The Unblessed

Aliyah, the fifty-three-year-old woman, walked six miles to reach Nungwi, a village located in the northern region of Zanzibar in East Africa.  When she got to the house of Andwele, the wisest man in the town, she was exhausted.

“ What can I do for you?” Andwele asked his visitor after he made her comfortable in his huge house.

“ I’m here for your help.  It’s about my son, Zayn.  He is twenty-seven-year-old.”

“ What’s wrong with your son?” the man asked, looking her straight in the eyes.

“ Zayn lives in the city of Kampala, but he lives a dry life.  Nothing is working for him.  He struggles to make ends meet.  Yesterday, he came to visit me in the village.  When I saw him, I burst into tears.  He got so thin I thought he was sick.”

“ You mean he is in your village right now?” Andwele asked.

“ Yes.  He was sleeping when I left,” Aliyah replied.

Andwele sent two of his servants to the village and ordered them to bring Zayn, Aliyah’s son.

The servants used their master’s pick-up truck and headed to Nungwi. Two hours later, Zayn arrived.  Without knowing him before, Andwele could tell that the newcomer had lost weight, as his mother said.  His clothes were baggy, twice his size.  A large unkempt beard covered his chin.  He hadn’t used a razor for months.  On his head, wild afro hair almost covers his ears.

“ What are we doing here, mom?” he asked when he saw Aliyah sitting in the adorned living room.

“ Have a seat, young man,” Andwele said and motioned to the sofa at his right side.

Zayn sat down and sipped the coconut juice his host offered him.  When he was relaxed and comfortable, Andwele said, “ Your mother is here for you.  She is seeking ways to improve your life.  She walked six miles to be here because she is tired of seeing you broke and disappointed.”

Zayn lowered his head as if he was embarrassed to hear a stranger uncovering his misery.

“ Don’t feel humiliated, young man.  I want to help you,” Andwele said.  He paused as if he wanted his words to sink in.  Then he stared at Zayn and asked, “ When was the last time you gave something to someone?”

The question caught him off guard.  He looked at his mother, cleared his throat, and answered,

“ How can I give when I don’t have anything?”

“ I’m sure my son will help others when he has a good job and earns money,” the mother added.

“ That is your mistake,” Andwele replied.  He stared at the mother and the son and declared, “ Now I understand why your son is Unblessed.”

“ What !!!” the mother exclaimed.  “ How can he give if he doesn’t have anything?”

“ When I talk about giving, you mean money.  Giving is not only about money.  You give what you have, ” Andwele elaborated.

“ Sir, you don’t seem to understand.  My son has nothing,” the mother insisted.

The man smiled and clarified his point, “ You said your son doesn’t have a job.  It means he has time.  He can use his time and cut someone’s grass or run errands for older people.  He can use his time to wash someone’s car.  Using his time to help others is a form of giving.  Now let’s do an experiment.  Zayn, close both hands.  ”

The young man followed the instructions.  Andwele handed him a glass of water and a plate of food.  Zayn looked in his eyes but couldn’t receive the items because his hands were closed.

Andwele put the glass of water and the food plate on the table and drew this conclusion.

” Your life is precisely the image of this experience.  Opportunities come to you, but you cannot receive them because your hands are closed.  The Unblessed is the person who doesn’t give and therefore closes the door to abundance.”

Thank you for reading this post.

See you Friday for the next story.

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