Welcome to our family, we are the Bakers, we are a big family, full of big dreamers and right now our
dream is getting everyone out of the house on time. I am Peter, my wife Pauline and I have these huge tasks of waking our children up everyday, how very exhausting just by the thought of it and it’s because we have nine children, with a couple of twins though It’s incredibly awesome but quite challenging.
We run our own family restaurant, baker’s breakfast so we call it. It is really a family business because I and my wife run the whole show together with the kids, the grown up ones at least, they help after school hours. But things started taking a different turn, we were behind our rent, the debts were increasing. Also, I wasn’t satisfied with our apartment, although it was a big one but still we needed something bigger and more luxurious, I thought, and maybe a change of environment to that where the upper echelon lived. All I wanted was a proud, rich and happy family, a Happy home.
It was a sunny Thursday afternoon, the sun pierced through the glass windows though it’s effect was
greatly reduced by the air conditioner which made the atmosphere more conducive. I was in the
kitchen, working on an order of seamed-crusted Turkish simit I just received, my hands were working it’s magic but my head was not entirely in the game. Thoughts of how to scale through our current
predicament engulfed me. Then suddenly, it hit me like a large hammer had landed on my head, I
couldn’t just hold back.
I screamed at the top of my voice, forgetting for a few seconds that I was at work and people were around. Just before I was able to grasp what had happened, my wife and kids ran into where I was, their faces curious and scared at the same time which actually seemed funny. All I had was just an idea, but I couldn’t quench their curiously because I was caught up in laughter. After satisfying my tickled fancy, I decided to explain to them what had happened. I was too excited that I couldn’t put it to words they could understand but they were just relieved that I wasn’t hurt and they left me behind. I decided to follow up with the idea. I had e-mailed an investment firm about my idea and luckily I was invited to make my pitch.
Now it was time for me to pitch my idea to the board of directors of the investment firm. It was a simple idea just one of creating a product that did not yet exist, a magical multi-purpose sauce that could be used in variety of meals. I was really tensed and shaky visibly. A day before the pitch I had read a book on how to make the perfect pitch, the name of the book, “pitch perfect” written by a renowned business man Walter Davies. I had crammed all the tips, but when I was given the stage I tried at least to follow through then I was stuck and tongue tied. I decided right there to be myself, keep it simple and pour out my heart. And boy!, it felt so good for me to express myself as much as I did.
After all was said and done, I wasn’t really able to convince the executives, left two who actually like the plan and they decided that they would help me fulfill my dreams. What a day that was!, It could have easily been the happiest of my life, A week later, I received my first cheque, one that seemed able to get the product in the market and at the same time afford me the luxury of a new house just where I wanted. At first my wife was against the idea of getting a new house so soon and an expensive one at that, but being supportive as she is, she later caved in.
Soon enough we had moved into our new mansion, it had everything. Not everyone was
onboard with the idea of moving so I had a lot of convincing to do. Weeks passed and the products had become so successful, even more than I had imagined. It was such a huge success that the investors insisted that I should go bigger, making my restaurant become a franchise.
I had always dreamt of expanding, going all over the country and having branches everywhere
so I grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
I became so busy that I couldn’t keep up with my family. I was always on trips, making sure everything was in place to begin the franchise, the site, the designs and even the menu. I was so caught up that I was unable to continue with my duties at home. The family was slowly breaking apart. My wife being so exhausted and having to cope without any help, told me halt a bit and reassess my decisions.
The children too were not happy either, having to change their schools and environment. Just then at that moment did I realize that the way home is closer than we think, if we just stop for a moment and take everything into consideration. Family is not necessary people who you are related to, it’s the people you are most comfortable with, the ones that give you that feel of “home”.
A home is never a house or a mansion no matter how big or small. Home is family and family is in our hearts. We
get that total peace of mind and happiness when we’ve found our way home!.
