Kathrine: I’m An Orphan But I Won’t Do It – Episode 8
I mõūrñēd my mom and Sarah for seven days. The words of Sarah and those of my mom kept ringing so loudly in my head. Within these seven days, I forgot that I was nineteen.
The weight of pa!ns and s0rr0ws būrñed that teenage spïrït and mentality within me. The more I gr0aned, the more I grew. The more I cr!ed, the more my tēārs, like the oceans, began to drown my féàrs.
The more pa!n I felt within me, the more courage I gained. The more būrdēns I was fõrçēd to carry, the more determined I was to succeed.
On the night of the seventh day, I d!ed as a teenager and rose as a young adult. I wiped my téars with the handkerchief of reality and wore the attire of maturity.
I decided I was going to march out as an ārmy of myself and face my féàrs with my hands on my hïps. I cleaned my room that night, bent low, and picked up every single piece of courage I had shāttered on the floor.
The next day, Monday, as early as 8 am in the morning, I ransacked my small suitcase, took my favorite pink gown, and wore it alongside my white ballet flats, which I got as a gift from my mom on my 18th birthday.
My lāte mom was a very beautiful and fair woman, and as such, I mirrored her glamorous look, looking even more gorgeous than she did.
My lāte dàd was also a very handsome man, which made me a tapestry of splendor, grace, and elegance.
Despite not having too many clothes, due to my breathtaking and exquisite look, my old clothes looked very good on me. My enchanting appearance helped cover my bēggārly and dïrt-põõr background.
I took the check of 500,000 naira my mom left behind for me and went straight to the bank to claim it. I had not decided on what kind of business I wanted to do.
I hoped to get the money first and perhaps begin to brainstorm the most lucrative business I could venture into that could bring a massive return without sinking my capital.
I needed to be careful about what kind of business I should do because that 500,000 was all I had at that moment. It was my only hope of surv!val, and I prayed strongly not to make the wróñg investment.
Thankfully, I already knew the cunn!ng ways of Lagos, where we lived. I’ve heard so many heart-touching stories of people being r0bbēd in broad daylight.
This was because Lagos is one of the busiest states in Nigeria, the heart of fame and fõrtune, the habitat of b!gwigs and b!gfoots, with a constant 24-hour flow and exchange of móñey.
It is the cradle and heartstring of conglomerates, corporations, and cārtēls, hence it houses a good number of p!lferers and purlo!ners, perching like birds at every nook and cranny, looking for whom to dece!ve and begu!le.
I’ve been a v!ctïm. I’ve been r0bbēd in the name of helping someone I thought needed help, only for them to sna+ch my ph0ne after getting closer to me.
This happened when I was barely 15 years old, and I was lucky it was just a basic or perhaps a button phone. That was actually my first phone ever, and I lōst it in a public transport, trying to help a th!ef.
That experience made me wise, and I henceforth minded my business whenever I was out in public.
I became familiar with their way of life. I knew the roads I must never follow and the things I must never do on a bus or in public.
Hence, I wasn’t sçààréd of losing the check on my way to the bank. In addition to my previous experience, due to my recent work as a cleaner in a hõtel, I became even more familiar with the sūbt|e ways of Lagos and was reassured that the check was safe in my hands.
I boarded a bus as usual with the little money I had and headed straight to the bank. On my way to the bank, something happened that made me thank God for putting me in that bus.
I sat at the back, close to two responsible-looking ladies who were discussing the netegrity of their businesses seriously.
The slim lady was into drop-shipping, and the chubby one was a hairstylist. The chubby lady shared her experience with the slim lady, the challenges she faced on a daily basis as a hairstylist, and how she was able to overcome them seamlessly.
Looking at them, one could already tell that they were seasoned and professional businesswomen who were experts and scholars in their respective fields.
The chubby lady complained about the fierce competition in her business, owing to the fact that Lagos was a bustling city with a husky population.
And as a result, there were multiple salons and stylists scrambling and vying for customers at all costs, making it very difficult for one to stand out as a hairstylist.
She then went further to highlight the strategies and blueprint she followed that helped her maintain her position as one of the most sought-after and popular hair stylists in Lagos.
She said that there may be a vast number of stylists in Lagos, but only a few of them are armed with information such as the latest trends and techniques needed to offer unique and high-quality services.
She also talked about personal branding. She said that only a few of these hairstylists understand the power of implanting, branding, and publicizing their style, uniqueness, and success story.
She said that only a few among these stylists understand the importance of having an online presence, a professional portfolio, and the power of networking and collaboration.
She said that the majority of them are like fishes swimming in the same pool, and hence, they don’t get repeat customers because their ingenuity gets lost in a crowd of stylists. They don’t have a signature, hallmark, or name that sets them apart from every other stylist in Lagos.
“This is my little secret, Victoria, and this, among many other reasons, is why despite the increasing number of stylists in Lagos, I keep having repeat customers and keep cash!ng out while others are complaining,” she said to the slim lady.
I felt like I was in a business class. I totally forgot that I was on a bus and paid keen attention to every single thing they discussed, taking notes, because that was exactly what I needed to hear at that moment.
The chubby lady continued and unveiled dēēp sēcrēts responsible for her success as an A-list hairstylist.
She said, ‘… ‘”
To be continued ✍️