The power of brotherly love

Greetings

Growing up with my younger brother has really been interesting.Though, we used to have our differences and different views about life, but we've always enjoyed our brother to brother relationship without any doubt.

Though I'm about seven years older than him, the way we act and relate with each other is like friends and this would even make me share one of those moments we had together that almost spoiled our relationships.

It's in the year 2018 when I opened a foodstuffs shop. Then, I was still in school and I had to put someone that would be helping me to attending to customers, so it's then I told Joshua and said,

“Josh, we need to talk ooo.” “Haaa, hope no problem?” He asked. “There's nothing, I just want us to talk on what strategy to be used in managing the shop,” I told him. “Okay, when you come back from school we will discuss that,” he said.

Thank God, he was then one seeing to the project of trying to set up the foodstuffs business. But even at that, it didn't cross my mind that he would be of great use to me in managing the business for me, but thank God I realized that on time.

So, when I came back from school and on getting home, we both went into the discussion and I told him about my plans for the business and also the kind of support I wanted from him and since he had just finished his secondary school, I would like him to help me before gaining admission into the university. So, after the lengthy discussions, he responded and said,

“Uncle Sam, there's no problem, count me in and I promised you that I will support and help you to manage the business to the best of my ability.” “Thank you Josh,” I replied.

And that's how we started the business together. So, anything I'm away from home to school, Josh would be the one to stand in for me and to be sincere, I really enjoyed his support and services towards me and the business as he used to give me the daily update at the close of the day's market. It's really nice doing business with him and as for me also, I used to make sure I do him good by paying him what we have agreed on as nothing is free even in Freetown.

But on a particular day, Josh called me and he was crying on the phone.

“Josh, what happened to you?” I asked. But instead of him talking to me, he was busy crying and didn't even alter a word. So, I hung up the call and was deeply thinking within myself as to what might have caused his crying, but all my thoughts could not even give me answers to what might have gone wrong. I tried to call him back but his number was not going through.

So, it's then I left school for home, but instead of going home, I went straight to the shop and on getting to the shop, I saw everything empty. When I saw this, I almost collapsed, but with the help of those that were around, I was saved from collapsing.

“You have to take heart bro,” someone said from among those who have come to sympathize with us, but even at their sympathies, I was still in the darkness as to what had happened to my shop.

“Where's Josh?” I asked our neighbor whose shop was very close to ours. “He's just been taken home by your cousin. He has been crying since morning and we called your cousin to come and take him home since we knew you were not around,” said Alhaja, our neighbor at the shop.

So, immediately I heard this, I left the already empty shop for home and at home, I met my cousins, Eben and Josh. When I saw both, I was moved with empathy and all that was doing me was calmed. So, I asked Josh;

“How did it happen?” Josh said, “I got a call from Alhaja that the shop had been burgled by unknown burglars and immediately I got to call, I couldn't wait till morning. I called brother Eben and he came over here and we both moved to the shop together at around 6 in the morning. It's when we got there that we found out that it's true.” But before he could finish talking, he burst into crying again and Eben, our cousin, was the one consoling him.

So, when I saw that he could not control his emotions, I patted him on his back and told him not to worry that God would restore us back as we have no one. But even at that, he was so devastated and could not do anything for days.

Though, I too was devastated but, I must be man enough to be able to control my emotions and that's what I did just to manage the situation and save my younger brother, Josh from being down casted.

But to be candid, this issue that happened to us almost cost us our relationship as I was of the opinion that if I had been there myself, things like that wouldn't have happened, but thank God I didn't react with the thought I had within me. Though, we reported the issue at the nearest police station but nothing has been done about it till now. But we have to move on and we have really moved on.

Thanks for reading.

Pictures sourced from metaAi.