned back, slowly, while looking at the belts in his hand.

That was it. My heart melted like a candle wax. If I had the money, I would have bought all his belts at that moment.

I had to stop and say. ‘Oya sir, bring am’

He lit up once again.

‘Wait make I fold am for you?’, he said happily.

I waited and he folded the belt.

I paid him with N500. ‘You get N50?’, he asked.

‘Yes, I get’. I replied as I gave him the N50 while he gave me N200 change.

I put the perfectly folded belt in my bag and walked away. I was finally at peace.

What is N350, or even the N600 he initially mentioned compared to this peace I felt. Nothing.

Hell, I could pay N5, 000 if I had the means, to feel what I felt in that moment.

Everything took less than five minutes, but I learned lessons that would last me a lifetime. If I had remembered, I would have taken a selfie with him. Maybe I would, when I see him next. Lol.


WHAT’D I LEARN?

 As a salesman, don’t every give up on your clients. A ‘no’ today might mean a ‘maybe’ tomorrow, and a likely ‘yes’ the next day. As a sales-person, don’t give up. As a marketer, don’t give up. As an individual, don’t give up. Be like a postage stamp. Stick with it till you get to your destination. Keep persisting till you achieve your goal.

 Put your heart to your business. I saw the enthusiasm in this man even as aged as he was. I couldn’t resist. I had to buy one of his belts.

 Honesty in business. I’m not assuming that this man was entirely honest when he said he hadn’t made a sale since morning. Maybe he had, maybe he hadn’t. Who am I to judge him? His demeanor, however, as I was interacting with him looked like he really needed to make more sales, and more money today. He looked and sounded like he hadn’t made any sale in hours. It was getting late and the day was about ending. I had to buy something from him seeing his age and his desperation.

 Be compassionate. Buy from people who work hard because they don’t want to beg. We have a lot of beggars today. Begging is now a corporate profession. There are professionals in the field now, both the ones that threaten you and extort your money, to the ones that profess fake love to you in order to get to your pocket.

We spend our money on lots of professional beggars. Few of us even consider to give a little money to the real helpless and handicapped beggars with real social, economic and health problems, some of them with tumors and disabilities. We see these people daily on the streets.

Here was this man. He wasn’t a beggar. He was working hard. He wasn’t cheating, threatening or robbing anyone. He was sweating for his money. He wasn’t depending on the gullibility of people to add any extra wealth to his overflowing coffers. There were no overflowing coffers.

He was a poor trader without an ordinary shop, I guess, looking to make ends meet for himself and his family. He was an honest and hardworking man.

I don’t know about his habits, his family or his upbringing. I don’t want to play the blame game. I reacted to what I saw. Lots of things happen because of lots of reasons. There’s no predicting the outcome of life. Who am I to blame or to judge?

If you can, buy goods and services from people that work hard. Sometimes, you may not really need the product, but just because you are compassionate and you want to encourage this person, buy his goods. Encourage hard work.

Today, we see a lot of children and young people hawking products on the streets. They do this to assist their parents pay their bills and feed them at home. Buy a sachet water from that kid. Buy a tied groundnut from that little boy. Buy roasted corn from that young lady. She knows what her mates are doing to make money, yet she’s humbling herself to work with uprightness and honor. Buy one of her commodities.

Buy a piece of sweet, a biscuit, a loaf of bread, a handkerchief or bottled water from that young man on the express road. He risks his life daily running after buses and cars on the road. He knows what his mates are doing to make money illegally, yet he’s humbling himself making his peanuts to help himself and his family.

 Give to beggars too. There are people who are less-privileged in the society. Help them as you can. Take some of that money that you blow on some rendezvous. Take some of it and give to a beggar. Someone who actually needs it. Someone who would use it to feed her hungry child. Someone who would use the money to undergo an important surgery.

Be a giver. Be filled with love and compassion for the society.

 Be grateful. Always be grateful for whatever you’ve got at any given time. People out there are suffering with way less, and would exchange places with you in a heartbeat. Be grateful for what you have while you keep working to get more.

That’s it guys. That’s how I bought a belt from an old man at Oshodi today.

Well, It’s 12:44 a.m. so that was yesterday.

Have to take some zzzzzs.

Catch ya.

P.S. I had to take pictures of the belt with the way the man folded it. Lol.

lalasticlala

mynd44

Sorry about your job loss. Dust your PVC and do the right thing on the 16th of February.

The next person should pls help me summarize this Tharaja Text book

pyyxxaro:
The next person should pls help me summarize this Tharaja Text book

It's an interesting story. Read it

Davash222:
Sorry about your job loss. Dust your PVC and do the right thing on the 16th of February.

Thanks

you are just like me. with the way the state of the economy has battered the consciences of our people, it's hard finding someone like you who feels this way for others

God bless you real good OP.

