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People around the area all gathered around as the smoke went up to sky. The building was burning down and the fire-fighters were trying their best to quench the fire.
Mr Alex arrived the scene after one of his neighbors had called him few minutes earlier, telling him that his shop was on fire.
"I'm sorry sir but you can't enter this building, I'm afraid if you do so you would only add to this tragedy." One of the fire-fighters said as he held Alex back from entering the burning building.
"Oh my God! Why me! All my goods, my structure I worked so hard to build, everything is gone just like that." Alex lamented in tears.
Things weren't any better the next morning, Calls flooded in from wholesalers he bought goods from on credit, demanding for their money since the goods were no more.
Alex sat at the edge of his bed, his head buried in both palms.
"Where do I start from now." He soliloquized. He then decided to call his insurance officer.
"Hello Mr James, I would like a payout from the company as you can see my shop just got burnt." He said to the Insurance officer.
"I quite understand your plight here Mr Alex but things don't work that way. The company can't pay for a fire out-break caused by a faulty wiring system you hesitated to get fixed."
"So no payout at all right?"
"I'm afraid so Mr Alex, my condolences." James said as Alex ended the call.
A month later after the trageic incident. People he was owing money for their goods came to take some his properties as payment and the bank he collected a loan from also took his car he used as collateral.
Alex felt like his world had ended. On a bright morning he came outside to see people going about their usual business. He began strolling to nowhere in particular, just lost in his thoughts when he came across a bench under a mango tree and decided to rest there.
"Alex?" Is this you? Michael called (Michael was a secondary school friend of Alex)
"Oh my friend, it's been a long time. What are you doing here?" Alex replied with an expression of shock written all over his face.
"I just came by to check on my new building project." He replied pointing to a 3-storey building across.
"Wow that's huge, you are really doing well for yourself my friend." Alex chuckled.
"Thank you, but you are looking so bad bro, what's happening?" Michael asked wearing a concerned look on his face.
"My dear friend a lot has happened in my life lately." Alex replied in a broken voice.
"That doesn't sound good, why don't you hop into my car let's go to a restaurant and discuss this properly." Michael suggested.
"Alright that would be nice." Alex said as he got into the car with his friend.
They arrived at a classic restaurant on the island as Alex narrated his ordeal to Michael.
"Sometimes unfortunate events like this happens unexpectedly in our lives but that isn't the end. You can pick up the broken pieces of your life and start from somewhere." Micheal's words of encouragement sunk into Alex's heart and once again he had hope of a new beginning.
"I have something you might be interested in though, Take my card and call me tomorrow morning." Michael said, handing him over his business card.
"Alright my friend, I really appreciate." Alex replied as he collected the card from Michael with a heart full of hope.
Alex called his friend the next morning and went to the agreed spot they were to meet up. Michael picked him up in a red Mercedes and drove directly into a huge building. They stepped out of the car and went into the building where workers greeted them as they passed referring to Michael as "boss"
Alex was in awe when he saw the interiors of the building.
"Welcome to my empire my friend." Michael laughed as he offered his friend a seat opposite him.
"Down to the business of the day now, this is my company where I run logistics and production of rubber materials. I want to expand my business, creating a branch in another state and I need someone who is capable to handle that for me."
"You want to employ me?" Alex asked with a joyful voice.
"No my friend, It's more than that. I want to make you in charge of the branch over there. We would split the profit 50/50, you can call it a partnership."
"This is like a dream to me.... you would really do that for me? Thank you so much my friend words can't explain how grateful I am right now." Alex said with tears of joy in his eyes.
"It's nothing my friend, Consider this a new beginning."
