WE ALL SHARE A COMMON PROPERTY CALLED PAIN

An deeper view into our shared humanity.

"You are not in any position to make demands here Kolawole, do as I say..." There was dead silence at the other end, a sign that the call has been suspended, Mr. Kolawole dropped his marathon of a call that seems like it will never end, and stared hard on the brown envelopes on his table.

He had been on a call with Mr Anderson a business partner, who was threatening to blackmail him because he refused to share 65 percent of the his companies stock with him. Kolawole had only pleaded For 30 percent, but his partner refused and insisted on 65 percent else his Videos of defiling a minor will be made public. Now he had only 48 hours.

Oh my gosh! What is this! He shouted admist ripples of sweat surging through out his body, hitting his fist hard on his metallic table which lay helpless before him. "What have I gotten myself into?!" He stood up pacing up and down the office floor, with a mirage of thoughts racing through his mind. Only to be startled by the voice of his gate attendant Fayose. "Excuse me sir, is everything alright?" He looked at him angrily like a lion about to jump on it's prey.

"How did you get in here?" "Erm errm errm... Sorry sir I have been knocking on the door, but you didn't respond, I only heard a scream from outside so I came to find out...., he stutters again eeerm if you are okay.." shaking his head sideways as if to dodge the darting glare from his boss "Yes, Fayose, I am. Go back to your post".

Kolawole sat down on the cushion in his office, his face buried in his hands, ruminating on the last sentence by Mr Anderson, he thought of his business, thought about his reputation as a well recognized philanthropy in the country, most importantly he thought about his family, how will they receive such news, and Funke his dear wife. How this will hurt her and possibly lead to the end of their 20 year old marriage.

"Ahh is this what happens to a good man" he said in a whisper. At the close of work by 4 Pm he decided to visit the Recreational park at Ikeja, to clear his mind. He had last visited here at the 18th wedding anniversary of him and Funke. He was not available for the 19th and twentieth because of a business trip he took to China.

While sitting quietly staring into thin air, with series of thoughts racing through his mind. In his nicely made Lois Vutton designers, Versace foot wear and a Rolex watch, one can tell he is a well to do Man. Is it his fleets of cars parked at his Ikorodu estate?, or his house in Florida and companies in Lagos and Abuja. At this moment none can Suffice for the Pain he is currently carrying in his heart. Pain, an unseen property yet so heavy that even the strongest of us becomes feeble when we stand face to face with it.

Still in very deep contemplations, Kolawole was brought back to consciousness by a Call from a little boy who had wandered into the park to beg for alms "daily bread" from strangers. He had been thinking on committing suicide, but on seeing the young lad in his miserable condition, he had an after thought about life. He responded to the young lads call , "please sir, i am hungry can you give me anything to eat?"
" Uhhm , yeah.., boy..? What is your name..? Why are you out here when you ought to be at home with your parents..?" The young lad lowered his head in shame and whispered faint words only to the hearing of the cool breeze. Kolawole beheld him on a second look, giving him a more concerned look, he called out to the boy" come boy, sit down" he gestures to the concrete pavement where he sat.

After sitting, he went into his car brought out some cookies and gave to the boy to eat. He had bought the cookies for his second daughter Danielle, but had to sacrifice it to the lad. He got to know the lads name as Seyi he was just 14 years old, who had lost both parents at age 10, to a ghastly motor accident on their way back from a funeral. As a result living Seyi with the option of living with his uncle who payed little attention to his well-being.

How he has to wander daily at the park seeking help from strangers, and how he had almost lost his life to street urchins in a fight one day at the busy Ojota market. Mr Kolawole heaves a deep breath turning to look at Seyi, he said "Boy' we share the same property". And looked back into the sky. The boy looked at him in shock and disbelief, and wondered what he meant by that, looking at himself he owns no property, except for his pale shorts and shirts, on an oversized foot wear.

Mr Kolawole continued. "Boy you see, what if I tell you that sometimes I feel very depressed too? What if I tell you that I still feel like a failure despite all my achievements? What if I tell you that I feel empty, stagnant and sad?. What if I tell you that I stay awake most nights, thinking of the enormous burdens on my shoulders waiting to crush me if not attended to?".
By this time, the park was in dead silence. You could hear only the whispers of the cool breeze.
" What if I tell you, that most times I get broken and confused as you are, when I am unable to do that one thing that brings me peace? What if I tell you that I probably feel twice the amount of fear that you have,yet I still have to walk down the unfriendly corridors of life courageously.?"

"What if if I tell you that I am silently fighting this fears, because I have no other option, and not because I am stronger or richer than you?. What if I tell you that my heart has been shredded many times, and I have been betrayed by those whom I trusted the most?. Boy, do you see how we are holding on to the same property. That property is called "PAIN". "Pain knows and can relate with pain, pain understands the value of pain, pain pays attention when pain speaks, looking down on those going through Pain is a fatal denial of your own pain. It will always exist among us, sometimes to humble and reminds us of the Emptiness of life."
Kolawole clears his throat, " It is a common humiliator of our shared humanity. You own it, I own it, every one owns it. How ever you want to see it, approach it with a sense of Gratitude and purpose".
Seyi, was already lost in thoughts with tears dripping unnoticed from his own eyes, only to be tapped by Mr Kolawole on his feeble shoulders, he jerks back to consciousness." I apologize for triggering your emotions Seyi, he called his name for the first time, so don't wish to be me or people like me, always wish to be the You in you. You might not be able to stand the threat that comes with being me. Immediately, Mr Kolawole's phone rang he stared at the phone it was Funke his wife calling. He checked the time on his rolex wrist watch, it was 6:55 Pm.

Author's Note

Please kindly send in your review, what do think of this story? Have you gone through painful situations before?