It was some minutes past 5 pm in the evening, when the sun was beginning to set slowly. The traffic has gradually started and everyone was already in a rush to go home. Some of them was busy walking and gisting while some are waiting for bus to enter. The hawkers on the road were shouting prices of their goods.
I just came down from keke after passing through lots of stress in school. No money was in my pocket and my phone has already switched off. At that point I was just weak and frustrated. I didn't do well in the test we wrote in school even though when I studied so hard for this test.
I gently walked down the road, feeling frustrated and tired, not too long I turned left and saw an old man sitting on the bench in one of the abandoned shop. I didn’t pay much attention at first. But as I walked past, he said to me in pidgin English.
“You dey waka like person wey life don beat,” he spoke with a calm voice.
Then I stopped. I never expected that anyone will notice me, not even a stranger. I turned around slowly. The old man looks like he have crossed his seventy, his beards looks full and grey, and his shirt had a tear on one sleeve. His slippers were almost worn out.
“Come sit here small. You look like say you need to rest,” he said, pointing beside him.
With how he spoke to me calmly I said to myself, maybe am tired and needed some rest.
“You dey alright?” he asked.
I told him. “No. Today no just make sense at all.”
He nodded his head like he understood me. Then he brought out two sachets of water from a nylon bag and gave one to me.
“My name na Mallam Gidado,” he said. “I used to sell wristwatches for Wuse market. I had my own small shop until one night fire burn everything.”
I looked at him. “So what did you do after?”
“At first, I cry. I blame God. I asked, ‘Why me?’ But after crying no bring back the shop, I had to start small again. I sold from table. No shame.”
He sipped his water and continued. “You see, sometimes life go bring you down so that you go learn how to get up well.”
I told him a little about myself. How I was struggling to find work online, how my younger sister was sick again, and how my parents were losing hope in me. I told him I felt like I was wasting time chasing nothing.
He listened carefully. He didn’t interrupt me or make me feel foolish.
Then he said, “Young people today want quick results. But you need to calm down. If you rush life, life go humble you. Always be patient and strong to face what is ahead. You only fail when you stopped trying.”
I nodded my head, and was thinking about what he just said.
He bought banana from a passing boy and gave me one.
“Life hard,” he said, “but you must not carry every problem on your head. Learn to breathe. Learn to rest. Even if you no get all the answers now, you go get them one day.”
We sat there for almost 20 minutes, just talking about life. He made me laugh a few times. There was something peaceful about him. He had nothing, yet he was calm. His mind was free.
My phone finally came on with 1% battery. I stood up and dusted my trousers.
“I really appreciate this,” I said.
He smiled. “Sometimes, what we need is not money. Just small reminder say we go dey okay.”
As I walked away, he shouted behind me, “No forget o person wey still dey alive, still get hope!”
Then I laughed and tell him to have a nice day
This little time I spent with the old man didn't give me money, but I learnt a lot from him. During hard times learn to be strong and never quit. The moment you quit then you fail.
That old may not know the words of wisdom he have impacted into me, but this word made my day:
“Don’t carry today’s pain into tomorrow. Let tomorrow come with new eyes.”
image above generated with AI
