Principle For The Week: What would you give?

Ifechi watched as the young man walking in front of her dipped his hand into his pocket to get his phone, in the process a note fell.

She did not bother to call him, she walked further and discovered it was a ₦200 note, she looked around and picked the money quickly. It wasn’t her first time taking people things, the guy would probably not notice that the money was missing.

Vincent got to the bus park, he had woken up and not anticipated having a bad day,but today had topped the chart of bad days he had experienced.

He had received a call that his mother was sick, while heading to work very early that morning, he had misplaced his wallet which contained his money, ATM cards, ID cards and other important documents.

His co-worker Jide had helped him with lunch and ₦200 to transport him back home. He stood and was waiting for a bus heading to Aguda. The other conductors were demanding ₦200 but he planned to pay ₦150, the ₦50 might come in handy later, even though he had little cash at home, he couldn’t afford any luxury now.

Luckily a bus came and the fare was exactly his wish. He sat in the bus amidst other passengers who got in as well.

“Your money there?”, the conductor collected his money from the passengers and hissed silently when he got to Vincent.

The look he saw on the guy’s face wasn’t something he needed, he was tired of these people who boarded buses and came up with a silly lie not to pay.

“Oga, your money?”
Vincent was dumbstruck, he had kept the money in his pocket after he received it from Jide. How would he explain to the angry-faced conductor?

“Oga, answer me now, if you no wan pay me,just come down now.”
“No vex, I be put the money for my pocket, I no see am again.”

The conductor hissed out loud, “Oga, come down jaweeee.”

—————

Amina walked into her room, she met Tinu watching a movie on her laptop.
“Hello, Tinu,” she greeted.
“Welcome,” the reply was a non-chalant one.

Amina was not in the mood to get in a fight, Tinu was always out for touble, the last thing she needed was to get in a fight. She needed to call her uncle, and inform him that his wife had been hospitalised.

She was broke and had no call credit on her phone.
“Tinu, please do you have airtime?”
Tinu gave her a look that could kill.
“What happen?”

“Uhm, please could you allow me make use of it, just one minute?”
“I can’t because I don’t have, even if i have i won’t give you.” Tinu finally replied.

—————-

Joyce mother was sad, ever since her daughter came home for her holidays, the girl had hardly spent time at home. Joyce did not help out with house work, she just went out early and got back late.

She did not want to be a kill joy, but she wished her daughter would just give a little of her time to spend with her family.

***************

*sighs*

Ifechi, Tinu, Joyce, what did they all do wrong? They did not give when they could have.

Many a times in life, we are presented with opportunities to put smiles on the faces of people, but we choose rather to pass on such opportunites, which is very wrong.

Poor Vincent, all the trouble he went through in a day could have been less if Ifechi had called him to pick his money, she could have given her love, care and attention to a stranger in distress.

Inasmuch as we cannot tell if Tinu had airtime on her phone but her statement: ‘If I have, I won’t give you’ is a harsh statement that must have hurt the recipient Aminat.

Joyce could have given her love to her mum and her family but ignorantly spends more time with her friends.

Helping others doesn’t have to be just in monetary matters, you could be putting a smile on that person besides you by just speaking sweet words to them, or just showing them that you care.

The little things we think do not count actually count the most, so these week, take the challenge of putting smiles on the faces of as many whom you come across.

I hope I have been able to get you to smile.