Greetings!
Feeling free in life is not real as freedom in most cases has resulted into slavery. I have over time seen people clamouring for freedom, but what I used to see in the clamour is slavery or bondage through which the freedom they have gained has placed them.
When I was growing up, I was always looking for a way to be free from my parents, but lol and behold, it wasn't possible for me to break easily from their grips. Although they were taking good care of me as they were, my parents made everything pretty available for me.
However, even with their ways of making life easy for me and my younger ones, we still had the thought of them putting us in bondage. There's a time my mum called me and said,
"Sam, I want you to stop going to the field to play football as you are just wasting your time instead of you reading your books."
When I heard her saying this, I was deeply hurt within me and I felt like this woman has come again. I asked myself saying,
"Is playing football now a sin? This woman has a problem with herself."
Although, I listened to her for a few weeks and this is because if you refused to listen to her, she would punish you and aside from that, she would not let you rest until you dance to her tune.
There's was also a day I offended her and she started talking telling me that,
"You this boy, I asked you to stop going to school and you refused my warning, well I know what to do to you. I will report you to your class teacher."
Even at her threat, I still didn't see any reason to listen to her and instead of me to apologize to her for my wrong doings, I started to brought us all what she has bought for me and said to her,
"If this is what it meant to be a slave without any form of freedom in this house, I'm giving everything back to you ma."
When my mum saw me doing this, she was annoyed and she felt irritated, but she's the type that would not beat you. However, instead of her getting violent at me, she decided to remind me of what I had on me. She said,
"Sam, please don't forget to bring the slippers and underwear you are currently putting on to me. Since you have brought all I have got for you, do not hesitate to bring to me all that have reminded you of me because it's I that got it for you."
Indeed, when I looked at myself, I realized that I have nothing of my own and without wasting time, I pleaded with her to forgive me of my ignorances and thank God for her large heart which made her accept me back as her prodigal son.
Immediately she had accepted my apologies, she started telling all I needed to know about life. She said,
"Sam, I was once like you and I know what you are up to as I have been in such a situation as you were, but let me tell you, that thing you think you are working towards is nothing but slavery. It's not freedom as you have thought it to be, what I will just advise you on is patience as you too will reach there when your time comes."
I was short of words when she had told me this as I was wondering as to what she meant by her words. But even at that, I still didn't believe her as I thought she was only playing on my intelligence.
A few years later, when I was of age, I began to see the truth in all what she had once told me and this when responsibility crept into my life. It all started when I began to live on my own. The situation was so hard that I couldn't afford the three square meal as I used to do back in the days when I was with my parents.
My mum once called and asked,
"How is your life?" "I'm coping with it ma," I replied. "It's well with you my son, but you can send me your account number," she said.
Immediately we were done with our conversation, I took my phone and sent my account number to her and thanked God for her love as she sent me something reasonable.
After I had received the money, I thanked her and it was at that time that I remembered our time together and all that she had told me. I said to myself,
"All what this woman had to me is now coming to pass, indeed, freedom is not freedom as we have thought but a scam."
Thanks for reading.
Picture sourced from Meta AI.