LIFE IS NOT A BED OF ROSES

Chapter Five_Thankgod the Obedient boy.

Later in the evening of that day, Mr Valentine paid the hospital bills and also gave Rose and Godwin some money to take care of their selves. They were so happy and they appreciated him. He left the labour room followed by Mr Dan, they were at the entrance door of the labour room, Mr Val concluded with his friend concerning the job issue.

"I will get back to you, once I am back in the city"

"Okay thanks for coming, my God will bless you" Mr Dan said as they gave each other a hug, Mr Valentine left him while Mr Dan went back to the labour room full of joy.

"Wow God has been so great to us" Mr Dan exclaimed as he sat down beside his wife and the new born baby.

"You see what I have been telling you, now you have seen it, I know the God I serve, he can never disappoint his people" Rose said, still breastfeeding her baby.

"Yes ooh, God is great" Mr Dan responded happily. Godwin was so excited, he was thinking of what to do with the money, perhaps he can't wait to to go back to go back to the city to start working.

The next day, they were discharged from the hospital, they went home happily, their joy knew no bounds especially Mr Dan, because God surprised him the day he least expected it.

Meanwhile, Mr Dan never expected to see his childhood friend again, because it has been long they met, but as God may have it, Mr Valentine paid a visit to the hospital the day his wife gave birth. He thanked God for making it possible to meet his friend again, because it has been long they met, perhaps his friend helped him financially.

When they arrived home, Mr Dan and his wife thought on the kind of business they would like to do and they finally suggested on opening a provision shop because they believed that the business attracts costumers easily. Rose was so excited to open a provision shop, because it always reminds her, the supermarket business she once opened in the city. They concluded on how to start the business, " it will really surprise them" Rose remarked happily.

Moreover, Mr Dan went to the bank immediately to cash out the money, he transferred the money in his account and collected some money, and went back home happily.

Thankgod was a God fearing and an obedient boy, people loved him more than his elder brother, Godwin. Godwin always cause trouble, and also brings shame and disgrace to the family.

Thankgod grew as a God fearing and a hardworking boy, he always follows his mum to the farm while Mr Dan stays at the shop. Perhaps, Thankgod was not enrolled in school because of financial difficulties, although he was a brilliant boy. As for Godwin, he wanders around all the nooks and crannies of the village, causing trouble. He has been beaten several times, and also caught several times stealing people's properties, but Thankgod always brings joy and happiness to the family due to his obedience and humility.

One day, Rose sent the ten years old Thankgod on an errand, on his way back home he saw a wallet containing some money and some important documents on the floor, he picked it up and exclaimed;

"Ah this must be someone's wallet, I think I will wait for the owner to come and collect it because I know the owner must surely come for it" he said as he walked slowly to their house, he did not open the wallet to check what was inside it. On his way home, he saw a man searching around the bush in search of his wallet, Thankgod sensed he must be the owner the wallet he was holding, he quickly rushed to the man to return the wallet.

"Good afternoon Sir" Thankgod greeted the man who was busy searching around for his lost wallet.

"Yes small boy, how can I help you" the man harshly retorted.

"Sir I guess you are looking for this" Thankgod said as he showed the man his lost wallet he has been searching for. At first the man was shot of words, he can't believe that such a small boy like Thankgod would do such a thing, he opened his wallet to check if there was any missing but he found out that everything was intact, nothing was missing.

"Wow, what's your name boy" he asked surprisingly.

"Am Thankgod sir" he replied.

"How did you found this wallet, I have been searching for it since morning" the man asked him with rapt attention.

"Well sir, my mum sent me on an errand, so on my way back I saw this wallet on the floor, I decided to wait for the owner, because I know the owner must surely come for it, as am going home, I saw you searching around for something and I guessed it must be the wallet you were looking for so I rushed to return it back to the owner" Thankgod explained.

The man was speechless, he apologized for being too harsh on him .Thankgod forgave him.

"Please my dear am sorry for being too harsh on you, I was focused in searching for the wallet" the man apologized.

"Don't worry Sir, I have already forgiven you before you apologized" Thankgod said.

"Wow you deserve to be rewarded for this, it's to hard to find some one like you, please can I follow you to your house, I want to see your parents .They trained you well" the man asked.

"Okay Sir, you can follow me, my house is just a stone throw from here" Thankgod said as the man followed him to his house.

