The Harvest Of Hardship - S01 E24

Story 3 weeks ago

The Harvest Of Hardship - S01 E24

Read Story: SEASON 1 SEASON 24

The night air in the private garden of the restaurant was very cool and sweet. The small lights in the trees looked like tiny golden bugs that were sleeping. The dinner was over. The plates that had been full of delicious food were now empty. The silver forks and spoons were resting on the white cloth. Everything looked perfect, but the hearts of the people at the table were very heavy. There was a big secret in the air. It was a secret that had been growing for many years. It was like a big balloon that was about to pop.

Seyi looked at his father, David. David looked happy and full. He was leaning back in his chair, feeling the peace of the garden. Then Seyi looked at Aunt Clara. She was still sitting very quietly. She was looking at her hands. Her hands were folded on her lap. She looked like she wanted to hide under the table. She felt the weight of all the mean things she had done in the past. She knew that Seyi was a big man now, and she was just a woman in a mended dress.

Seyi stood up slowly. When he stood up, he looked even taller. He looked like a giant under the golden lights. He did not look angry. He just looked serious. He cleared his throat. The sound was not loud, but everyone stopped moving. David looked up. Tobi looked up. Aunt Clara finally lifted her head, but she was still afraid to look at Seyi’s eyes.

Auntie, Seyi said. His voice was very soft. It was as soft as the wind in the trees. I have something that I must say to you. I have been carrying these words in my heart for a long time. Today, the harvest is ready, so the words must come out.

Clara’s hands began to shake. She gripped the edge of the white cloth. She thought Seyi was going to scream at her. She thought he was going to tell her to leave the restaurant. She thought he was going to tell her that he hated her for making him work so hard.

Seyi looked at the trees for a moment. He was thinking about the old house. He was thinking about the cold mornings when he had to wake up at four o’clock. Auntie, he said, I used to hate you. I used to hate you with all my heart. When I was a little boy, I would lie on my small mat at night and I would cry. My eyes would be wet and my heart would be breaking. I would listen to the sound of Tobi laughing in the other room. Tobi had toys. Tobi had candy. Tobi had a soft bed and a mother who kissed his face every minute.

Seyi took a step closer to Clara. But I? I had the water buckets. I had the dirty floors. I had the long walks to the market to buy things for you. I had the hunger that made my stomach feel like it was full of hot stones. I used to think you were a monster, Auntie. I used to pray to God and ask why He put me in your house. I thought you were trying to kill me with work. I thought you wanted me to be a servant forever.

Clara lowered her head. A big tear fell from her eye and landed on her blue dress. She felt the shame like a hot fire on her skin. She wanted to say she was sorry, but her voice was stuck in her throat. She felt like the worst person in the world.

But, Seyi continued, and his voice became even softer. I realize something now. I am sitting here in this expensive restaurant. I am the Head of Operations for a big company. I drive a beautiful car. I have a house for my father. And when I look back at my life, I see the truth. I see that you gave me the greatest gift that anyone could ever give a child.

Clara looked up. She was very confused. A gift? she whispered. But I was so mean to you, Seyi. I gave you no love. I gave you only hardship.

Yes, Seyi said. You gave me hardship. But that hardship was like a school. You gave me the ability to survive anything. Because you made me carry those heavy buckets, my arms became strong. Because you made me walk long distances, my legs became fast. Because you did not give me everything I wanted, I learned how to be hungry. And because I was hungry, I had a drive to succeed. I did not want to stay in the dust, so I worked harder than anyone else.

Seyi looked at his own hands. They were the hands of a man who knew how to build things. You gave me a hunger that Tobi never had, Auntie. You gave me the power to fight. If you had been sweet to me, I might be weak today. I might be waiting for someone to help me. But because you were a monster to me, I had to become a hero for myself. You gave me the tools to win in a world that is very tough. You didn't know you were doing it, but you were making me a king.

Seyi then turned his head. He looked at Tobi. Tobi was sitting very still. He was listening to every word.

Tobi, Seyi said. Tobi looked at his cousin.

Tobi, you were the victim here, not me, Seyi said.

Tobi looked surprised. Me? But I had everything, Seyi. I had the good life. I had the soft bed.

