LOVE, SUCCESS & FAILURE

LOVE, SUCCESS & FAILURE by M.B.O Owolowo

Love, the consequence of success and the manifestation of failure.

It is very difficult or nearly impossible to determine if the relationships you are involved in are real or fake.

Let's take Mr X; he has always been extraordinary at what he does. Good student, posh education, good job. He gets people around to laugh even to the driest of jokes. People were always willing to do favours for him. He mentions his last name in some quarters and requests are met, he didn’t need to stress himself for anything.

He meets a beautiful woman who professes love to him, and they later had an elaborate wedding. His new wife has all the money she can spend and he keeps her happy by meeting all her financial demands. She calls him ‘honey’, ‘sweetheart’, ‘baby-boo’ and all the lover monikers under the sun. He often boasts about how much his wife loves him to his friends and colleagues.

Then there's Mr Y; he is wondering why his life is the way it is. He struggled through school, got no favours and has a lousy job. He was fortunate to get a wife who respects him. She supports him; she shares his dreams and gives him hope. She is very optimistic about the future and content she at least found real love.

In a reversal of fortune, Mr X loses his job, spends his savings to keep up appearances and satisfy his wife's needs. He eventually exhausts his funds and has to resort to selling assets to survive. His wife begins to disrespect him, she constantly laments and nags about the situation, starts comparing him to his successful friends, says he's not a real man and calls him a huge disappointment. She said she didn’t sign up for this and told him “I don't love you anymore”, before leaving his broke ass. It was then the reality hit him hard –he asked himself “what is love” and accepted there was never really love. Basically Mr X never really struggled for anything in his successful life but now has to deal with his supposed failures, including the loss of the “love of his life”.

Mr X thinks it’s time to commit suicide. He tried to drink poison, but he regurgitated the concoction and miraculously survives.

He decides to hang himself, but the rope snaps from the ceiling.

He attempts to jump off a bridge but lands on a moving truck.

He then came to the conclusion it wasn't his time to die. However, he managed to sustain some injuries during his suicide attempts and eventually got admitted to the hospital for recuperation.

Whilst at the hospital he became close to a fellow patient. They had general discussions on life, trials and how tables can turn in an instant. They exchanged details and promised to keep in touch.

A few weeks after they were discharged, the fellow patient contacted him to ask if he was interested in joining him for an entrepreneurial adventure. His new friend said he had been conceptualising some ideas but needed someone with his expertise to help actualise it, and may be nurture the business to growth.

Mr X wasn’t doing much with his life, so appreciated the gesture and gladly accepted the offer. The business became very successful and Mr X got his life back on track. As time went by, he started to appreciate all the things he had taken for granted in his previous life and turned a new leaf.

He realised his marriage wasn't founded on love but materialism. He came to appreciate the best things in life were actually free and learnt a lot from his new business partner.

So who was this business partner? It was none other than Mr Y.

How did he end up in the hospital? His wife was diagnosed with appendicitis and had lost a lot of blood. He decided to donate his kidney to his wife despite his frail health: he was willing to risk his life to save his wife. Unbeknown to his wife, he had been donating blood to make up for their bills at home. This made him very ill afterwards and so was admitted to hospital.

It was in the hospital the paths of Mr X and Mr Y crossed and they got to share their life's stories. Ironically, one man was trying to take his own life and the other man was trying to save a life.

Following the success of the venture, the money didn't affect the life of Mr Y and his wife adversely; it only consolidated what they already had. This is because they were real people and their relationship was founded on true love.

Oh Yes! Lest I forget Mr X got a call from his ex-wife, she tried a spirited comeback after hearing of his profound success, but he wasn't having any of it- told her to beat it!

Mr X has since found true love with the nurse that took care of him while in the hospital. Like Mr Y, he is happily married with kids.

Not everybody gets a second chance in life, so be very careful who you marry, your spouse can either make or break you.

You might never know what true love is until it is tested. True love can't be bought, but will surely withstand the tests of time.

This is dedicated to all the real women out there- keep your head up!

- M.B.O
2013©