When I was in Junior High School, JHS 2 to be precise, my friends used to call me Father Christmas. I had a lot of friends actually. Well, now, I wouldn’t say they were my friends but as at that time, they were.
There was this particular time that my mom punished me for doing good. Before that punishment, she told me not to do good to anyone if I know it’ll put me in danger or at a disadvantage. To be honest, I didn’t make sense of that because she was also the very same person who taught me to be kind.
I would always come back from school hungry and then she would ask why? Of course I never lied. I always gave my money to “friends” who were hungry even if it meant I had to starve. There were times I would come home complaining of not being able to finish my class work because I was doing someone else’s work for them.
The complaints went on and on, and then one day, my mom told me she didn’t have any money to give me for school. She was trying to teach me a lesson but I only found out after I learned the lesson. The hard way. I didn’t even think about the fact that it meant I was going to be on an empty stomach the whole day.
If I’m being honest, I thought I had friends who had my back and would probably sort my lunch out during break time. I told them I didn’t bring any money and I wasn’t going to eat and they weren’t concerned for even a minute.
I remember well how they all left me in the classroom and walked to the cafeteria to enjoy lunch while I sat alone hungry. Miraculously, my class teacher, who never comes to class during break time, passed by and saw me. She gave me money to get food for her and myself as well.
That day, when I was telling my mom what happened at school, she only referred me to advice she was giving me all that while and I regretted turning a deaf ear to them.
From that very day, I learned the hard way. You might be thinking my experience taught me to stop supporting people but no, far from that. I rather learned to support people based on my strength and make sure not to do anything that will put me at a disadvantage.
One other thing I learned that has stuck me till today? Help definitely finds helpers. It might not come from those you expect or in the way you want. But it’ll definitely come. Up till today, I still can’t explain how my teacher passed by our classroom at that particular hour, minute and second.
Images are mine