Jane was a workaholic—she would stay until odd hours at the office pushing herself to the limit just to meet her target, she would often skip her meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner). Her colleagues, family and friends began calling her a workaholic but she couldn’t care less.
Emelda is my family friend, we grew up together as friends(although she was older than me with some years). Our families got to know each other, because we attended the same church. Emy, as she was fondly called, would always talk about how hard she was going to work when she grew up-
"I want to be a woman of substance, of affluence when I’m grown and I’ll work hard to make sure my family and I lack nothing"
She was ambitious, she knew her goal and never lost focus—I envied that about her.
Emy, can we please go together? I want to get some foodstuffs from the market I had said to her one day.
Oh please, some other time. I have work to do…I need to earn money those were in fact her favourite lines.
With time I understood her type of person but couldn’t keep up because it was always about work.
That evening I got a call Hi babes, I have some good news to share with you—It was Emelda calling.
Emy! It’s so good to hear your voice again, how are you? And what is this good news about?—please spill it, my ears are itching—I replied, already infected with her excitement.
I have just got a well paying job at a prestigious multinational company—my dreams are finally coming true yeeeh! She screamed into the receiver.
What! A hearty congratulations my dear I exclaimed. "Remember me in your paradise". I added jokingly.
"How can I? Friends like you are hard to come by". She responded laughing.
"Awwwww..... now you make me cry". I was deeply touched by her words.
We ended up chatting for almost an hour before hanging up.
Then one Sunday evening, Emy's mom called me after church service.
Hello Caramel, how are you?
Good afternoon ma, I’m doing okay and you?
I’m not fine—Emelda is giving me cause for concern, she works for hours on end, she even skip her meals and rests for very few hours. I am so concerned, that she might fall sick at the rate she was going. Her father even complained also, I am telling you that she's not paying attention to her wellbeing, please can you talk to her? I’ve talked to her severally but she won't listen — it was an outburst and I just knew that Emy was overdoing it again, as she always does.
Don’t worry please, put your mind at ease, I’ll talk to her and make her see reason*—I replied.
But I had doubts as I hung up the phone, I just hoped I would be able to convince her.
The next day, I called Emy on video call and tried to talk some sense into her, I tried to let her know of her need to also take care of herself.
Caramel darling, I’ll call you back in a jiffy; I am a bit busy
She ended the call before I could even say more. Then I dropped a message for her, telling her to take things easy.
Two weeks later, Emelda collapsed while delivering a presentation, and was rushed to a hospital. She was diagnosed with fatigue, high blood pressure and dehydration. As she laid on her hospital bed, weak from the illness, her mother urged her to get up and eat from the plate of hot oil rice placed before her, the distinctive scent filling the room. As she slowly raised herself up with my help and that of her mother's, she smiled weakling.
She ate like someone who was famished, when she looked up from her clean plate and saw her mom beaming with smiles of satisfaction, she felt more energetic—she knew at that point in time, that the care, love were just what the doctor ordered.
She got discharged the next day, promising to turn a new leaf.
Thank you for reading.
No matter how busy we tend to be, our overall well being is our priority. Thank God she's okay
Our overall well being is very important.
Some people work, work and work without taking a break which is very bad.
It's a good thing she finally learned that good health is wealth.
Thank you for sharing.
Health is wealth, she learnt the hard way.
Hmm, I can resonate with Emelda cos I'm also a workaholic but I've learnt how to rest once in a while 😁.
That's great! Rest is good to avoid burnout.
Yes ooo
Thank you very much 🙏
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