Exactly, Seyi said. You had everything, so you learned nothing. Aunt Clara tried to protect you. She tried to keep the sun from burning you. She tried to keep the wind from blowing on you. She did everything for you so that you would never have to sweat. She thought she was loving you. She thought she was being a good mother. But she was actually taking away your strength. She was keeping you in a cage of silk.

Seyi walked over to Tobi and put a hand on his shoulder. While I was outside in the rain learning how to swim, you were inside being carried in a blanket. And when the flood came, I knew how to swim, but you started to drown. You are the one who suffered the most, Tobi. You suffered because you were never allowed to struggle. You arrived at the university with no muscles in your heart. You arrived at the world with no shield. My hardship was a blessing, but your easy life was a curse.

Tobi looked at his mother. He was still holding her hand. He felt the roughness of her skin. He looked at her face, which was full of old wrinkles and new tears. He realized that Seyi was right. He remembered all the times he wanted to try something, but his mother said no. He remembered how she would tell him to sit down while she did his work. He thought she was being kind. Now he saw that she was being dangerous.

He’s right, Mom, Tobi said. His voice was strong now. He was not crying like a baby. He was speaking like a man who finally understood his life. You didn't love me enough to let me struggle. You were so afraid of me being hurt that you made me a man who can be hurt by anything. You gave Seyi the fire, but you gave me the shade. And now Seyi is a bright light, and I am just starting to find my way out of the dark.

Clara looked at Tobi. She saw the truth in his eyes. She saw that she had made a very big mistake. She had tried to be a perfect mother by taking away all the trouble. She had tried to be a powerful auntie by giving Seyi all the pain. But life is a very funny thing. It turns things upside down. The pain made Seyi a giant. The protection made Tobi a small boy.

Clara began to sob. She put her face in her hands and she cried for all the years she had wasted. She cried for the hate she had felt. She cried for the son she had almost destroyed with her "love." She felt the shame breaking her into small pieces.

David stood up and walked over to her. He put his arm around her. It is okay, Clara, David said. The past is like a river that has already flowed away. We cannot change the water that is gone. But we can look at the water that is coming. Look at our boys now. They are both here. They are both learning.

Seyi sat back down. He felt a great peace in his heart. He had said what he needed to say. He did not feel any more hate for Aunt Clara. He felt like a man who had finally finished a very long race. He looked at Tobi. Tobi was still holding his mother’s hand, but he was looking at Seyi with respect.

I am going to keep working, Seyi, Tobi said. I am going to be the best janitor you have ever seen. I want to feel the struggle. I want to feel the fire that you felt. I want to grow my own roots.

Seyi smiled. It was a proud smile. I know you will, Tobi. You have already started. The fact that you are here in your own suit is proof that you are growing.

The dinner was finally over. The family stood up to leave the garden. They walked out of the restaurant together. They looked like a real family now. They were not hiding from each other anymore. They were walking into the night as people who knew the truth.

They got into their cars and drove back toward their homes. Tobi and Clara went back to the slum, but they did not feel poor anymore. They felt like they had a plan. David and Seyi went back to their beautiful house. But Seyi did not go to sleep right away. He sat in the living room and looked out the window.

He thought about his rise to the top. He thought about the Senator. He thought about the business. He realized that when you become a big man, you also become a big target. There were people who did not like that a boy from the village was now a boss in the city. There were people who wanted to take away everything he had worked for.

The harvest of hardship had given him everything. It had given him money, respect, and a strong heart. But now, he had to protect that harvest. He had to be ready for the thieves who wanted to steal his fruit.

Seyi said that Clara's "monster" behavior was actually a gift. Do you think we should thank the people who were mean to us if they made us stronger?

Tobi said that his mother "didn't love him enough to let him struggle." What do you think he meant by that? Can a mother love a child too much?

Seyi called Tobi the "victim" instead of himself. Do you agree that the person who has an easy life is sometimes a victim?

If you were Aunt Clara, how would you feel after hearing Seyi and Tobi speak the truth to you?

The Gift of the Struggle!

The dinner is over, and the truth has been spoken! Seyi has forgiven his aunt, and Tobi has finally found his voice as a man. The family is united.