God bless you

To all Sales Men/Women in Dallas house!!!!!!


Say Yes I can!!!!!


Me proudly A contract good Sales Man (Panasonic etc)

peteruuu:
God bless you real good OP.

Thank you

Wow
Nice one op


Now it pains me most times when we choose to patronize all this established names rather than all these low Web hustler (traders).

Let's take slots, shoprite's, pep store's of this world for example, most of what we get on this superstores are what we can get on street or our regular market for same price or even lower, but most times even we the middle class, we want to show off and keep enriching the wealthy.

However I am not having issue with anybody patronising wherever he/she dim fit.

The only thing that keep troubling this mind of mine is, why all these so called big guns we patronize don't get to give back to the society, they rather choose to enrich the rich.Just take a look at all glo ambassador's how many of them is worth less than a million and how many of their real customers is worth a hundred thousand, Few days ago we read here that wizkid signed a deal with UBA, like what's the connection between wizkid a musician with promoting a bank brand, when will we start celebrating academics excellence in this part of the world. ..

Well I will like to end my book of lamentation by reminding Infinix that your super doper Davido is in no way using ya Chinko phone..na we for street dey use am, that our money wey me and my guys dey contribute to una company, una fit use am build at least borehole AJ city.

Talking bout AJ I heard he just signed a multi million naira deal with another Nigerian firm

Finally a beg make we dey patronize all these legit small scale hustler, cus their daily meal and that of their family depends on ya patronage.

psychologist:
Wow
Nice one op


Now it pains me most times when we choose to patronize all this established names rather than all these low Web hustler (traders).

Let's take slots, shoprite's, pep store's of this world for example, most of what we get on this superstores are what we can get on street or our regular market for same price or even lower, but most times even we the middle class, we want to show off and keep enriching the wealthy.

However I am not having issue with anybody patronising wherever he/she dim fit.

The only thing that keep troubling this mind of mine is, why all these so called big guns we patronize don't get to give back to the society, they rather choose to enrich the rich.Just take a look at all glo ambassador's how many of them is worth less than a million and how many of their real customers is worth a hundred thousand, Few days ago we read here that wizkid signed a deal with UBA, like what's the connection between wizkid a musician with promoting a bank brand, when will we start celebrating academics excellence in this part of the world. ..

Well I will like to end my book of lamentation by reminding Infinix that your super doper Davido is in no way using ya Chinko phone..na we for street dey use am, that our money wey me and my guys dey contribute to una company, una fit use am build at least borehole AJ city.

Talking bout AJ I heard he just signed a multi million naira deal with another Nigerian firm

Finally a beg make we dey patronize all these legit small scale hustler, cus their daily meal and that of their family depends on ya patronage.

So on point!

Great one op! The lessons are good except I won’t give any money to any beggar. Most of them are very lazy people. If you tell them to work for you, some feel so insulted, like the job is beneath them. They just want to live of others.

Other beggars have this terrible sense of entitlement. Like once they ask, they receive. If you don’t give them, they insult you. At cms , I saw a beggar spit on someone because he told him no. I felt he must be on drugs. Plus, too many Nigerians have this sense of entitlement. I had a house girl that would sulk if she asked for one of my dresses and I say no. She would go round banging stuff and acting like we were in a fight. I had to let her go.

I prefer to proffer an actual solution than to go giving beggars any money. Like asking them what they’ll need to start a business or what skills they have. If they are sincere, I go all out to help. Even at that, there are too many who’ll collect the money and use it on something else. Then come for more. I’m not sure if it is a lack of vision, laziness or village people.

So touching
@op-God sees your kind heart and will bless you with a greater job soon
Jus yesterday ,I went to the market to buy smoked fish n thought to buy ponmo too
You need to see how the ponmo seller jumped up the moment I stopped before her
In her words...she hasn't sold not even a piece before I got there around 2pm n she's been advertising and screaming on top of her voice
I felt sad for her
I bought n prayed for sales to come too
We need to be indeed thankful for all we've got!

sweetrace:
Great one op! The lessons are good except I won’t give any money to any beggar. Most of them are very lazy people. If you tell them to work for you, some feel so insulted, like the job is beneath them. They just want to live of others.

Other beggars have this terrible sense of entitlement. Like once they ask, they receive. If you don’t give them, they insult you. At cms , I saw a beggar spit on someone because he told him no. I felt he must be on drugs. Plus, too many Nigerians have this sense of entitlement. I had a house girl that would sulk if she asked for one of my dresses and I say no. She would go round banging stuff and acting like we were in a fight. I had to let her go.

