My friend’s phone buzzed at 11:47pm.
Landlord: "Good evening. Just reminding you rent is due tomorrow. Thanks."
"Can't afford the rent."
3 words that turned his face blank.
He stared at his account balance: 47 cedis.
Rent: 800 cedis.
Math: Not mathing 😭
He’s had “can’t afford jollof” days.
“Can’t afford data” days.
But “can’t afford the roof over your head” day?
That one breaks even the strongest person.
Suddenly he became creative.
Option 1: Tell landlord “I’m an influencer” and pay him in exposure.
Option 2: Move in with me. Sleep on my couch. Call it “extended sleepover”.
Option 3: Become best friends with stress and start budgeting air.
Here’s what I learned watching him at 12:03am, calculating how many times he’d have to sell his kidney:
Pride doesn’t pay rent.
But friends do.
He texted me: “Bro, life happened.”
I sent 300 cedis + “Don’t worry, we’ll figure it out.”
By 1am he wasn’t rich. But he wasn’t packing his bags either.
So today, if your friend also "can’t afford the rent"...
He’s not a failure. He’s just in chapter 12 of the book called “Adulting”.
And chapter 13? That’s where friends show up.
Image is AI generated
