He was about to enter his private jet aircraft to the United Arab Emirates to enjoy its luxurious resorts when suddenly he noticed his legs could no longer move.
This is what he has always prayed for, then what's this force holding his legs from moving? He tried to use his hands to at least support his legs so that he could move against all odds but he couldn't even feel his legs.
The only thing he felt was another firm set of hands holding his legs so tightly to the wooden bed in such a way that it would only take a miracle for him to be able to break free from its strange grip.
He cried out for help but this strange set of hands would not just let him be. With every strength in him, he struggled with the strange set of hands, but it didn't make any difference; his legs were still pinned to the bed.
The next thing he felt was a resounding slap on his left cheek. He opened his eyes immediately. Who is this person disturbing him from entering his private jet, and why is this person doing this wickedness?
He looked at the ceiling and suddenly reality dawned on him. He was in "Kirikiri" prison. The strange set of hands holding his legs tightly to the wooden bed filled with bed bugs is his fellow inmate. Why won't this inmate allow him to enjoy his fantasy dream? He hissed.
Bayo has been through a lot in life and a lot has been through him. If you want to give him a nickname, just a quick glance at him, and the nickname that would come to your mind is 'a lot'. From the first time he took his first breath, it has been from one problem to another.
On the day he was born, his mother breathed her last. His father hasn't been able to forgive him for that because he felt Bayo was an evil child sent to the world to kill his dear wife. Little Bayo really went through a lot from his relatives, who wouldn't even care if he was well-fed or not.
His father doesn't have much money as such, but he can feed his family to their heart's content without stress, but he chose not to because he was so bitter about the death of his wife. Every opportunity he gets, he makes Bayo's life so unbearable.
Bayo had to live through all that, believing that someday his father would let go of his bitterness and give him the fatherly love he deserved. From a very tender age, he started taking up menial jobs just to feed himself and take care of his everyday needs.
He sponsored himself right from primary school to the university. It was a very tough journey for him but he endured through it all. So many times that he had to go to class on an empty stomach but that didn't make him stop being optimistic about life.
Luck finally smiled on him when he got a well-paying job at the World Bank. He was so grateful to God that his joy knew no bounds. So many opportunities presented themselves for him to engage in shady deals, but he didn't compromise his faith. His colleagues at work started calling him a fool but he wouldn't even budge an eye.
Calamity struck one fateful day when his boss called him into his office.
"Bayo! Meet me in my office with immediate effect," said his boss.
There was so much urgency in his voice that Bayo had to go see him immediately.
"Bayo, you really disappointed me. I never expected you to bring yourself this low" he said and shook his head.
Bayo was lost for words. What happened boss??
His boss brought out invoices that confirm that Bayo has been manipulating those invoices to steal funds. All evidence was pointing to Bayo and there was nothing he could say to make his boss or any other person believe that he didn't do it. That was what led to his being in kirikiri prison.
He has been here for months now, facing so much torment from his inmates who are hardened criminals. The only inmate that's friendly towards him is Mr Abasi. Mr Abasi got converted while in prison and ever since He has been a committed child of God. After hearing Bayo's story, they became very close. He would always advise Bayo not to sweat it out, that everything would be okay.
He would always pray with Bayo from time to time that God should vindicate him. Bayo was starting to lose hope as delayed expectation can make the heart weary. Mr Abasi would always encourage him with the word of God. Mr Abasi would always tell him, even if he finds himself in the well, it is still a well. They would praise God together with psalms and hymns.
Some weeks later, the real culprit behind the invoice manipulation was exposed. Bayo became a free man once again. He was compensated by the World Bank with a huge amount of money. He was promoted at work. He got married to the woman of his dreams and God blessed the union with beautiful children.
He was now living his dreams travelling from one country to another. Even if he tells someone that there was a time he could barely feed himself once a day, the person would argue with him. He looked at his life and was filled with so much gratitude to God. He thanked God for a man like Mr Abasi who was with him in the darkest moment of his life. He didn't know when he said out loud It is well, even in the well.
This is my response to the INK WELL fictional weekly prompt #233 in the Ink Well Community for the week and the topic to be discussed is "DONT SWEAT IT"
