Sometimes it is diamonds.
Growing up in the hood with Daniel amongst other friends was memorable. “Dan,” as he was called, is another dude whose real-life situations struck while growing up.
We weren't friends during our younger age but we knew each other, meeting in various and different places, and having a conscious scenario of each other before I moved out of the hood.
One afternoon like that, going towards a mini-mart to get some essential items and looking farther, I saw this person looking directly at me and as he moved closer, he kept his eyes glued to me and never winked.
This reaction made me look closer and I could track a recognition feature.
“I know this face”, he said as he called the name I was called back in the hood “Teejay”.
I quickly recall his face, the bulgy eyes, pointed nose, and wide lips on his round face. “Dan”, I answered and he stretched his hand as we shook hands.
“Wow!!, I never believed I could see someone from the hood here”, he said as I was just as astonished as I was looking at how growth took its turn on him as it is fifteen years past.
“Do you live around here?” he asked.
I answered, “Yes, I do,” as we exchanged compliments and numbers.
Getting home, I messaged the number to confirm its accuracy on what app and that is how we became friends.
Three months later, he called again to say he would be in my residential area and confirm my availability, which was intact, and we hung out in a bar to just gist.
“Teejay”, what are you doing and who are you at this present time?
I know you to be an easy-going boy like the “Ajebutters,” which means the affluent. He concluded.
You know I am not any Ajebutter but your ways must have thought of me to be one, I answered.
“I can be so many things, like Jack of all trades, doing different stuff to get it all going”, I continued laughing it off knowing that Dan’s way during those days couldn't be ignored as he was one of the toughest wild child then who constituted a lot because he was an orphan so he involved in so many things like gambling, selling drugs and other illicit stuffs for a living, a street urchin if I may say but look at him now, I never believed he can be so responsible and change for better.
What about you, Dan?
“What is up with you?” I inquired.
“I am into politics fully but also partake in contract jobs too. What do you expect from a smart street crook if not where money oozes? Checking the situation of everything, the richest set of people in Africa are the politicians, and as an indigene, it was easier for me to find my way,” he replied honestly.
“You can't change”, I replied.
“Change if I hear, snakes don't change, they only shed skins”, he replied after remembering to me his favorite quote, which goes thus, “all that glitters is not gold, some are diamonds”.
Well, I like the fact that you are honest with me, but I just wanted you to be careful because politics is a deadly game, they say, as I stated to him frankly, knowing that he is in politics because it glitters.
“You are looking at the next councilor, confirmed and affirmed,” he answered jokingly, and we changed the topic of discussion, interacted, and went our separate ways.
Six months later, information got to me from the news that he is topping the chart in support for the forthcoming election, and the probability of him winning his one.
I was so happy for him for the opportunity he had to rule the axis he grew from, but something crossed my mind, which was his motive, “embezzlement”.
I messaged to congratulate him in advance and advise him to apply a growth mindset to his motivation.
“This is where you grow, and you know what is called suffering, and this should be an opportunity to stand for less privilege and not otherwise.” I threw more light, and he was like he bought the idea and will definitely look into it.
A month before the election, I received a call that Dan was shot while driving home and he was lucky to have survived it.
The news struck me to the bone and I gave him a call.
He was so scared that he lamented that he should have stuck to his contract jobs, and the sudden wealth and riches pushed him to politics without knowing that all that glitters is not gold; sometimes it may be death.
He won the councilor post and on his inauguration day, he made a speech that I so much love.
He said he never knew what his purpose was and what pushed him to politics, and during the journey, he knew his purpose was to serve the people like him. He ended it with his favorite quote, “all that glitters isn't gold, but sometimes diamond”.
Thanks for reading through.