The Torn 100 Naira Note -By Adeyinka Ademola Abdulrasheed

I woke up as usual around 5 am with the cold harmattan weather drying up my skin. I thought they said harmattan in Lagos isn’t as cold as it is meant to be, if this is not what it is meant to be then I rather not leave Lagos during harmattan.

Shortly after I woke up, my dad walked into the room to tell us it was time for early morning prayer then I got up from my foam in which I lay on at night. As I was rising, then I saw a folded hundred naira note under the DVD player on the shelf. My attention drew towards it and I begin to look at it with a lot of curiosity and interest.

Well, my interest was borne out of the fact that my pocket is dry. I was broke and I couldn’t even recharge my phone with a hundred naira worth of airtime. So the sight of that 100 naira note drew my attention and caused a mixed feeling in me of which I was thinking that:

-Should I be happy that I now got a solution to my phone’s hunger of airtime?;

-Or should I feel bad that I am about to take money which isn’t mine?

This generated actions in which I decided to take the 100 naira but first I would give the owner a chance to take it, so I decided to wait till everyone’s out and if the money is still there, then I would just assume the owner doesn’t need it and I can take it.

Throughout the prayers, I started fantasizing on how I would buy the airtime to recharge my phone and then subscribe for data to be online and chat a little with my friends.

After the prayers, I watched my junior sister prepare for school and I was praying earnestly that she does not take the money as it could be hers. Then she picked up her bag and left without even looking at the DVD, then I was happy the first hurdle has been crossed.

By and by, everybody left remaining my dad who was taking his breakfast. Then I started with all the news on TV. I started discussing with him on recent happenings. All these discussions were in a bid to make him forget the money under the DVD, as obviously he is the only potential claim to the 100 naira note. So, he finished taking his breakfast and then pulled up from the chair and put on his shirt on his already worn trousers and shoes, then he took his bag and I was just doing everything to make sure he doesn’t think about the DVD at all not to talk of the 100 naira note under it.

My dad was gone, he left for work without checking the money at all. Yeah!!! I am the lucky dude. Then I rushed to get my tooth brush, I had to go wash my teeth because I can’t afford to go purchase the airtime with smelly mouth from Aunty Funmi (the tailor that sells recharge card). After washing my mouth, I searched for a trouser and a shirt to put on. Then I rushed to the DVD player on the shelf and then I got the wrapped up 100 naira note, and I set out to go and get the airtime.

On my way to Aunty Funmi’s shop, I rolled open the wrapped up 100 naira note and behold it was torn on the top left edge. I couldn’t help it, felt like crying. I was broken down and disappointed and also embarrassed at my self.

I have fixed all my hope on that money, I am just focus on the airtime I was going to get with less concern about the money I was going to use for the purchase. I was busy chasing a dream that was bound to fail from the start, and I didn’t know just because I was blind to it.

This also happen to us in real life scenarios. Sometimes we are just always about the outcome and we neglect steps that must be taken to achieve that outcome. We are always bothered about results and we neglect the examinations. So many people start businesses in which they got captured by its profit, but they forgot to do a proper evaluation of the whole business and carry out efficient needs assessment before they jump in. And in a little while, they jump out of it beaten and battered by the whip of failure.

Whatever is worth doing is worth doing well, check out the pros and cons of an issue before you fly to conclusions, because assuming I had checked the hundred naira note as I woke up, I would have saved myself the stress and also I would have focused on other means to get airtime. Now that is time wasted and hope dashed!!