When they arrived home, Rose was busy cooking in the kitchen, she was waiting for her son to come back, she heard Thankgod's voice and immediately rushed out side.

"Thankgod what has been keeping you so long" she asked as she noticed a strange man standing behind her son.

"Mum am sorry for wasting a lot of time, just that I saw a wallet containing some money and some important documents on the floor on my way back home and decided to wait for the owner to come and collect it, perhaps I walked slowly, on my way home, I saw this man (he pointed at the stranger) hovering around the bush, searching for his lost wallet and also asking the passers by whether they saw his wallet but none of them saw it, I quickly ran to him to return the lost wallet he was looking for. At first, I greeted him but he wasn't in the mood, so I showed him his lost wallet, he was so amazed to see such a little boy like me returning a wallet that contained a huge amount of money to him, he thanked me, and also ask for my name, I told him my name and he said he want to see my parents, so he followed me to my house, that's what happened mum" Thankgod explained every thing to Rose.

"Good afternoon ma" the stranger greeted Rose.

"Good afternoon young man, I trained my son very well although he didn't attend school" Rose remarked.

"Ma your son need to be enrolled in school, he's such a brilliant boy" the stranger said.

"Yes ooh what you said is true, but we are having financial difficulties" Rose lamented.

"Oh am sorry for this, Thankgod need to be enrolled in school, but what about your husband, I want to speak to him man to man concerning this issue" the stranger asked.

"Oh my husband is not around now, but you can reach him in the evening, let me give you his contact number" Rose said as she bought out her phone to search for her husband's number.

"You can call him in the evening around five o'clock, don't call him now, he may be very busy" Rose exclaimed as she gave the stranger Mr Dan's contact.

"Thank you ma, I will be on my way now, Thankgod need to be enrolled in school as soon as possible, he' such a brilliant boy" the stranger said, being so excited as he leaved the compound.

"Yes my dear, he needs to be in school, God will surely make a way for us, okay take care, bye" Rose said as she moves inside the house with her son. Thankgod bade him goodbye until he was out of sight.

That same day, Mr Dan was in his shop, he was looking so worried because he has not heard from his friend Mr Valentine who promised to help his son in search of a job, he decided to call him to know why he had not called, he dialed his number three times but he didn't pick, he dialed his number again for the fourth time and he finally picked.

"Hello Val what's up, I have been calling you but it seems you are not picking, what happened are you not with your phone" Mr Dan asked as he listens with rapt attention.

"Oh am sorry for not picking your calls, you know am always busy with some other things, so it escaped my mind to call you" Mr Valentine apologized.

"It's okay my brother, I know it's not easy at all, am once a business man in the city, so I know what it takes to be a business man, so what about the job opportunity, was there any vacancy" he asked expecting to here some good news.

"Ah omo, honestly, job no dey for this city again, there is no more vacancy again, I think he should try his best in searching for job in that village, their might be job opportunity" Mr Valentine replied

" Okay no problem, you know, I have told you that we have been searching and searching, but all to know avail, but we will keep trying, thank you so much for the ones you have been doing in my family, my God will reward you in ten times fold" Mr Dan prayed being so happy.

" Amen my brother, what are friends for, I did what I supposed to do as a friend, you know you are like a brother to me" Mr Val remarked.

"You are such a good friend, my regards to your family" Mr Dan said about to cut the call.

"Thank you so much, my regards to your family too, especially Thankgod, I know he's now a big boy" Mr Val asked.

"To God be all the glory, he has been a blessing to the family" Mr Dan replied happily.

"Okay, I hope the business is booming like never before" Val asked.

"By God's grace, it's booming, where would I have been without God, thank you so much for helping me out, you are really a God sent to my family" Mr Dan remarked.

"You are welcome, my brother, take care" Val said about to cut the call.

"Okay bye" Mr Dan replied happily as he cut the call.

"Ah Valentine, my friend, since then, almost ten years now, he has not seen any vacancy in the city, Godwin has been asking me when he will go back to the city to start working, ah, God will surely make a way for us" he soliloquizes to himself as he drops his phone on a table beside him, few minutes later some people came to his shop to purchase some things, he gave them what they want and also collected some money from them depending on what they bought.

Meanwhile, Mr Dan always close on time, before 5:30 in the evening, he had already closed his shop, because they are more customers in the morning than in the evening, due to much stress in the morning he decided to be closing as early as 5:00 in the evening, by the time he will come back from the shop, his wife had already prepared his male.