TALES BY ME (Part One)

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A SHORT CUT IS OFTEN THE WRONG CUT

(Written while I was preparing for my WAEC exams)

In a certain village, there lived two brothers named Michael and Jude. Their father, on his sick bed, had given them some pieces of advice and his last words were, "My sons, always make sure you work hard to be successful in life in every way legitimate because the short cut to success is often the wrong cut to success, especially seeing that I have no properties for you to inherit except that piece of land at our backyard" 

And he died.

The boys wept sore because they had become orphans as their mother had died some years ago. They mourned their father for about three months and then set out to seek opportunities. Michael the elder took their father’s piece of advice as a challenge and made sure he worked he worked so hard. So, he got engaged in farm work as the only alternative and began to earn some money which he used to further his education in the higher institution where he studied medicine and earned lots of money as a doctor. He got married to the love of his life, Rita who bore him two beautiful children.

Meanwhile, after the death of their father, Jude travelled out of the village and headed for Onitsha, the big city in the east. Unlike his brother, he took to bad company who encouraged him to smoke and gamble. He soon ran out of money and because he was desperate to get money and be successful, his friends introduced him to armed robbery. He was into this business for two years until one day.

That fateful day, Jude and his company of friends had planned to rob a very rich and successful merchant residing at Lagos. Very early in the morning, they left for his house and completed the robbery. On their way out of the compound, they met with the police but instead of surrendering to the police arrest, they sped off with their vehicle and were soon out of sight of the policemen. As they moved on with such high speed, they headed into a huge tree which dismantled the car into bits leaving all the four passengers including the driver unconscious. Passersby rushed them to the hospital whose chief medical officer happened to be Michael, Jude’s elder brother. The victims were confirmed dead except for Jude who survived but would have to go through a surgical operation for the amputation of one of his legs.

After the successful operation and Jude regained consciousness, he opened his eyes only to realize that it was his brother who had treated him. Michael narrated his experience to Jude who wept bitterly, more especially as he realized that he had just one leg and scars for life. And so, biting his lips he said to himself in regret, “Indeed the short cut often is the wrong cut”

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The above tale is one of the many I wrote many years ago. 
It is sadly true about many today who in the quest for quick money indulge in all sorts of crooked ways to achieve their aim. 
In the end(usually short), they are the worse for it. Unfortunately, they drag innocent people in to their mess. 

Short cut to success isn't only when someone picks up a gun to rob others. It starts from the little strain of greed, envy, jealousy, covetousness. Some attribute it to lack and blame the devil or even God for their mess. 

Work hard legitimately and success will follow. The failures inbetween are only routes to a definite success. 

Let's hear your comments. Thank you. 


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