Let me tell you about the time I learned a lesson I will never forget: the day I realized I should never ask my uncle for school fees again.
It all started when I was in my second year of university. Life was great. I had made a few friends, gotten used to the campus, and was doing pretty well in my classes. Everything seemed perfect. Well, everything except for one thing: my school fees.
Now, if you’re from a family like mine, you know that asking for money doesn’t come easy. My parents were hardworking people, but they didn’t exactly have deep pockets. So, when I started university, I knew I had to find a way to pay my fees. And that’s when I thought of my uncle.
Uncle Kofi was, for lack of a better word, a character. He was the kind of man who would give you advice whether you asked for it or not. He’d always tell me, “In life, nothing comes easy. You’ve got to hustle, boy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!” But the real reason I thought of asking him was because, well, he always seemed to have money. A lot of it.
At least, that’s what I thought. He had a nice car, wore designer clothes, and whenever I visited him, there was always a fresh smell of something expensive in the air—whether it was cologne or the newest phone on the market. I was convinced he had a small fortune hidden away somewhere.
So, after giving it some thought, I decided to do what any broke university student would do: ask Uncle Kofi for school fees.
I gave him a call, and the conversation went something like this:
“Hey Uncle Kofi! How are you doing?”
“Oh, my son, I’m good! Always hustling, you know? What’s up?”
“Well, you see, Uncle, it’s that time of the semester again. The school fees are due, and I was hoping you could help me out a bit…”
There was a pause on the line. I could feel my heart racing. It was like asking for help was a huge mountain I was about to climb. But I kept going.
“I mean, you know how school is, and I really need your help. Just this one time. I promise I’ll pay you back once I start my internship in a few months.”
Another pause. Then, Uncle Kofi said, “Hmmm, let me think about it.”
I smiled. Yes! He’s going to say yes!
Then he dropped the bombshell.
“Okay, here’s the deal,” he said, sounding serious. “I’ll help you out, but you need to come to my place, and I’ll teach you a little something about money.”
I was confused. What does he mean by “teach me something about money”?
“Alright, Uncle,” I said, trying to keep my excitement in check. “I’ll come over right now.”
When I arrived at Uncle Kofi’s place, it wasn’t exactly what I expected. There was no fancy car in the driveway, no new phone, no smell of expensive cologne. Instead, I was greeted by his usual “business” attire: a tattered T-shirt with a picture of a lion on it and a pair of old slippers. Okay, this is weird, I thought to myself.
“Uncle, I’m here!” I called out as I walked into the living room.
Uncle Kofi was sitting on his favorite chair, a plastic one that squeaked whenever he moved. He looked up at me and smiled. “Ah, my son! You came, good. Come, sit down, sit down.”
I sat down nervously. “So, about the school fees…”
“Hold on, boy. First, let’s talk business.” Uncle Kofi reached for a dusty notebook on the table and started flipping through it. “I’ve got a few things to teach you.”
I raised an eyebrow. Okay, this is starting to feel like one of those “life lessons” I didn’t sign up for.
“You see,” he said, “money is like a river. It flows, it moves, it doesn’t stop.” He paused dramatically. “But you, my son, you are standing in the way of that river.”
I looked at him, totally lost. “Wait, what?”
He leaned forward, looking dead serious. “Let me explain. You see, you’re always asking for money, right? You’re blocking the flow. And when you block the river, the water can’t get to you. So, what do you do? You clear the path and let the water flow freely.”
I nodded slowly. “So… what do I need to do?”
Uncle Kofi sat back in his chair and grinned. “Simple! You need to make money flow to you. You need to hustle, boy. You need to start a business, start small, and make sure you’re always moving forward. No asking for handouts. You got me?”
I was completely confused, but I didn’t want to interrupt him. He had the whole “motivational speaker” vibe going, and I wasn’t about to break his flow.
“And that’s why I can’t just give you the school fees,” he continued. “You need to learn how to hustle like me. I didn’t get here by asking for handouts. No! I made my own money. Now, I’m here, and I can help you.”
At this point, I was ready to pull my hair out. What does he mean by “help”?
“So,” Uncle Kofi said, “I’m going to show you how to make money. But first, you’ll need to start by selling something. Let me see what you’ve got on you.”
I looked at him, utterly confused. “What? Like my shoes?”
“No, no,” he said, waving his hand. “Don’t be silly. What about your phone? You could sell that!”
I gasped. “My phone? Uncle Kofi, that’s my lifeline! I need it for school! I can’t just sell it!”
He looked at me like I had just suggested we sell the house. “Boy, do you want school fees or not?”
I paused. Okay, okay, let’s calm down. “But Uncle Kofi, my phone isn’t worth enough for school fees…”
He raised an eyebrow. “You don’t know that until you try! Now, go on, take out that phone and let’s get to work!”
Needless to say, after much convincing, I didn’t sell my phone. But what I did learn that day was that Uncle Kofi’s “hustle” wasn’t really about making money—it was more about making his money. And the more I sat there listening to him, the more I realized that his “business advice” was just a way to distract me from the real issue: he didn’t want to help me with school fees.
So, after a long “lesson” in which I learned more about “money” than I had ever hoped to, I stood up and thanked Uncle Kofi for his “help.”
“Thanks for the advice, Uncle,” I said, slowly backing towards the door.
“No problem,” he said, smiling with a wink. “Remember, boy, money doesn’t grow on trees. You’ve got to go out there and make it yourself!”
I walked out of Uncle Kofi’s house, shaking my head. Lesson learned. From that day on, I stopped asking Uncle Kofi for school fees. In fact, I stopped asking him for anything at all.
The next week, I found a part-time job on campus, working at a small café. It wasn’t glamorous, but it was honest work. And I learned how to manage my money, save up for my school fees, and take responsibility for my own future.
As for Uncle Kofi, well, let’s just say I learned that day that sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is not ask for help from the people who think their way is the only way. I learned to stand on my own two feet and find my own path.
Now, every time I see him, I just smile and nod. Thanks for the lesson, Uncle. But I’ll handle the school fees myself, thank you very much.
The End.
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