Kathrine: I’m An Orphan But I Won’t Do It – Episode 14
“Okay, I think we should let her decide. Let’s ask her what she would love to be: a hairstylist or a drop-shipper. Whichever one she chooses, she will automatically get to live with the tutor,” Mrs. Abigail said. Mrs. Victoria went silent for a minute and said, “I concur, let’s do it that way.”
In a moment of delightful coincidence, their smiles bloomed in unison, like sunflowers turning towards the warm embrace of early sunlight.
As they both turned to me, Mrs. Victoria said, “Katherine, don’t mind us, okay? Abigail won’t let me take you, and I won’t let her take you either. We’ve decided to let you choose who you would like to live with between the both of us.”
“What kind of business would you like to do, Katherine? Would you like to become a hairstylist or a drop-shipper? Whichever one you choose, you get to live with the coach, as it should be.”
Right before me were two compassionate and kind-hearted ladies, asking me to choose who I would love to learn from and, perhaps, live with. That was actually the most difficult and complex question I’ve ever been asked in my whole life.
Whatever I decided at that moment would determine who I was going to become in the future. If I chose Mrs. Abigail and my destiny was tied to Mrs. Victoria, I might not go through hardship in life, but I might never become who God had ordained me to be.
On the other hand, if I chose Mrs. Victoria and everything I needed to become who I was born to be was with Mrs. Abigail, I’d end up living an unfulfilled life, and I definitely wouldn’t want that kind of life.
Inasmuch as they were both wonderful individuals, I could still end up becoming mediocre if I made the wrong choice. I needed to overlook the fun and face the facts. I needed to look beyond the wealth, count the cost, and weigh the losses.
Mrs. Abigail, a skilled hairstylist, enjoyed considerable success. She had a loyal clientele of repeat customers, and a select group of affluent women comprised her customer base.
Her salon stood out as a unique establishment that consistently captivated her patrons, ensuring their return. The air of nobility that surrounded her salon attracted customers who were descendants of fame and fortune.
However, one certainty prevailed: her competitors found it exceedingly challenging to surpass her. This wasn’t solely due to her ability to treat her customers like true queens and prioritize their needs above her ego.
It was also attributed to her possession of all the necessary requisites, along with essential and captivating gimmicks, gizmos, and gadgets. These elements were essential in attracting clients, even individuals with impaired sight, to her salon.
Her salon was well-endowed, and only a few of her competitors could afford such a level of bewitching and absorbing oasis of elegance. Not just her manners, but her money was one of the reasons why she was exceptional and one of the best among all the stylists in Lagos.
Mrs. Victoria, on the other hand, was a drop-shipper, and unlike Mrs. Abigail, she never needed a treasure trove of splendor where opulence flows like a river of gold. Even without a luxurious store or shop, she controlled millions and cashed out really big, just like Mrs. Abigail.
One could initiate Mrs. Abigail’s business with a modest amount of capital and could readily expand it, gaining recognition as a household name. This contrasted with the situation faced by Mrs. Victoria, where expanding required renting additional shops.
Mrs. Victoria’s business was ideally aligned with the technological trends of the time, where technology played a significant role in the operations.
It allowed for the convenient delivery of numerous high-value goods from the comfort of one’s home to thousands of customers.
In contrast, the hairstyling business posed considerable challenges when it came to achieving such substantial levels of scalability.
I was able to deduce all of this from their conversation on the bus that day. I realized from everything they said that day that a drop-shipper could make more money without much stress compared to a hairstylist.
I discovered that as a drop-shipper, you could harness the power of the internet and social media to facilitate increased sales, all while incurring minimal expenses for shipping. Conversely, as a hairstylist, a substantial investment was required, particularly for procuring materials, in order to achieve the same level of success.
Therefore, I made the decision to pursue a path as a drop-shipper. With only 500,000 naira at my disposal, this amount was deemed sufficient to provide me with a solid foundation in the drop-shipping business, especially when compared to the prospects of becoming a hairstylist.
Their eyes brimmed with anticipation, like a pair of hawks keenly observing their prey. It was as if the world had hushed to a standstill, their stares magnets pulling for an answer.
In that charged moment, their faces became open books of curiosity, each line an eloquent question mark, begging for a reply to complete the sentence hanging in the air.
“A drop-shipper. I would love to become a drop-shipper,” I said.
A radiant smile blossomed on the face of Mrs. Victoria. Her eyes sparkled like the glister of a shooting star. Her smile stretched wide, touching the east and the west, as a bubbly laughter escaped her lips, dancing like a carefree stream sparkling under the warm embrace of sunlight.
Meanwhile, Mrs. Abigail exhaled a subdued sigh, a wisp of disappointment escaping her lips, carrying the weight of a thousand unspoken hopes. Her shoulders, which had stood high with anticipation, relaxed into a sliver of resignation.
Her gaze dropped momentarily, like a fragile leaf falling from a tree in autumn. Yet, amidst this fleeting disappointment, her eyes held a flicker of resilience, a determination to weather the storm and let it slide, knowing it’s but a game of charity.
To be continued ✍️