Tunde has a well paid job which he held firmly for over 6 years. Renting a three bedroom flat apartment in Osakpa lekki can be terribly expensive but he went for it to suit his taste for luxury. Most times, he eats in restaurants especially those days none of his bevy of ladies paid him a visit. He's a flamboyant sanguine too generous and highly exuberance for his age as he's always hosting parties and basking in its euphoria. Looking at Tunde and his extravagance from afar, you definitely will count him among those men most favoured to have everything working out for them but is this assertion true- I'll distinctly answer in negative as my reasons will surface soon.
His most recent girlfriend questioned why he doesn't have a car yet. Having a great job which pays all the bills of his frequent weekend parties, paying enormous amount for his rented apartment with each of the rooms well furnished beyond what an average bachelor can afford, yet no car, sends a wrong message that he could be one of those guys in a secret cult as it looks too unusual for his kind of personality.
Insomnia became the order of his night as he kept turning from one side of his bed to the other. Thoughts of buying a new car consumed him . Deep down, he knows his living above his income. He's always into one illegal business or the other as a merchandiser in the company where he works. Two-third of his salary goes to his strings of girls. Of course one can't have them glamour around an empty pocket. For the past four years, he hasn't sent a dime home for his aged parents and younger siblings. He made them believe he's still struggling to feed himself in Lagos.
Against all odds, out of desperation, Tunde signed up for installment payment and got a car. His friend Kehinde lend him a huge amount of money two years ago when he ran into debt. Tunde apparently remembers he hasn't paid, he equally knows he has to pay his house rent as his previous payment will soon expire, yet he signed up for a new Toyota Corolla car. Saving up for these heavy expenses is the least thing that comes to his mind.
Unfortunately, his mother got stricken by a deadly ailment that requires huge amount of money to save her life. The only one that comes to mind was , Tunde. Since no one has the knowledge of where Tunde lives, his immediate younger brother had to visit Tayo (Tunde's old time friend), in Ogun state because he's the only one who knows Tunde's house in Lagos. The poor boy could not help but cry as he saw the wealth that surrounds his elder brother meanwhile his family is suffering in the village and his mother at the verge of death. Tunde swore he doesn't have any money but who can ever believe him seeing his house, his interior decorations, his car and lifestyle. His mother died not really from the ailment but from the unbearable pain of his son's nonchalancy.
It was a hot Saturday afternoon, Tunde's father was sitting under a Mango tree. Suddenly, a bike stopped in front of the house. He looked closely and saw Tunde. He felt a mixture of Joy and pain. His son whom cared less about his family finally came home. Why on a bike rather than his car? He asked himself but decided not to act out of suppressed anger. He hugged Tunde and walked into the house with him. He was welcomed by all and sundry as every one had an expectations of great gifts and cash as his younger brother had already told his family how wealthy Tunde is. There were loads of questions in the heart of every one but its rather too early for anyone to ask. They never knew he came back empty-handed. He lost everything in the city and the family whom he despised for five good years became his aboard of rescue.
A good question to ask yourself is, "What kind of world would this world be if everybody were just like me"? No man can ever climb out beyond the limitations of his own character". It's hard to climb high when your character is low. Many out there are victims of pretentious lifestyle. Not living within your income can be devastating. You can't survive its catastrophic demolishion. A lot of people from very poor background claim to be very rich when they know they are yet to arrive. Some love to rub shoulders with people that are rich by virtue of inheritance or even their parents name. I remember one girl that claims to come from a wealthy home but that's a lie. She wears very expensive outfits courtesy of the married men she dates. Pretentious lifestyle does no one any good. Underarchievers FORGET they need a RESERVE. They spend all they earn and go extra length to borrow forgetting some luxury is unnecessary at the beginning phase of one's life.
When you are struggling to stand your feet on the ground, you need strong financial discipline. It is a great secret for archivers. The year is still young for you to make amends. You can decide to grow tall like a tree and not become a mushroom.
IJEOMA ESTHER OGBUKA.
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