Big Brother? I'm Done! - by Friday Okwori

Oga AB was arguably the wealthiest man in the city. His wealth was clean; everyone knew where it came from. He wasn't a self-proclaimed billionaire on social media who earned his first billion dollars at the age of twenty. He was a livestock dealer. He also traded coins - gold and silver, not bitcoin! You would be mistaken to think that wealth was his greatest attribute. No, anybody can be rich – even a fool. Oga AB was a kind man by all standards. He was kind to a fault. It’s the kindness for me. His steadfast faith and obedience to God were the source of his kindness. He boldly declared and practiced his faith, which is a profound quality about him. You would assume that Oga AB has no issues if you had ever met him. Which kind problem billionaire go get wey money no fit solve? The irony is that he had an issue that all his wealth was unable to resolve. He was married to his wife for many years, but they never had a child. You really don't want to know what that situation caused him to go through. Even the people he had assisted multiple times had called him all sorts of unprintable names. Despite the fact that they were childless, their home was constantly occupied. Numerous servants and family members were residing with them. One of Oga AB’s nephew was living with them. They took him from the village when he was small. After completing his formal education, he began learning the livestock trade. To be honest, he was a good boy. He was humble and had a strong desire to pick up new skills. He had developed into a lovely, promising young man from the crude little village child. He knew almost all he needed to know about the trade. Over the years, he had proven to be an excellent steward. He was ready to launch his own venture. For his uncle, it was a proud occasion. He helped his nephew in any way he could for his new endeavor. For a few weeks, everyone in town was talking about it. Oga AB did not consider his nephew’s new business to be a competitor. He actually made it known to everyone who would listen that he wanted his nephew to surpass him in terms of wealth and industry relevance. It wasn't empty words. In addition to mentoring the young man, he introduced him to some of his biggest clients. Additionally, he gave him one of his large branches so he could launch his own business. Given the proximity to each other, it made no business sense. Trouble seemed to be on the horizon. After some time, the nephew's business expanded. He became well-known and prosperous in the field. Although he was comfortable, he was not as wealthy as his uncle. As expected, the location was no longer able to accommodate both of them. Both companies had experienced substantial growth. Something had to be done since their employees were fighting with each other every day. Family bonds would be broken if care wasn't taken. The two CEOs had a private meeting. A decision needed to be made. It appeared as though this would determine either company's destiny. It was a high-brow business location. A company's location determines how good it is. At this point, you need a CEO who is skilled at negotiating. It was a fairly short meeting, in contrast to everyone's expectations. Since the media was not allowed in the meeting, no one truly knew the fine details. According to rumors, Oga AB put all the cards on the table and asked his nephew to select what he wanted. You know how a big brother asks his younger sibling to make the initial decision? Maybe he was testing him to see if he had good home training? His nephew picked the best location. How could he have so quickly forgotten everything they had done for him? They provided him the best, treating him like their own child. As promised, Oga AB relocated his family and company from that area. It must have been tough. I can only imagine how he would tell his wife what he had decided that evening. If they had given birth to a child immediately when they got married, he or she would probably be older than this ungrateful village boy. Such is life! Oga AB received a first-hand intelligence report a few years after they left the previous location, stating that his nephew's city would be destroyed in the days ahead. How else can God fight for a man again? Please pardon me, but I can see the Nigerian in me running to the church to share a powerful testimony. I'll dance out like I've never done before. Finally, my enemy has been defeated. Nobody else will have the time for testimony that day. But that wasn’t the case of Oga AB. He acted like a big brother indeed. He pleaded for his nephew. He gave him another chance to live. His nephew had no idea what was about to happen in his city. Many times, we have every reason to feel offended and decide not to extend forgiveness to others. We devote our entire lives anticipating the ideal moment to exact revenge. We don’t want the scar to heal; we keep picking at the wound, afraid that forgiveness will erase the pain of our evidence. The pain is real so the anger is justified – we tell ourselves. But we can actually choose to let go - completely. There is no trophy in being embittered. Forgiveness is a powerful choice that frees you from anger and helps you find inner peace. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. Article is culled from the bible; the story of Abraham and Lot - Genesis 13.

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