Six months had passed since our last communication. The last time I reached out, it was to check on his work, health, and family. His reply was curt: “May God be with you, sir.” Before that, I was always the one initiating conversations.
Two days before Christmas, a new message arrived: “Hello sir. Send my Christmas gift sir.” I didn’t respond. I needed to understand the motive behind the message, which seemed indifferent to my well-being and focused solely on a request. Perhaps it was a joke.
On Christmas Eve, another message followed: “Happy Christmas Eve, sir. Please send my Christmas gift, sir.” This time, I replied: “Greetings. I think this phone has been hacked.”
He quickly responded, “No sir, it’s me, AH. I will call now.” He called, but I didn’t answer. Then came a voice note: “Sir, it is me, AH o. I just wanted to check if you will be sending me a Christmas gift. God bless you, sir.”
Realizing it was indeed him, I decided to turn this into a teachable moment. I placed a call to him and asked, “Are you facing financial difficulties?”
“Yes, sir,” he admitted.
“What happened to the money your brother, my friend, sent you last year to buy three vehicles for a taxi business?”
“I used half of it to buy land for my future house. With the other half, I bought a car for the taxi business and loaned the rest to a friend who hasn’t paid me back,” he confessed.
“What happened to the car?”
“The engine knocked, and my brother refused to give me more money to fix it. So, I sold it as scrap,” he said.
I probed further. “Why not start the business properly, make it successful, and then buy land to build your house gradually?”
“My brother said the same thing, but I thought he would help me build the house. My wife also encouraged me to buy the land,” he replied.
“What about the land?”
“I sold it, sir. I was broke,” he said.
“And your wife?”
“She left me with our child,” he admitted.
“Why would you give the money meant for your business to someone else who hasn’t paid you back?”
“I didn’t know better then, sir. I trusted him,” he said regretfully.
“Does your brother know all this?”
“Yes, sir. He said he was tired of me,” he said sadly.
“Your brother also told me that in his 20 years out of Nigeria, he had given you so much, but you’ve never sent him even a pen as a gift. You only reach out when you need something. Is that true?”
“Yes, sir. I thought he was okay and wouldn’t need anything from me,” he said.
I took the opportunity to educate him on critical life lessons:
– The importance of *nurturing relationships* and showing appreciation.
– The need to *invest wisely* and follow through with plans.
– The value of building oneself and one’s resources before extending help to others.
– The consequences of ignoring sound advice and acting without foresight.
Life is a series of choices, and those choices have consequences. Relationships thrive on reciprocity, not entitlement. Trust is valuable but should not be blind—particularly when it involves money meant to build your future. Gratitude and a sense of responsibility are the building blocks of meaningful connections and lasting success.
As I reflect on AH’s story, I hope it serves as a reminder: wealth, relationships, and trust are blessings. Treat them with the care and wisdom they deserve.
*WISHING MY READERS AND FOLLOWERS A MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY 2025 AHEAD*
NB: Johnson Babalola, a Canada based lawyer, leadership consultant and corporate emcee, is a public affairs analyst. Follow him for discussions on real life issues that affect us all:* https://substack.com/@johnsonbabalola https://medium.com/@jblawyer2021 https jbdlaw Website: www.johnsonbabalola://www.facebook.com/jbandthings
IG: @jbdlaw/@jbandthings
*You can obtain a copy of his book, REJECTED on Amazon, FriesenPress, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Google Play, Apple Books, Nook Store etc.*
