Hello guys, I want to share something important with us about the way we treat people. Every person we meet in our everyday lives has a role to play, the way we treat them matters a lot if you are good to them, you will get a reward and if you are bad to them you will also get a reward. So the way you treat people gives you a reward but the question is will the reward be positive or negative. Am gonna share with you two different stories for you to choose the reward you prefer.
The first is Cindy who was a care giver at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (UPTH) she is a very beautiful nurse whose smile is very contagious, she gives care to those who have being diagnosed with terminal cases and sometimes have a few days/weeks/months to live. She was assigned to a 75yr old man who have being diagnosed of brain tumour, to give care to him. When she met him, he was like her he had a contagious smile even with his situation that could make person confused thinking that he is just wasting his time at the hospital because his smile made him look as if he was hale and healthy. Cindy being his nurse had to reciprocate the same smile giving the love and smiles the old man gave to her, she found out the old man loves to have a 7am tea so she made it a point to always get him that tea no matter what it will cost her, even if to get the tea he loves is sometimes expensive to get she tries to get it. She knew the tea was expensive to make so she decided to split her salary in half, one for her upkeep and the other to get the old man his special tea for the month even when the salary was not even enough, she sacrificed her salary for it. She knew that tea always brought a good smile to his wrinkled face so she wanted that smile to continue but each time she brings the tea the man always reprimanded her not to bring him that kind of tea because it was expensive to get because she had to get a good one about 600km from her house and 1200km from the hospital but she always did even if it meant starting the journey by 4:45 am in order to get to work early. The old man being aware of this distance appreciated her only with a huge smile on his face but he was sad that he could not give her money because he did not have any and he was there on insurance. He thought about what to give to the young beautiful nurse for her kindness, he knew he could write good and lovely stories because that was his talent as a teenager but he never published any of them he used his writing skills as a hobby. Each time she brings that tea for him, he always gives her a story to read on a piece of paper that was old but she appreciated it because each time she reads any of the stories her spirit always get lifted so she always made it a point to get the old man his tea and he also made it a point to give her a story which was the only way he knew how to appreciate her for her kind gestures. Cindy loved the old man because he always had a word for her that would shake her within, little did she know that the stories was the old man's wealth.
One Saturday morning which was her off from work, she went to buy her groceries and there she met a doctor whom she knew was the old man's doctor and inquired about his health situation but she was shocked what she heard from the doctor that the old had 2 months to live and his situation is very critical since his brain cells are dying and he always wriggled in pain at night due to the serious headaches he always get and some other seizures he always had like not remembering who he is and where he was. Cindy was shocked because she was unaware of this fact and she didn't know because each time she comes the old man always welcomed her with a broad smile which made her ignorant of his sufferings and she always talked more about herself to the old man about her happiness and struggles and pain in life not being aware of the old man's pain because he talked less about himself. When Cindy got home she cried a lot imagining and asking herself how stupid she was for letting it to be only about her whenever she was around the man and imagining how patient the man was with her giving the pain he was feeling. A friend of Cindy called her to beg for Cindy to replace her on her night duty for a month because her child was very ill and needed urgent medical attention, Cindy agreed to it. On the first night on duty Cindy decided to make yam porridge for the old man, on getting to the room she opened the door and confirmed what the doctor had told her she was moved to tears and she closed the door silently and went to the convenience to cry her whole heart there, she decided to be positive around the man and to also give a broad smile when the man smiled to her. She went to the man's room in the morning with the porridge that has been microwaved and his special tea. The man was pleased and blessed her for such kind gestures, Cindy was moved to tears but decided to hold it back and be happy in front of the man and he also told her about himself and how his family all died in an accident all in one day leaving him alone in this world, he talked about how his wife was the only one who made that special tea for him and that is why he always drink that tea with joy. Cindy was shocked with every story the old man said about himself. Cindy's night duty went on and on without her entering into the old man's room because she could not stand the pain he was going through bt she only watched him through his window and she would cry all night. But each time she looked through his window the old man would be writing something even with the pain he was going through which she didn't understand. A night came when she mustered up courage and went to the old man's room and he smiled with his pain and called her Susan she was confused but she knew the old man had a messed up brain at that point in time. So she went along with the name and she didn't know Susan was the name of his beloved wife whom he lost in the accident. Two weeks to the old man's death when his brain was so bad and would mistake her for his wife, daughter or his son and she would give a drop of tears and a wrinkled hand that was soft would wipe it off and either call her Susan,Grace or Emmanuel and ask why are you crying? It is not the end of the world and she was moved with the way he consoled her when for a fact she was supposed to be the one doing it. When the old man would realise that it was Cindy he would try to cover up and with a smile he would say to her come on girl, you know I was just joking and he would say it with a funny look that would make Cindy burst into laughter even with tears in her eyes and the old man would tell her to always laugh like this no matter the situation if she doesn't want to end up like him.
