These few days I had the
opportunity to spend a lot of time with a widow. It was very trying for me. I seemed not to have enough patience stored up for all the words she had to say not to mention the
lamentations of all she was going through. I was not expecting anything so different
but I was still ill-prepared for many things that came my way. We talked a lot
and I knew I had to calm my numerous engagements if I wouldn’t be counted as
one of her troubles in the near future.
We got talking about how she had
been ill treated by family members and people that claimed unflinching love for
her late husband and his family. It was sorrowful to hear some particular tales
and I was surprised to hear the behaviour of some people I knew personally. Then
I remembered
my own trials.
My stories will become unending
if I bother to tell them all. I won’t bore you nor anger myself recalling all I
have gone through in the hands of those I tried to help. Some men are simply
without consciences. I however still have a living conscience and I would
ensure that nothing kills it.
I have had a guy walk into my
clinic with a friend and wanted to buy a laptop. He didn’t have his cash
complete and I offered to give him the laptop and he would balance as soon as
possible. It is over a year now and he is yet to balance. He is not my father’s
mate neither am I married to his sister but he took my goodwill for granted.
I have a habit of letting out the
secrets that have taken me to where I am. I tell anyone around me how I succeed
and expect that with time they would find their path probably illuminated by
mine. I never hold back when I can help a student get better and I have always
kept true to helping them as I would like to be helped myself.
I encountered this young man who
approached me after school hours. He kept calling and I kept rescheduling the
appointment. We finally met and he needed my help. He said he was an orphan who
needed to survive. He was the eldest in his family and he had younger ones that
counted on him. He seemed ready to survive yet he was in school like every
other person far from where he could call home.
He lived in lagos and had access
to people who supplied computer accessories. He wanted me to patronize him. I always
try to avoid too close a contact with my students and I intentionally avoid
what would bring us closer than comfortable. However, I felt I could make him
one of my business links and buy my accessories from him. I didn’t make a wrong
decision.
I asked him to bring his goods
and I streamlined them. Telling him what is easily sold in this region and what
he should focus more on since he wasn’t in for long term business investments. I
bought his first set of accessories and despite the fact that I knew his goods
where a tad costlier, I felt it made no difference since I wanted to help him. I
tried not to bargain too much and I bought needed and unneeded accessories.
He began to supply me my
accessories and I kept “posting” my suppliers because I didn’t need their supplies
in the same quantity I normally ordered. We got into deeper business and the
money moved beyond thousands. I committed laptops and repairs into his hands as
he claimed to have capable hands to do works we couldn’t handle around here.
I run my business based on
expertise and trust with integrity as my bedrock. It is difficult for me to
take a chance with my kind of customers. I do not bring them so I have no right
to act in a manner less godly than I should. I also do not feed from my
business as much as I feed the business. Having this in mind i carry out my
transactions with utmost care. I thought I was careful until I committed some
good amount of money and four (4) laptops into the hands of my new business
link.
I insisted on how the laptops were
to be repaired and asked that all the replaced parts be returned. He returned
to tell me that the problems I diagnosed were not the ailing issues and I didn’t
argue with him. It cost more money and I doled it out. I just needed the work
done. He fixed two of the laptops and his so-called-contact didn’t return the replaced
part. I suspected foul play but I didn’t blow whistles. They were replaceable parts
and rather than question his trust I focused on the repaired job.
It would be nice to state that I had
to touch those laptops before they worked fine. They repaired a part and
created more problems. I asked for the other two laptops and he said he cant
understand why his contact is delaying. He promised to go to lagos himself and
handle the logistics. He hasn’t arrived lagos or so I think. It’s about four
(4) months now. He isn’t picking my calls or replying my text messages.
I have customers who trust me enough
not to question or act irrational concerning the unfinished works but I keep
wondering how an orphan, who is my student and one I sought to help treat me in
this manner. I didn’t pay him short, I didn’t question the price increments, I didn’t
push him beyond his comfort yet in my little space, he wants to breed an
unwelcome concept.
The goods he bought have
repeatedly failed at the points customers needed them as replacements. I have
seen RAM sized shrink for the same price, hard disks had become dysfunctional when
still sealed in their anti-static cases. I have been in computers for some
years. I haven’t seen this manner of soul-less-ness. I have boys I work with
and I know they are human yet I havnt even committed to them the way I have to
this young man.
I do not regret my efforts. I wouldn’t
have done less in my commitments to another. I know as a man I am subject to
gross misbehaviours but this is way over my head. I always tell my students
that my personal life would not conflict with my official responsibilities. That
is a code I live by.
This singular act may affect the
help I would have rendered to many others. Many people in life barricade the
way for others by their irresponsibility and nonchalance. Many more burn the
bridges that they themselves would require. I do not stand as judge, I am the
victim and for many cases I wouldn’t dare mention, God would give me the grace
to handle them as I should.
I assumed he was orphaned enough
to responsible. He was student enough to be reasonable. He was needy enough to
be grateful and probably Christian enough to have feelings. I assumed he was
human enough to know that you do not bite the hand that feeds you. My assumptions
cost me a lot, far more than words can piece together. I am glad that I still
have peace, peace that’s beyond understanding.
Gal 6:7
Do not be deceived and deluded
and misled; God will not allow Himself to be sneered at (scorned, disdained, or
mocked by mere pretensions or professions, or by His precepts being set aside.)
[He inevitably deludes himself who attempts to delude God] For whatever a man
sows, that and that only is what he will reap. (AMP)
Gal 6:9 Don't get tired of helping others. You will
be rewarded when the time is right, if you don't give up. (CEV)
