The New Dawn

By Chibuike Iroegbu

Princess awoke first. It took her a minute to get her bearings in the unfamiliar realities, unexpected playouts around her and the realities the world is unveiling. Then she saw her brother and then remembered her parent with a start. Quickly looking around the little cottage, and not seeing them, she shook her brother to wake him.

“Wake up”, she said to her brother. “Where is daddy? Did you see him leave?”

Her brother quickly sat up, wiping his eyes. Then he tried to remember the events of the previous days and then came cascading down upon his still wondering mind.

Glancing around with no idea of what to do, his brother shouted.

“We had better go search for him.”

We come to appreciate the importance of the old days when they are no longer with us, which actually begins a new dawn. It can only be a new dawn if the instructions and trainings were heeded. We often forget where we come from when nobody is there to guild our path.

Quickly gathering, getting set to go look for the source they believed would always be there to supply the needs, they started to bolt through the door as they are set to look for their parents.

Princess looked out to discover her daddy coming from a distance like a man who had set out very early.
Very happy at the sight of her daddy who had always been available for her and her siblings.

As her daddy drew near, Princess was the first person to reply, “Daddy we have been looking for you and mummy,”

“I hope that we are not putting much pressure on you and mummy with our welfare?”

“No, you will never bother me with too much. I enjoyed them because that is why I am still alive and privileged to bring you to this world.”

Princess wondered at what parenting could be like. The act of parenting is what makes families unique and exceptional. Everyone can give up on a person but not when such a person is a member of the family. Unfortunately many trade their family for business forgetting to balance business life and family life.

“I had gone to get food before your mother and I set out for the duties of the day and to also see if we could get some money for the day’s spending before we come back from today’s activities”.

Daddy, how long will you continue to do this?” Princess mumbled, feeling so bad that her parent could actually keep suffering to ensure they are comfortable even at their age.

The daddy seemed to disregard Princess’s remark and continued.

“Life draws so many lessons that must never be ignored. The road to being comfortable in life is never as clear as we would love it to be but we must ensure we clear the parts to access the road”.

That struck a chord in the heart of Princess who had never heard her father speak like this about life. All the while she was growing up, she had never thought life to be hard at least the celebrities she had watched all her life, never posit to suggest that life is thorny especially when the vital essence of life is blatantly neglected. Such neglects could be as a result of not preparing enough to face the realities of life as many would call it. How prepared you are to face the future would depend on the stories after all.

The dominion mandate is not near reach until the fighting spirit of a giant is alive but that is not without the help of directions from the right places. Such directions as it come open up doors of possibilities when heeded.
Stunned, Princess quickly interjected, “Daddy, we have always watched people who never seem to have any hard time facing life. Please do not make us see otherwise.”

The father looked up at Princess and asked patiently,

“Do you not know that the seed you sow is the same to expect doing harvest?”

Princess and her brother looked at each other, and then she answered, “Yes we know”! Then her father said, “It is not enough to desire the pearls of life as well as the bumper harvest but there are sacrifices that must be put in place for the expected results. This is very true but not all sacrifices produce the right expectations, replied Princess.

Princess and his brother pondered this for a while and wondered such sayings, knowing that it is getting emotional. They were surprised at what life entails and such bitter truth could not come any better than their parents.

Beckoning them to sit down, the father said, “Understand that a day will come when you will look for someone to run the errand, to make the sacrifices, to get all your needs supplied and will not see. At that time, you will pay those prices you neglected today. Until then, you must be able to stand up to the games of life, understand it and know the rules. You may not understand the rules but you must stand up for it. You must learn to engage life until you master it. You may not win all but try to win some and win enough to keep you until death. Do not think that you know enough so as not to keep learning because any time you stop learning, you start learning to fail. Real men are empowered to confront life with actions and active participation in the things that concern and determine their existence. You must learn to observe the right protocols and love the people around you. That will give you the ability and strength to face the challenges the society offers.”

As they were all gathered, they begin to notice some changes and different reactions coming up. Princess and her brother looked astonished as they watched their parent especially their father.

“I know you are wondering why I said all these things. It is true you have not heard these words like this since you were born but I said all these because of the beginning of the new dawn.”

“True,” Princess Mother replied. At a certain time in history, we are faced to either continue on the old trend that does not work or to make the sacrifices of starting the new. The things successful people have done today and the level of their successes in life were not because they inherited assets from people but they learnt how to obey the right principles of life and how to associate with the right people to learn every day and it paid off on the long run. They did not need to follow people around because the character of a man makes way from him”
As the words of her father tapered off Princess knew the reason. A cloud is about to smile on them but not with joy in its heart. When Princess observed her father and after watching him speak what seems to be a mystery, she said, “Father, you have stunned me today with wisdom beyond comprehension. If only I had known these before my graduation, I would have been better for it. I am beginning to understand the reason why I am at this level. I would have grown in wisdom if I had observed your ways and deeds.”

“You are wise, my daughter,” the Father replied.

“You were all in the world at this time with me for a purpose and the reason for this time is made manifest.
But you must understand the relevance of being productive and engaging the truths you now know even as I go the way of all men.”

The father continued; “I want to give you the last secrets to the pearls of life but first of all, you must commit to watching to the things of utmost importance. You must be someone who listens if you truly want the treasures of life to heed to your call. You must master how to care for things and people around you, which is the only way to be loved. When you care to show it through giving and blessings would come knocking at your door. Never leave the faint-hearted without comfort, if you truly want to enjoy peace. Wisdom is shown through understanding and you must seek to understand how things function and why you take every decision in life. Kind-hearted people always attract destiny helpers not those with beautiful bodies. Learn to value truths and men will respect you any day. Actions to be taken today must not be procrastinated else you will halt your advancement. Do not seek to bring people down, if you want to remain relevant and on the top. Do not forget the place of gratitude with the little you have if you wish to get things in bountiful measure. Create an environment filled with joy to shine as a light for others. Do not be afraid to face challenges, whether big or small as it enhances your personal growth. Life is a series of problem-solving opportunities to make a difference in the society. You can either be developed or defeated depending on your response to challenges. Many react negatively to challenges and resent their problems rather than pausing to consider what benefit are ahead of them.”

With these words, as they all watched, the father of Princess breathed his last and as they watched him, they discovered he was gone.

The End.