Sir Isaac Newton was a man of science and his relentless pursuit for knowledge contributed heavily to the very development we still enjoy even in the 21st century. He propounded many laws and theories but the one that strikes me the most is his third law of motion which states that " For every action, there is an equal and opposition reaction". This law is not only applicable in the world of science alone but is also a noticeable feature in our everyday lives.
Every action we take in life sets a chain reaction bound to reward us based on the type of energy we dish out. It is a custom passed down across different generations about an invisible force of the universe that watches all of our actions to either reward us for all our good deeds or sanctioned for wrongdoings. This powerful entity is what we all call karma.
The roots of karma can be traced down to the East particularly Asia possessing the concept of reward for both good and bad behavior, Africa is no different. In most Nigerian cultures, it is strongly believed that the world operates in a circle like motion rotating consistently until you get your fair share of its reward. I have always doubted the concept of karma because I barely notice it from people I expect it to overwhelm. Good behavior is almost never rewarded in my environment, the masses are exploited and will keep being used without the due punishment to the perpetrators and it seems like bad decisions dominate society even getting the sanctions that were initially ascribed for making the right call. But as I continue to introspect a story immediately popped into my head that aligns completely with the doctrines of Karma.
As a boy I had a very close friend that was very very dear to me. He was respectful, soft spoken and incredibly intelligent but he possessed a very disgusting character STEALING Let's just say his name is John Doe, he stole things with zero to no worth at all ranging from money all the way down to a torn paper calendar. This made him popular in the entire local government area ( I am not over exaggerating )as he has been caught on several occasions in different locations coming very close to being burnt alive countless times with his mother either begging the angry mob to pardon him or a kind hearted fellow pleading to the crowd to spare his life as he was still a minor then but it is never enough to deter him from commiting an offense worse than the previous acts. I still remember the day we were having a retreat in church like it was only yesterday. Immediately John walked in the premises of the church, literally everybody was holding onto their belongings tightly causing quite a commotion in church, some folks were even running to the changing room to go get their valuables and when the paster asked what the fuss was all about the whole congregation responded that John was in church and that information alone was enough for the priest to comprehend the entire happenings. At the end of that very retreat which lasted for three days, John still stole from a new member in the church who only came on the basis of invitation from a friend, he took his phone, Wallet and bible before disappearing into God knows where only to found a week later in the process of being lynched miles away from home or the church .
Years later I soon discovered that John's father was a notorious fraudster who had died prematurely from unnatural causes leaving behind two male kids. The first son was a crook and the younger was a well known kleptomanic. It was at that moment i processed how far karma can go , it did not only lay its hands on the man but also spread its wings on the entire family. The first soon ran away from the family without any justifiable reason and when a friend of ours saw him at Owerri, he disappeared the very next day with his location still unknown even by his own mother which I know as i would always hear her crying to God to bring him back to her. John is still at large after cleaning out an entire shop since 2023 and till this very day nobody knows or has heard from him ever since ( i just hope he is still alive).
Doing the right thing pays and adhering to the rules of humanity goes a long way as it not only gives a good name but protects the family's reputation and integrity. People will always want to venture into the negative realm but I urge you not to so one does not make mistakes that might even transcend a lifetime. I don't know about you but I will also choose honesty over deceit regardless of its payment. People may forget but the universe doesn't