Few days to the death of the old man, Cindy decided to learn how to make that special tea for her new dad, she did it with so much love but this time she brought it with crackers and she brought a flask of that tea and not the usual cup she always brought for him, the old man knew it was home made when he saw her coming and gave his usual smile but this time with laughter too. As Cindy poured the tea into the two cups the old man gave his funny look and ask come on girl are we having a feast? Cindy told him she wanted to have a good time with her dad, the old man began to cry and was smiling at the same time, his joy knew no bounds he thanked God for blessing him with such a daughter who was kind, loving and beautiful, they cried together and consoled themselves. They began to have their snacks making jokes and also laughing. The old man told her that the tea was the best he has ever had and he blessed her for making that day the best day of his life, he gave her the usual appreciation but this time with a big notebook but he told her to open it when he was gone and he made her promise to obey him and she did and swore not to open it. The day for the old man's death came and also passed because the nurse was still holding on to him begging him not to leave her alone but the old man told her to let him go but she refused, the old man told her that it was his time and the doctors and her have tried their best to keep him but it was his time. Cindy was not willing to let go because she had hope even when it was looking at her in the face all hope was gone she decided to hold on to hope even the tiniest one. But when she saw the old man on the floor in pains she knew she was being selfish caring about her own pain without caring for the pain of the man, she immediately decided to let go and then she bought the man a good outfit and dressed him very well, she held his hands not willing to let go and the old man asked her to take care of that book and then gave her the right to open the book, he told her that the book would thrust her to a great height, Cindy was confused what the man was talking about bt she didn't ask any question because the man was finding it difficult to talk, so just listened to him, he gave her a number and told her it was the number of a friend who would help her. He gave her an advise saying
Do not despise whoever you meet because that person has a role to play in your life whether good or bad and you have a lot to learn from whoever you meet. Just try to show them kindness even when they hurt you because you don't know who you would meet in the future.
Cindy accepted the words of the man and when it was time for the man he asked a funny question 'How do I look?' and she didn't know what to say because the man was looking skinny and the man understood her thoughts and said come on girl you know I look good and Cindy gave a big smile. They held each other for a while and the man said his only regret in life is not being able to give his new daughter's hand in marriage and be a proud dad at her wedding but he is happy to have the best daughter anyone could ask for. They cried together and shared their regrets of not meeting each other earlier and not being able to be with each other for long but they also shared their happy memories and thanked God for making their path cross. Cindy decided to let go and the old smiled at her and then gave up the ghost. Cindy was strong and didn't cry because she was prepared for it. She financed all the burial arrangement that a daughter would do for a father.
A month after his death, she was going over his things and she came across that old notebook which her dad gave to her to open after his demise, she opened it and it was a collection of stories which the old man wrote for her during his time at the hospital and she remembered the time when she always looked through his window and saw him writing in pains at the end of the the book the old man wrote:
Daughter if you are reading this, it means am gone, I know you are in pains and I understand but I wore these short stories over 300 of them to secure your future,because I know the sacrifice you made for me was not an easy one. You did what even a true daughter would not do and I appreciate but I want you to publish the stories with the help of the number I gave you before my demise, call him, he is a friend and would help you with all you need because he is a publisher and I have spoken to him about it, but do not forget the advice I gave you before my death. I did not have money to give you then but this is the least a father could do for his daughter. I love you and will always be with you. Come on girl you know you can do this
Cindy decided to obey the old man and went to the publisher who helped her and she published the books as her own bt always acknowledged the man in all her books and made it a point to visit the old man's grave to tell him of everything going on in her life. Cindy decided to go script writing academy to improve her skills and also channel it to the movie industry, everything went well and she started writing books, movies and also producing and directing movies. Cindy became the sort after writer both in Nigeria and the world. She started an academy for acting, cinematography, directing, scriptwriting, editing and photography for people whose talent are hidden but wants it to be harnessed and brought to life. Cindy became successful and helped everyone who she met. When she was asked how she made it and what her drive is, she answered and said I am here because of my father's love for me which was immeasurable and my drive is to make him proud wherever he maybe. Cindy will always go to his grave and end with the phrase come on man you know i made you proud
Guys our success in life is a function of how we treat people and everyone in our lives has a role to play, just like Cindy was there to make the old man happy in his final days and the old man was there to create an enabling environment for Cindy to succeed by digging up that hidden writer in her
I will tell you of my next awesome story in my next post. Pls stay looked to this for the next story and do well to comment on this if you loved so I can be inspired to do more. Love you Guys and see you in my next post