Real life hustles.
“Uncle, I want to be like you when I grow up.” Samuel popularly known as De’coaster looks down at his nine years old nephew.
His face immediately became hard, but he’d decided against it, giving a faded smile. “We will talk about that, ” he said, tapping the young lad on his shoulders.
“No uncle, I want to start now; I have made up my mind. I want to have plenty money like you; I want to buy my mummy a car like you bought your mummy a car. I want to stop schooling like you did.
School is too hard sef, and my teachers are so boring. I just want to be like you uncle please…” The young boy was almost crying.
Samuel is pretty fond of his little Nephew Bran, he comes to see them whenever he is in town simply because he knows Bran is already praying that he comes and visit.

He buys him things every time he comes, from snikkers to jeans, shirt, watch, chocolate, and even recently bought him an iPhone which his aunt did not permit.
Bran used to say he wants to be a lawyer when he grows up, he does not understand this sudden change of plans. Being the last child of his parent, he sees Bran as the little brother he never had.
“I don’t want you to be like me,” De’coaster finally summoned almost shouting.
Bran is taken aback “But why?” with an expression of outright disappointment and fear. “Is it because it is yahoo?? But I love it Uncle. I love yahoo, it brings in a lot of money and you are a good person. I want to be like you uncle, please… Teach me!!”
Bran hugs him tightly, he could feel his emotions flowing freely from the heart of an innocent child, full of love and sincerity.
Now this was heartbreaking for De’coaster. He wished he didn’t have to feel the way he feels, like some bunch of disappointment. Actually, he has never felt this bad about himself for a long while, with all the innocence and genuineness, this child is doing more disservice to him he thought.
“How did he even know he is a yahoo boy?”
And now, how would he explain to him that that’s not the best life, that there are more decent ways to make plenty of money.
But if this is true, he imagined, especially to the ordinary man in Nigeria, why did he not choose that way, how did he get to this other side?
Now he is even confused. Samuel De’coaster is confused by the sincere ambition of a 9-year-old boy.
The End.
How would you advise young Bran and De’coaster?
Would you allow your younger ones to aspire to be like you?
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On the story of Bran and De’coaster.
For Bran: I feel he shouldn’t have been told the person he admires (De’coaster) is an internet fraudster in the first place. People’s lifelong ideologies are mostly created in the formative years. However, the onus is now on De’coaster to convince little Bran on the error of his way.
De’coaster: Apart from making it a duty to ensure Bran does not end up like him, might want to reconsider desisting from his fraudulent ways as it is now obvious he isn’t destroying only his own life.
Wow! This is splendid advice. I hope they take heed. Thank you very much for your kind feedback.