Thread by @nwaoma007

1./ Where Is The Line?

For those believe in God, the bible & other holy books enjoin believers and adherents of faith to give to the poor and needy around them.

God loves a cheerful giver. We are not to turn our backs on the needy.

But who is the needy? Who is the greedy?

2./ “Capacity Man! Ochiriozuo!! Chief! Chief!!!” Okongwu began with enthusiasm hailing.

At the other end of the line, Okongwu’s hailing over the phone line gave Ochiriozuo pause.

Recently he’d been at the receiving end of this type of greeting

2./ from various people.

He knew it was a prelude to “taxation.”

“Okongwu! Nwoke, how are you? How is the family? I hope you’re all well?” Ochiriozuo enquired.

“Chief everyone is well.” Okongwu replied. “It’s only Buhari and hunger that’s our problem. But we’re managing.”

3./ He continued without pause. “Biko Chief, I called for a reason. You remember I began my project in the village? It’s not been easy with me since I began. That project is draining me. I thought I should let you know what I require from you as your contribution.

4./ It’s not much just 10 tonnes of 10mm iron rods.” He said.

Ochiriozuo held the phone away from his ear & looked at it. He laughed uneasily & put it back to his ear. Surely he hadn’t heard correctly. Okongwu wanted him to buy 10 tonnes of 10mm iron rods,

5./ as his contribution to Okongwu’s building project.
Okongwu had recently begun to put up a house in his hometown.

Ochiriozuo was confused, yet he was not. This was fast becoming his reality but he was resisting accepting it as the norm despite it being imposed on him

6./ and others like him who were perceived to be successful.
He had messages on his WhatsApp from people telling him they had fixed wedding dates and needed him to pay for the hall.

Or that they wanted to buy a car worth 1.2 million for their business and he should contribute.

7./ These were not loan requests.
They were pseudo-demands from people who expected him to give them these sums of money and write it off.

It was true that he was fairly successful but he had a wife and children and his own personal responsibilities.

8./ This was aside from his extended family responsibilities.

He wasn’t a stranger to hard times and he had occasionally borrowed money to make up for shortfalls.

He had also had friends give him gifts of money when he had got married years ago,

9./ but he hadn’t demanded contributions. He had cut his coat to his size and fabric.

Indeed, he had borrowed money. But it was clear to his lenders that he was borrowing and he scrupulously paid back every person he borrowed from before the end of the 1st year of his marriage.

10./ He found this new wave of people like Okongwu who expected other men like themselves dealing with their own life issues to fund their life projects disturbing. What was he to tell this man without sounding rude or supercilious?”

11./ Where was the line between helping the less privileged?

Support from your committee of friends and overreaching yourself?

Wasn’t there a difference between seeking support for life’s emergencies and expecting people to contribute to fund other’s lifestyle choices?

12./ Should people plan weddings expecting friends to contribute?

Plan to build a house expecting friends & well-wishers to fund it?

He didn’t think it was his place to buy 10 tonnes of rods for another man’s building project.

13./ Ochiriozuo took a deep breath thinking all the while of how to reprimand his friend without losing his cool. He knew Okongwu would be offended.

14./ But he was tired of unrealistic expectations from people who presumed his resources outstripped his responsibilities and that they were entitled to “cut suya” from his body.

The End