Ribe-uwa & Nyelugo; A story For Every Young Person

As a beginner, When you meet a friend like Ribe-uwa, become Nyelugo.

Nyelugo has a friendly but extremely rich neigbour called Ribe-uwa, which can be roughly translated as chop life. Ribe-Uwa loves to take Nyelugo out despite them not belonging to the same age bracket or financial status.

Nyelugo  just started business few years ago, he is 27. but this his Friend, Ribe-uwa, marked his 60th birthday anniversary the last Nkwo market day.

Despite the fact that the distance between their age bracket is as far as the soil is far from the keg of Palmwine placed ontop a palm tree by a Palmwine tapper, their friendship was as close as Suya and Newspaper.

They were always together.

Ribe-uwa is a friendly neighbor but his "Good gesture" was constituting threat to Nyelugo's growth.  What he was doing for Nyelugo out of kindness, are things that are likely to hinder the growth of the 27year old boy.

He is wealthy, he has six children already, all in France, studying. His wife stays in France too, she is into importation of wine. 

Ribe Uwa already has an established family in France but he chosed to stay in Africa and enjoy his retirement, he said it is only in Africa that you can urinate anywhere, so he convinced himself that Africa is the safest place for people like him who consumes beer and urinate frequently.

Almost every night, Ribe-uwa drives to Nyelugo's house to take him out, he just needs someone beside him to enjoy life since his wife and kids are all abroad. He was the true definition of his name, Ribe-uwa.

Anytime Nyelugo refuses to go out with him, he will remind Nyelugo that he don't need to pay for anything. That he will take care of the bills, that he should just enter the car.

Who no like better thing? But everyday enjoyment at the age of 27, became a  heavy distraction for Nyelugo. He started going to bed late due to the night clubs they attend and he now wakes up late as a consequence of not sleeping on time, which is no longer good for his business.

One eke market morning, Nyelugo picked one honourable fruit in igboland called kolanuts, it has become a culture for him to use it and pray every Eke market day, this prayer session has a lot to do with meditation, so as he picked the fruit, focused his eyes on the ground and began to meditate, He started hearing Voices inside him.

It was his consciousness speaking but as a custodian of Igbo cultural heritage, he believed that it was the voice of his ancestors, who he sees as saints. The inner voice came to do a clean job, the Voice came to reshape his friendship with Ribe-Uwa

A question and answer conversation started between him and his inner voice.

The Voice:  Dear Nyelugo, great son of Nichogbuagu!! when you look at your friend Ribe uwa, what do you see?

Nyelugo: I see a 60year old man with six children, heavy investments, cars and a beautiful mansion, I see a man who has come home to enjoy his retirement.

The Voice.: Good, take a good look at yourself and tell me what you see.

Nyelugo:  When I look at myself, I see a 27year old boy with no wife, no kids, little investment and a business that still requires massive growth, I. See a young man who must smartly work hard if he wants to have a good retirement like Ribe-Uwa.

The Voice: So, you are aware that Ribe-uwa your friend, is enjoying his retirement because he smartly worked hard when he was at your age? So why are you wasting your youthful age with someone who had retired?

Nyelugo: Say no more Voice of my ancestors, I will fix this madness today, trust me.  My foots are on ajá ani and I am making a vow on this scared market day with this honourable fruit in my hand that I will reshape this my friendship with Ribe-Uwa.

Nyelugo stood up, broke the kolanuts,  performed the holy libations and went to his shop with a new mindset of reshaping his friendship with Ribe-Uwa. It was a cold Saturday, it had rained in the morning, making the weather to be very good for enjoyment, Ribe uwa couldn't even wait for Nyelugo to return home, he ambushed him in his shop and said my man, oya ooo, close make we go do weekend. it was already  9:30Pm. The exact time Nyelugo closes for the day.

I was already closing before you came, wait for me let me lock my shop, Nyelugo replied him as he closes his shop and entered the car but he told Ribe-uwa to reduce the Volume of music playing in the car that he wants them to talk.

See my friend, I have come to the Realization that we are not at the same phase of life, you are enjoying your retirement, what you laboured for, during your youthful days is what you are enjoying now, I know you need me to be around and enjoy your retirement with you but this is not my retirement days, I am still very young to be exposed to this kind flexing lifestyle that happens everyday, Nyelugo added.

But I have told you not worry that I will always be the one to spend the money when we go out, don't brother I  will pay, please let's go, Ribe-Uwa pleaded.

Ribe-uwa my friend, this is not about who is paying the bills,  this is about my Focus, my Habits and my age. We are not the same, you are living in your retirement days, If I should follow you, I will be distracting myself and exposing myself to a habit I might not be able to sustain when you are no longer there.

Sir, I know you fix the bills but will you fix my addiction when I get too addicted to this lifestyle at my age?. Nyelugo asked with a disturbed Voice.

Ribe-Uwa took a deep breathe and kept quiet but Nyelugo continued.

Sir, I like you.  But I need to grow.

Which growth are you talking about? You don tall finish o. they both laughed so hard as Ribe uwa cracked this Joke.

I am not talking about growth in height na. I am talking about growth in cash, business, investment and family, Nyelugo replied.

Okay, I understand. So tell me what you want, says Ribe-Uwa as he scratch his head.

I need a Loan, Nyelugo replied hurriedly, Yes, give me a loan let me support my business. We can hang out once in a while and I don't mind fixing the bills, Just help me grow my business Please.

It was a long reasonable conversation inside the car, Ribe Uwa saw reasons with his friend, Gave him an easy loan and relocated back to France to stay with his family. Nyelugo invested the loan in his business and started doing well.

When I look at the society today, I see so many people who have Ribe uwa as Friends but have refused to act like Nyelugo, I see young girls wasting their lives with old men without taking advantage of that relationship, they just eat pepper soup, drink beer, go shopping and have sex without presenting their business ideas to these Ribe-uwas.

I see young men too, wasting their lives hailing friends like Ribe-uwa in beer Parlours without presenting their business ideas to this Ribe-uwa of a friend.

Christmas is here, don't be carried away by the drinks and pepper soup that your Rich friend will be buying for you when you hangout, call them at the corner and present your business ideas to them and seek for loans.

Those beautiful ideas in your head needs money to become a reality.

As a hustler, as someone still fighting to win the War against Poverty, Do not forget to become Nyelugo when you meet a friend like Ribe Uwa.

I wish you well.

Nwogbuagu-Series.❣️