Begger – Lender (I hope you read till the end)

There used to live a boy, who was homeless. He lost his father, mother, and siblings, when he was just fourteen years. They actually died of food poisoning. His relatives accused him of being the wizard, and swore never to take him in. He was left to roam about the street, but they were generous enough, not to take his father’s house from him, which was the only inheritance his father left.
Lesson(s): i. Never blame people for their predicaments.
ii. Be generous enough to leave a trace of goodness even when you’re being wicked.
iii. Don’t be wicked at all.
For the first ten days, he would roam about, return to the house, get something to eat, then sleep, but on the eleventh day, he noticed the foodstuffs were going down, and he would soon need to get some. He went to the street, begging for alms from passersby. He was fortunate enough to always earn some kind and money at the end of the day. He continued practicing this, until one day, his bills expired, and he could not afford the amounts placed on them. He stopped getting the regular light and water, and before he knew it, he just got used to it.
Lesson(s): i. Never get satisfied with your unpleasant situation.
ii. Never wait until the last minute before you act.
iii. Don’t be shy or embarrassed to take some certain steps.
iv. Don’t get satisfied with the little you have. You can be better.
He continued begging by the roadside until he was seventeen years. He began to wonder what the future holds for him. Would he keep begging all the days of his life? That night, before the usual time he closed from his begging centre, he packed his things, and went back home, pondering on what action to take next. He considered selling the house to start a small scale business. But he realized he would have no place to hide his head.
Lessons: i. There are some steps you would have to take in the future, that you can take now.
ii. Always plan ahead of the future.
iii. Sometimes, you don’t need an advice from a friend. You need to reason deep on your
own.
iv. Never do away with your asset, except you have a replacement.
Many thoughts ran through his mind, but none was good enough to give him a better livelihood. Then and there, he understood the saying, that there is no shortcut to success. He decided to go back to the roadside, begging for alms. The following morning, his centre was open again for the one-sided transaction. That night, he figured out he could actually save some money everyday, so he started that.
Lessons: i. There’s no fastlane to success.
ii. You can rack your brain harder.
iii. There’s nothing you do, that you cannot save some little from.
One year passed, and this boy kept saving. You’d not know how much these beggars go home with in a day. Before the end of the second year, he’d realized about a hundred thousand naira. He thought of what he could do with it, but nothing was forthcoming. He kept begging, hoping that before he clocked twenty years of age, he would know what to do with the money and the extra, which would be added.
Lessons: i. Some beggers are out there earning more than what you earn in a day, but that
should not stop you from giving.

            ii. Don't forget you have a target.

One night, something struck his mind. He was a great cook. He recollected the road, where he begs, was the the busy type, and yet, there was nobody cooking in the area. He decided not to resume back to his duty post the following day. He visited the market, pricing foodstuffs in large quantities.
Lessons: i. Realize your talent(s) and build on it/them.
ii. Take advantage of opportunities.
iii. Set out to work on your skills.
He went back home, calculating what it would cost him to open a small business with a table and an umbrella by the roadside. For a start, it would not cost him more than fifty thousand naira, so he decided to take the risk. He went to a small stall, where cloths and slippers were sold, and got himself some. He went back to the market to get some things he would be needing for his business. He also went to the barber’s shop to have a good cut.
Lessons: i. Don’t be afraid of taking risks.
ii. Your appearance matters a lot.
He understood nobody would buy food from a pig. The following day, he was set by the roadside. Not begging, but ready for a real transaction. He looked so different, that no one could even recognize him. He didn’t sell anything until noon, when about six customers visited him, buying the food at cheap prices.
Lesson: i. To succeed, you have to take a big step forward.
It was night, and he understood he wouldn’t sell much. He decided to share the food amongst the people who rushed down to him, stretching out their plates, as he served for free. He walked home feeling dejected. But he believed the six people who bought from him would be back to buy the next day, and hopefully, bring some other people along after they might have enjoyed their delicious meals.
Lessons: i. Don’t feel compelled to give out that which would end up being wasted.
ii. Hope is an essential factor of success.
iii. Don’t let disappoint and failure send you parking. They are only stepping stones to
great achievements.
Again, he was at the spot very early in the morning, ready to do business. To his surprise, two people, who he gave for free the previous day, were the first to queue up in front of him. He sold to them, encouraged some others would show up. Before noon, those he sold to the previous day, and those who had it for free, where all queued up, alongside some new buyers. He ended up selling the little he prepared, disappointing many of his customers. He apologized, went back to his house, to prepare more for evening. He ended up disappointing many others at the end of the day.
Lessons: i. Be ready to persevere.
ii. Do good, and the good you have done would locate you in more folds.
iii. One day, your hardwork and perseverance would bring a smile on your face.
iv. Never tell a customer it is finished without you seeking for where else you can get
the particular product. It can make you lose your customers.
This continued, until one day, he thought of expanding his business. He met with the operational manager of the mechanic workshop in front of where he sold his food, which belonged to the operator. They both ended up sealing a deal, he could construct a smal canteen made of wood in front of his garage, while he pays him for renting a portion of his land to him. His business got expanded, and he had to employ a few number of workers to work with him.
Lessons: i. There’s no success without an expansion.
ii. Don’t be satisfied with your little achievement(s)
iii. Keep getting better in anything you do.
He kept expanding his business, until the mechanic man ended up selling to him his whole land at a normal price, and relocating to a nearby available place, where he continued his mechanic business. Today, on that land, he has one of the biggest restaurants in town. He is now a big man, working on where to build his hotel alongside a bigger restaurant. He plans to also build event halls all around the nation, to generate more income for him.
Lessons: i. Remember you can possess the land.
ii. Your sweat and determination would pay off one day.
iii. Never stop working hard.
iv. Never get tired of climbing the ladder.
Maybe I forgot to mention, that he furthered his education, and now, he is reunited with his family, who left him to die.
Lessons: i. Education might be a scam, but notwithstanding, it is a major necessity.
ii. Forgive your enemies. Without them, you may never make it.
THE END…
NOTE: This is not a true story. It is just a fiction.
I hope you enjoyed the story and gained something from the lessons. Thanks for reading. See you again, when we see…