The cool breeze was so much that Kunle slept so deeply without realizing it was daybreak.
"Kunle! Kunle!! Kunle!!!," Jaden tapped him so that they could get dressed for work but Kunle was far asleep.
"Kunle!," Nathan shouted and his thick voice woke Kunle up once.
"What now? Can't someone have rest of mind in this house again?," Kunle said immediately after he woke up then hissed as he managed to drag himself up from the mat he was sleeping on, then went outside to have his bath.
"Rest of mind indeed," Jaden said with a smile.
"Don't mind him, in this condition he still wants to have rest of mind," Nathan joined Jaden's conversation.
Some minutes later, the three of them left the house for work.
Kunle was from a polygamous family and his father died immediately after he was born so his mother didn't have a chance to enjoy part of his husband's wealth, and she was sent packing right after Kunle's father died.
Jaden on the other hand ran away from home in search of green pasture because he was the firstborn and his parent were separated, all his sibling's responsibilities were on his neck.
While Nathan was an orphan, he grew up with his aunt who got married and her husband insisted that Nathan couldn't live with them because he didn't want to take responsibility.
The three of them met in a factory and they became friends, the house they were managing belonged to Nathan at first, but later they paid the rent together and they couldn't afford to buy stuff inside the room because their salary wasn't much and responsibility has taken all of the money from them.
The month's end was closer and the three of them had plans to buy a bed in the room, but when it was month end their salary was cut off by their greedy supervisor.
Kunle ran from his department to meet Nathan.
"Guy, have you seen the alert?" Kunle asked immediately after he got to Nathan's place.
"Like seriously, why are they treating us this bad? I was expecting #20,000 and I got #18,000, meanwhile, the #2000 on it was the only money I have left in my salary," Nathan said with his eyes filled with tears.
"You don't have to cry because your's is better than mine, I got #15,000 instead of #20,000," Kunle replied.
"Have you seen the rubbish that was sent to us," Jaden said as he got to Nathan's place.
"I am tired of this work, but I need the money to take care of my mother," Kunle said.
Maybe we should ask the supervisor what was going on with our salary," Nathan suggested.
All the complaints we have done in the past few months what has it changed," Kunle asked.
The three of them round up their work and head home.
On their way home,
"You guys should wait I want to toilet," Nathan said as he entered the bush.
Some seconds later,
"OMG," Nathan shouted from the bush and Kunle and Jaden rushed into the bush in case something had happened to Nathan.
"What is it," Kunle asked without looking down.
"Look at this," Nathan said as he opened a bag full of dollars.
"What?" Jaden shouted, Kunle quickly covered his mouth before someone heard them.
"What should we do?" Nathan asked.
"What sort of question is that? Let's take it home," Kunle replied.
"Home? Why? What if the owner is watching us? Or what if it is set up?" Jaden said as he panicked.
"Set up? By who? Did you know anyone in this area?" Kunle replied.
He continued...
"Guys let's do this once and for all because we only live once, and die once, I believe this is an opportunity for us to make it," Kunle said with greed written all over him.
"Guys! Guys!! Guys!!!, I don't think this is a good idea, I think we should just take small out of it and leave here because it's not safe here," Jaden said sweating profusely.
"I think we should just leave without touching this money, it might be stolen money," Nathan suggested.
"What is wrong with you guys? Like seriously? Are you guys not tired of this poverty already? Let's take this once and for all," Kunle said as he grabbed the bag.
Nathan and Jaden followed him from the back and when they were about to get out of the bush they heard a voice saying.
"It's this bush, and am sure those criminals would still be there sharing the money".
Another voice said, "Search everywhere, get me the money and those hardened criminals".
I told you the money might a stolen money," Nathan whispered.
So? Let's run, after all, we are not the criminals" Kunle said.
Immediately he said that the three of them started running back into the bush Jaden was faster with Nathan but Kunle couldn't run faster because of the money.
"Drop it and run for your life," Nathan looked back and whispered to Kunle but Kunle was adamant.
"You knowyou only live once like you said earlier," Jaden said before he sped up his race but Kunle didn't listen to the two of them before they got separated.
Some seconds later after getting separated, Jaden and Nathan hid somewhere and they heard gunshots where they were hiding. They couldn't leave the bush till daybreak, Kunle was caught because he was shot in his leg.
The police caught him and the bag he was carrying was searched and under the dollars there were guns, he was sent to prison since he was caught with the bag and nobody listened to all what he was saying.
Jaden and Nathan never returned to their house because they were scared Kunle might tell the police they were involved, so everyone went their separate ways from the bush.
Some months later,
Kunle was released because one of the thieves got caught and confessed that Kunle wasn't among them, Kunle went back home to his mother from prison, he was compensated for accusing wrongly and he went back home to start a business with the little money given to him by the government. That was how his life started changing for the better, and he never bothered to look for Nathan and Jaden because he felt abandoned by them.
The bitter truth is that sometimes,the innocent do not always get Justice. But I'm happy for kunle anyways
Yeah you are absolutely right about that, but Kunle was lucky to have got out freely
It's good to keep off whatever doesn't belong to us, no matter how tempting the issue may appear. I don't really blame Nathan and Jaden much. Kunle took a risk and paid the price. Nice story.
Yes, Kunle was greedy and he paid the price for not listening to his friends
Oh. What a terrible way for friends to fall apart.
Kunle should have heeded the advice of his friends instead of going along with his plan and getting caught in the process.
I enjoyed your story.
Am glad you enjoyed it, and yeah if only he listened to his friends he wouldn't have gone through such a thing.
This story is of your is very interesting ,that is why it is good sometimes to heed to people's advice, especially the close ones, I am happy for him
Yeah sometimes it's good to listen to people close around
Your story starts off with promise... You spend time setting up the backstory but then the backstories and characters mentioned are largely unrelated to the rest of the story. You also spend time describing one evening of fortune/misfortune in the life of the three friends but then rush through closing paragraphs skimming and summarising your MC's arrest, interrogation, imprisonment, release, starting a new business and the ending of his friendships, but without developing any of these threads. Your stories would have more of an impact if you focused in on a narrower plot. You can't fit the events of a novel into a short story, so you have to be more selective over which parts you mention. Short stories demand that character and story arcs be tighter and cover shorter periods of time to be effective in delivery. The epilogue of events after your MC's capture do not add to the story, but instead end up taking away from it. I hope this makes sense and that you find the feedback useful.
I would work out the story next time, I really appreciate the correction.
A reminder to prioritize integrity and loyalty over material gain, coz these values shape one’s character and determine one’s fate in the long run. Thanks for sharing
Greed is an undoing and contentment is a virtue. Unfortunately, in this day and age, emphasis is on making it by hook or by crook.
He was lucky the government found out he was accused's wrongly. Next time he should leave what doesn't belong to him and not touch it.
It was quite sad that he got caught and felt abandoned by his friends, but I wouldn't blame them. They actually told him to drop the bag but he decided not to. And it is totally normal for them to be afraid
They shouldn't have wasted time on the deliberation. Take it or leave it. It's a two-way something. What could have happened to Nathan and Jaden.
Sometimes greed can be something else, but Kunle was glad he was released and compensated. We only live once but while leaving, it's good to do the right thing
They even tried for compensating him because his aim was not to return the money to the police. Anyways, at least a man must die once.
I was sad that Kunle had to go through undeserved punishment. And as for Nathan and Jayden, they both disappointed me.
ALIVEHello @princess-dara, what a great ending, Kunle released, he turned his life around and was able to start a small business, after the bad experience of prison and bad friendships.