“This too shall pass.” Segun closest friend Jimi was standing in the entrance when he looked up from his lost look at his desk. Segun gave a long, loud sigh. “I am not just happy. Right now, my life is a complete ruin.” He pointed around his disorganised work from home, where he was attempting to balance his distant business, his children school fees, and a thousand other responsibilities. Jimi entered and sat on the edge of the desk. "I understand that everything seems too much to handle. However, you must maintain a positive attitude. This challenging time will not continue to exist forever.
“Simple for you to say,” Segun muttered a sad sigh. Is it not you who was just let go from your work due to money problems. How are we going to afford our expenses? Arrange food on the table. Jimi moved over to give Segun a warm touch on the arm. "I am so sorry this is what you are going through. You are capable and strong, despite. You are going to prevail over it. Segun doubtfully shook his head. Though his friend was actually not truly understanding, he appreciated Jimi loyalty and positive outlook. His son's wayward behaviour as a teenager, his mother's poor health, and an expensive car repair that exhausted their money were all challenges he had to deal with before being fired off. It makes sense why he felt so hopeless and depressed.
Jimi calmly said, "Bear in mind." It is clear that there have been many challenges. But feeling inadequate will not solve the problem. Shake it off and concentrate on the things you can handle." Jimi held up a hand as Segun opened his mouth out of frustration. "No, give me time to get it right. Sitting around lamenting will not help you get a better job or make your present situation better. It is necessary for you to get up, get yourself organised, and start taking steps moving forward. Put your shoulders back and cock up. You are in control of this.
The two friends exchanged eye contact for just a little moment. Segun then gave a reluctant half smile, with his lip corners twitching upward. "How do you do it, I have no idea. How do you manage to be truly positive all the time?" Segun beamingly said. "It is a present. Also, we have been friends for far too long, I have been in your shoes. I know that the gloomy clouds will soon pass. Just continue seeking for those promising places."
Segun rolled his eyes, but now his smile was sincere. "All right, all right? I will have trust in your consistent positive reasoning and understanding. He sat up straight in the position he was in. "Let make a plan to get me out of this issue." Segun started feeling just a little bit of confidence as Jimi began to identify helpful advice and job search strategies. His friend was right when he said that this terrible time would pass. He would overcome this if he was only able to keep a positive mindset and focus on the promising place.
Although it is a short story, the message is clear. Friends are there to help each other and problems don't last forever. Always, with a helping hand and a plan, we can get out of a jam. Greetings
I appreciate your nice comments. You have a good understanding of the narrative. Yes, the primary message is that true friends help one another out when things get difficult. If you create a plan and follow through, troubles also end. That the message was received positively and clearly makes me happy. To you as well, greetings.
You show the instincts of a writer in this piece, @tommyik. The way you present a scene--the dynamic between the two friends, subtle gestures--these details make the story 'real' for the reader. It is a relatable story. So many people are confronted with the same challenge. Most people have to live in a budget and that budget often does not accommodate needs.
We do have a few suggestions, changes that would make a good story better. For one thing, you should take more care in where you place quotation marks. Sometimes these don't end where a speaker's conversation ends. It's hard to follow who is speaking if the quotation marks are not in exactly the right place.
Also, in a few places the possessive 's' is missing. In the first sentence, for example, Segun needs an 's'. A couple of sentences down, children could use an 's'. While these are not fatal errors, it seems you are interested in developing your writing (which is good!). These suggestions are made to help you along in that process.
Thank you for sharing the story with us, @tommyik.
I appreciate your warm thoughts and insightful comments. I should be more cautious when using possessive ‘s’ and quote marks, you are right. In writing, those minute details count. I truly value the effort you took to identify my areas for improvement. I will get better at writing because of it. Thanks again for the constructive comments, I am glad the story felt relatable. I will keep working on my skills.