Breaking Out Of Wishes To Reality, The Good Old Days
Ahmed was seated on a plastic chair under an umbrella tree that was some distance from the gate sleeping when Khaled shouted "Ahmed, Ahmed," when he entered the factory.
Ahmed opened his eyes and quickly extended his hands to pick up his machete when saw Khaled already standing before him.
"Khalid, not again, you startled me," Ahmed told him as he breathed out heavily.
Khalid laughed out loud, "Am sorry, I didn't mean to, I didn't know you were deep asleep, but you need to see how you got into action when I called the last time, you should consider joining Hollywood," Khalid continued laughing.
"You think this is funny right? Ahmed gave him a weird look. Anyways, is it 2 pm already?" He asked while trying to remove his phone from his pocket to check the time.
"Yes it is, but this question implies you've been sleeping for a long time. You know how the boss doesn't like it when we sleep on duty right? You have to be careful you know," Khalid replied to Ahmed.
"Thanks, man, I'll, I didn't know when I dozed off, you know I seldom sleep on duty," Ahmed responded.
"I know Ahmed, I know," Khaled replied as he grabbed a plastic chair that was positioned beside Ahmed and sat down.
"What's wrong with you man? you have been acting weirdly lately, this is totally unlike the Ahmed I used to know. The jokes, the smiles, and the sports talking are all gone. Recently, you have even been trying to avoid conversations with me. What's the matter?" Khalid asked.
Ahmed hissed, "Khalid, it's a long story, I wouldn't want to bore you with my life issues."
"You said long and boring? I love long and boring stories, please spill," he responded.
"Man, life is killing me softly, what I earn from this job no longer meets my needs and responsibilities are ever increasing. Imagine, I took twenty thousand naira to the market to get some food stuff thinking it would at least take me and my family a while as usual but I returned home with goods that barely filled a polythene bag.
Back then, that same amount of money was used to get us food for a whole month, sometimes even extending to the next one. As I speak to you, the five thousand I budgeted for transportation this month to work has already finished and this is just the second week of the month. Back then we could use five thousand naira to transport ourselves to work for a month and still have change but now, the reverse is the case. This government is obviously after our lives," Ahmed expressed his grievance to Khalid.
Hmm, Khalid sighed. "I understand your pain brother, personally, I wish we could bring back those good old days, but what can we say? Evolution always comes with a price, for one to survive, he or she needs to be smart."
Ahmed looked at Khalid from head to toe twice and said "Smart, you say? Khalid, how can one be smart in this era when everything is messed up already?"
"Yes, everything is messed up but one can find a way to survive. Of the truth, we can't bring back the good old days but we can make the present comfortable and better," Khalid replied.
"How do we make the present comfortable?" Ahmed asked curiously.
"Now you are talking, strategize my bro, don't depend on this job alone, get other sources of income. Invest more and spend less. The wise say, don't put your eggs in one basket. You can't survive by doing just this job at this tough time, Ahmed, it's suicidal," Khalid responded.
Ahmed stayed quiet for a while then said "You made a lot of sense, I'll think about it but right now I think I have to go, we've spent more hours here already. My mom would be so worried." When he stood up to leave, he turned and said, "Thanks, man. You are such a nice friend."
"Look who is praising me, go home and get some rest, you look like someone who just came out from hell, ensure you cut that bushy hair too, we don't keep mad men here," Khalid replied and they both laughed.
Ahmed graduated from the university a few years ago, he sought a government job but ended up with none. He kept trying and hoping for when his light would come while he assisted his mom who is a widow in her little garden. The little money she earns from the garden later stops sustaining them. She was getting old and the farm was aging too.
Responsibilities gradually turned to him, Alia, his kid sister was there for him to sponsor in school and he also has to ensure that food keeps coming in.
When he saw that things were not favoring him in the garden. He abandoned it and secured a job as security in one of the companies around. It was there he met Khalid who became his best friend. Khalid had been supportive both in words and in substance to Ahmed. He is a single young man who is very hard-working and has vast knowledge about life.
After the conversation that day with Khalid, Ahmed reasoned everything when he got home and decided that he was going to start doing other things alongside his security work. He told his mom about his intentions to start up a fish farm and to restart the vegetable garden that he abandoned.
She was happy about it. She subsequently helped him secure a loan from her bank. He informed Khalid about it and he willingly gave him directives on how to go about everything.
Months later, the farm began to prosper, bringing so many returns than he ever imagined, that he refunded the loan even before the deadline.
He had to quit his security job to focus on his business along the line. Demands for his products kept increasing and he kept expanding the farm till he had to employ people to work for him.
