I like being available for people. But the truth is, I can't possibly be there for everyone. And It's sad that time is limited, and some people are deserving of our time than others.
Even if you're a generous person, which I want to believe that I am one, it is still not fair to spend chunks of your time, or any other resource at that on ingrates; especially when other people who value your presence and what you have to offer are dieing to have a taste of it.
I have dined with numerous ingrates in the past, but the one I entangled
myself with this year stood out.
I led a supposed friend into investing in a venture that fetched him a high return.
I spent hours for many days to put him through the nitty-gritty of the product he will be investing on, since he was a total novice.
I even gave him a scheme he will use to get back his capital, and make profits in the shortest possible time.
Like the words of the gods, so was my counsel. Everything I advised my friend on worked out, and the friend was already smiling to the bank, week in week out.
As my nature is, no sooner had he settled in the venture than I got myself drowned in another project. Evidently, I had no time to monitor his progress.
One Sunday evening, another fellow, which I introduced this my friend to, chatted me up over the phone, to inform me that my supposed friend, who I helped out, has re-invested his interest from the investment and was now investing over a million naira. That's exactly what I asked him to do. My projections had played out well and my friend executed my words to the letter.
it was good news. I was happy for him, and I was also happy that my projections played out.
The fellow who called me to update me of my friend's success asked me, if the guy (my friend) has given me some tips, considering the time and the effort I put into making him a success in the business; I confessed to having not heard from the guy since the investment started yielding him returns.
The fellow being aware of the sacrifices I put into coaching him was startled.
Being that the guy who called me is one of the key persons in the business, he asked for my permission to stop doing business with my friend, since it appears like he is a selfish type. My good heart wouldn't allow me to be a party to such plan, so I rather pleaded with him not to do such thing. I told him that I enjoy seeing people prospering, even when I'm getting nothing from it. The guy loved my spirit. He even called me a good man.
Days turn into weeks, weeks into month, still, I heard nothing from my friend, who I learned, was making an average of a hundred thousand naira week.
After some months, I learned from a reliable source that my friend was ill. So I called to know how he was faring. He then used the opportunity to narrate his financial setbacks to me.
He told me that the financial downturn was a major contributing factor to his ill health.
My friend had learned of another project that promised to give him tens of million within a short period of time, so he removed almost all the money he invested in the business I led him into, he then invested it in this too good to be true venture.
That was where and when his finances fell like a house of cards.
Mind you, he did all this without my knowledge. As soon as he started raking in an average of a hundred thousand naira weekly, in the business I led him into, he stopped communicating with me.
Even after his new investment crashed and he fell ill, he still didn't reach out. I'm sure that he assumed I would be mad at him.
After I called him, he must have noticed that I was concerned about his health and even offered sympathy for his lost, so he started being free with me again.
The truth is, I truly empathized with him because of his illness which came as a result of his ill luck. I know how painful it is, for someone like him, who is barely surviving to lose such an amount of money to a failed project.
My problem is that my friend is now pestering me to understudy the project he invested in, to see if I could help him to recover at least a part of his money.
What! You mean that, I helped you to make good amount of money, and you couldn't even thank me; you rather cut ties with me?
Is it because I called you out of goodwill, to empathize with you, that gave you the impetus to pester my life with another task, even without apologizing for your dickheadedness? Geez!
This guy is funny. I didn't share in your gain, but you want to transfer your pains to me.
What a life!
In as much I would have loved to help out, out of goodwill, I will be uncharitable to many other appreciative folks who needs my help.
Resources are scarce. Time is a resource. We need to spend it where it is appreciated more.
So we move.
