She was born with a silver spoon but couldn't seem to find it as she grew. She only grew up hearing tales of how she used to be chubby, well fed with milk and eggs, how she was birthed in one of the most expensive hospitals in Lagos, and how she attended one of the best primary schools.
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She tries to imagine those days in her head now that she is all grown but can't seem to have a grasp of it.
The first real glimpse she ever had of what being rich looked like was at Port Harcourt City. Her brother-in-law had gotten a job to supply a housewarming party with 1000 plates of small chops so he took her along to the dismay of her 2-year-old niece who wailed throughout their descent down the stairs.
When her brother-in-law had asked them to put on matching wear, she thought it was so that people could easily identify them if they needed a plate of small chops but when she asked him, he said it was to portray his brand as being sophisticated enough to handle the job. She didn't understand what he was talking about till they arrived at the house.
When they got to the gate, her brother-in-law spoke into the intercom and a well-built young man came to usher them in. He was well-kitted in a security uniform, black gloves, and a pair of boots.
They were searched and then eventually permitted to go in.
The grandeur was something else. There was a grand entrance with a rug of artificial carpet grass flanked by stanchions spread out to the main entrance of the house. She didn't realize her mouth was hung open as her gaze traveled to the peak of the building and back.
It had been painted with a light shade of grey with white at the windows and certain other areas making it quite the sight.
"Smallie!...."
She hurried after her brother-in-law who had been laughing silently at her. As they rounded the building to use the kitchen door, she caught a glimpse of a gym facility on one side and a swimming pool on the other.
Her brother-in-law told her there was a beautifully landscaped garden somewhere towards their left and that they would be serving the small chops there during the reception.
She already had an image of what the insides would look like but the images in her head were absolutely nothing compared to what she came face-to-face with.
When the kitchen doors were open, the first thing she saw was the television set. She had to look around again to be sure she was in a Nigerian kitchen. There was soft music coming from speakers strategically placed on top of the cupboards on the wall and she noticed the temperature had changed. There was air conditioning in the kitchen!
She was brought back to reality when one of the white-clad cooks touched her arm and asked,
"Fine girl, are you okay?"
She dipped her head in embarrassment telling her she was fine and scrambled away to take her place at her brother-in-law's side.
"Uncle, did you say this man rented this house?" Her voice was reduced to a whisper so the other cooks wouldn't eavesdrop. He chuckled.
"Rented indeed. He just built it"
She couldn't suppress the "Ah!" that flew loudly from her mouth alerting everyone. She covered her mouth with her hands instantly while her brother-in-law assured them everything was fine with the girl.
They got to work immediately, pounding the already seasoned beef which they had steamed at home for the filling and making the first 100 wraps which were filled and ready to fry in a couple of minutes.
By 10 am, her legs were aching from standing for 3 hours so her brother-in-law asked that they take a break to have breakfast as the head cook suggested.
By noon, they were asked to clean themselves up and start arranging their packaged chops on trays to be served.
When they finally got to the garden, she almost missed her step. It was like a scene from a foreign movie; the ground was designed with pebble stones, while stone seats were strategically scattered about. The highlight of it was the water fountain cleverly built at the center of the garden.
When they boarded a bus back to the part of town they lived in, she felt like she had left heaven and returned to earth. If she didn't have first-hand experience and someone else had come to tell the story to her, she would probably have thought he or she was exaggerating.
The only display of wealth she has known is in the knowledge she acquired over the years and as she returned home that night, she made a silent prayer that she would get to experience this aspect of her knowledge, not just dream of it as she knew she would.
But it should stop there should it? Of course not! The fact that we see something and we want it doesn't mean we should pray our way into it. Faith without work is dead, so, if there's a glimpse of wealth that you've experienced or dream about, it's better if you back your prayers to the gods you believe in with action.
Learn as much as you can about money. Be committed to taking a risk based on your tolerance level. Be positively influenced and destroy the negative mindset you've built over the years around money. Learn how the stock market works, understand how much freedom and good things that wealth will bring you, and try as much as you can to cultivate it. There's so far dreams can take you, acting on them will pay you better in the long run than merely daydreaming.
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