I prefer to proffer an actual solution than to go giving beggars any money. Like asking them what they’ll need to start a business or what skills they have. If they are sincere, I go all out to help. Even at that, there are too many who’ll collect the money and use it on something else. Then come for more. I’m not sure if it is a lack of vision, laziness or village people.

Some people have grave illnesses or disabilities that won't enable them to work. Those are the kind of beggars I meant.

Hmm I can relate with the oshodi story....


Reminds me when I called one of these "Aboki nail cutters, 2 boys and very young and I was forced to ask where they came from.... It was hard communicating and I had to use hand gestures but I managed to get their names...


They went about their business and in no time was done...

Me- OK, how much

1st one- looks the other...

Me - how much.. erm kudi, kudi... Damn they were so young and lost and don't know anything, I wish I could speak hausa...

2nd one- got the drift and brought out 20 naira...

I marvel at their simplicity, naivety and just imagined how many nails they'd had to cut before they get a proper meal... At that moment I wish I was the president to make life easier for my people....

I gave them 100 bucks each and I could see they were really happy... If I had given them 1k each, I'm sure it couldn't buy that happiness I felt at that moment....bid them goodbyes and I know I'd probably never see them again... I just wished them goodluck and they waved when they got downstairs....

I wish I could just adopt those little boys, but meself dey find help....

pyyxxaro:
The next person should pls help me summarize this Tharaja Text book

that man that said "if you want to hide anything from the black man, put in a book" am sure the man was talking about you. please remove "black man" and put your real name there.

I wish all those yeye folks forming "big girls/boys" that will go to shop rite and buy 3 tomatoes for 1k, but when they reach road side sellers, they will bargain as if their lives depends on it, should read this story.

Good job! Your post is very inspiring, but you should have come up with a more catchy title. Educative post like this hardly makes it to the frontpage here on this forum. All we see is Davido, and BBnaija.

Am glad you're telling him. if only he will go through the story.

leonard002:


It's an interesting story. Read it

Nice one op. Let me go and worry some of my customers

consultancy:
you are just like me. with the way the state of the economy has battered the consciences of our people, it's hard finding someone like you who feels this way for others

We only have to try! Thanks

peterian:
So touching
@op-God sees your kind heart and will bless you with a greater job soon
Jus yesterday ,I went to the market to buy smoked fish n thought to buy ponmo too
You need to see how the ponmo seller jumped up the moment I stopped before her
In her words...she hasn't sold not even a piece before I got there around 2pm n she's been advertising and screaming on top of her voice
I felt sad for her
I bought n prayed for sales to come too
We need to be indeed thankful for all we've got!

Thanks. Appreciate.

We all need to try just a little kindness to one another in this harsh country

catice:
Good job! Your post is very inspiring, but you should have come up with a more catchy title. Educative post like this hardly makes it to the frontpage here on this forum. All we see is Davido, and BBnaija.

Lolz. Thanks!

bigiyaro:
I wish all those yeye folks forming "big girls/boys" that will go to shop rite and buy 3 tomatoes for 1k, but when they reach road side sellers, they will bargain as if their lives depends on it, should read this story.

Lolz. This one cracked me up.

Starboytwo:
Hmm I can relate with the oshodi story....


Reminds me when I called one of these "Aboki nail cutters, 2 boys and very young and I was forced to ask where they came from.... It was hard communicating and I had to use hand gestures but I managed to get their names...


They went about their business and in no time was done...

Me- OK, how much

1st one- looks the other...

Me - how much.. erm kudi, kudi... Damn they were so young and lost and don't know anything, I wish I could speak hausa...

2nd one- got the drift and brought out 20 naira...

I marvel at their simplicity, naivety and just imagined how many nails they'd had to cut before they get a proper meal... At that moment I wish I was the president to make life easier for my people....

I gave them 100 bucks each and I could see they were really happy... If I had given them 1k each, I'm sure it couldn't buy that happiness I felt at that moment....bid them goodbyes and I know I'd probably never see them again... I just wished them goodluck and they waved when they got downstairs....

I wish I could just adopt those little boys, but meself dey find help....

Wow.

This story of yours just reminded me of when I was doing my NYSC in Minna.

It was Sallah day and a shoe maker was passing by. A very young boy. I needed to stitch my shoe so I called him.

After working, I asked how much and he said N50. I gave him N200 and he didn't have change. It was like 2pm and it turned out I was his first customer that day. He didn't even have any money, even N20.

Instead of letting him go look for change unnecessarily, I told him to keep the change, let me do Sallah for him.

You could literally feel the happiness and joy on this boy's face.

Unforgettable day!!

Onnasucs1:
Nice one op. Let me go and worry some of my customers

Yes, worry them oh

Thanks OP.

I'm not rich, but I feel bad when I see People suffering. (especially Children and Old People).

Thumbs up

leonard002

did you get my reply to your email?