Chapter 10

"It wasn’t my fault, boy," Richard hung his head remorsefully. "In those days, my best dream was to become a professional footballer. But my parents would have none of it. So, I quitted going to football pitch. What could I have done? I didn’t give birth myself. Or could I sponsor myself in a football academy or cater for myself if they disown me as a result of my obstinacy? I’ve got no choice but to dance to the beats of my parents. I could remember being beating on several occasions in my primary school days by them when found on the pitch, by my dad, most especially."

"Therefore, you killed your dream of becoming a footballer just because of that?’’

"No, my parents killed it. They’ve wanted me to be a doctor like dad. And so, I grew up to make it a creed for myself, that is either I study hard and become a doctor or nothing else. I’d gotten no other choice either, I couldn’t go against my parents' wills.’’

"My parents also were strictly against my playing football. My mom, if not because she’s been somehow unhealthy, would’ve come here to check several times in the school. That is to see if I would be on the pitch, so she could chase me off it. After school hours, I used to be on the pitch in my primary school days in Lagos, and junior school days in the village. My parents, especially my mom, would come and beat the hell out of me. But guess what, the next day I would be there again.’’

"You were doing excellently well in your academics as well, weren’t you?’’

"Yes, I was, I won’t lie. I used to come first in my class and won many academic and sporty prizes. You’re aware I won an academic scholarship to this school, aren’t you?’’

"Yes, I’m aware. That’s one of my main reasons for calling you a genius. Football in those days made my academics suffer. In exams, I used to occupy the twentieth position out of class of thirty pupils and my parents we were so worried about that. I had to struggle to pass my common entrance exam to this college. But since I made it a creed to let pleasures and hobbies come after good results or certificates, I have been doing excellently well academically.’’

"You see, you could have divided your study and football playing time equally. They mightn’t have discouraged you from playing football if you did so, because you would have been scoring good grades in school. I used to make sure all my assignments and class lessons notes are well sort out, studied and understood in the class before going to the pitch. If you had managed your time well, who knows, you would’ve been good in both sport and academics by now.’’

"It’s already late now,’’ Richard said, shaking his head in self pity. "Just like a head which is cut off, I can’t cry anymore. I can’t be a footballer anymore. It’s a pity.’’

"If you say so, but I’m not convinced that someone could be late in pushing his long time aspirations…’’

"Oh, that reminds me,’’ Richard said, trying to make the discussion revolve around Adrian alone. His dead aspiration of becoming a footballer in future has become like a healed wound. He didn’t want Adrian to continue opening it. He tried to brighten-up his face as he spoke. "Have you ever thought of becoming a professional footballer in future? You’re a very skillful footballer. If not for you, this school wouldn’t have won the last governor’s cup.’’

"Well, I don’t think so.’’ Adrian shook his head indifferently. ‘’I rejected the offer of joining the under-seventeen national feeder’s team after the Governor’s cup.’’

"Oh, wrong decision!’’ Richard screamed in amazement, clasped his arms across his chest in surprise. "That’s a great opportunity of making it big in life. Don’t you want to be the next Austin Jay-Jay Okocha Kanu Nwankwo or Rashidi Yekini? Those guys are not only millionaires but also famous around the world.’’

"Well, everybody has different dreams and aspirations. Though, I’m good in soccer but I don’t see myself playing it all my life. Running around with a round leather object all my life?’’ Adrian waved that side with the palm. "Oh no…never! I dream of a more befitting career than that.’’

"You don’t meant it!’’ Richard’s eyes widened in surprised. "But people who’re playing professional football now, most of them are wealthier than the politicians who embezzle.’’

"You keep on mentioning money,'’ Adrian said. ’"You see, Richie, money or fame is not everything.’’

"My friend, money is a great thing. Money is very essential in humans’ life. Money rule the world!’’

"But can it buy contentment and happiness?’’

Slowly and silently, Richard shook his head negatively.

"I would only be happy and contented with the jobs after my heart. I just play football for the mere fun of it, okay? What is good for Mr. A might be bad for Mr. B. We all have different dreams, aspirations and destinies. No football career for me, boy. Even farming work would be a better option for me than soccer.’’

"You don’t mean it!’’ Richard screamed in disbelief. His arms clasped around his chest, he became startled about what Adrian’s last sentence. "You mean you’ve once thought of staying in the village like the unlettered folks, doing that rigorous farm work all your life?’’

"Who told you farming work is for the unlettered and that it is rigorous?’’ Adrian asked. He was looking at Richard with side of his eyes disappointedly like a teacher whose instruction was gotten wrong by his student. it really intrigued him that Richard could hear such unhealthy talks about farming despite not being a city boy all his life.

"My grandfather of cause,’’ Richard replied calmly. ‘’He was a farmer. When he was alive, I would visit him in the village but he wouldn’t allow me to accompany him to his farms. He would say farming work was too hard and it was for unlettered folks like them.’’

"Well, I won’t agree with that at all,'’ Adrian shook his head disagreeably. "My father isn’t an unlettered fellow likewise some few farmers I have seen in the village. The old notion that farm work is meant for the unlettered folks, and that it’s a rigorous is a pathetic fallacy. I have been living the village for years now, so I know what I’m driving at. Farming can be so lucrative and simple if modern farm implements and tools are employed.’’

"But what do you think could make my grandfather think farming is a rigorous job for the unlettered folks?’’ Richard asked, he wanted to know about farming.

‘’People sometimes get things twisted, especially when it is not working out as expected. For example, most of the farmers in my village do farm work manually, believing its act of laziness to use sophisticated modern farm tools like tractors and others. The few educated ones who knew the value of modern farm implements, couldn’t save money to procure them. Or they might be too careless to remember saving money to buy or rent them. As a result of that, they had low yields every year, making them to work like elephant and eat like the ants. But, if you ask them why they had low yields, they would say it’s because farm work is too hard.’’

"But those who have the belief that modern tools are for the lazy ones, aren’t they aware were no more in Stone Age? The world is changing with technology advancement, don’t they know that too?’’

"Yes, they don’t, I presume. Their belief I think borne out of their low level of exposure to the outside worlds, and inadequate dissemination of agricultural information to the villages.’’

"So how do you plan to change the perceptions if you become a farmer?’’

"I have planned to change this ancient belief, and improve the face of farming work in our village. Countries like Thailand and Malaysia depend mainly on agriculture, especially crop farming, and are doing so well economically. If our country keeps depending solely on mineral resources like crude oil for survival, a time is coming that they won’t be sufficient anymore, since they’re not meant to last forever. They are fixed in nature. Our country needs young, educated and vibrant youths who should take up farming as their main job and make our agricultural sector boom. This will be a second source of exportation beside mineral resources, and also made food surplus in the country. And the country will be more independent of other countries who she exports food from.’’

"I really appreciate your enlightenment,’’ Richard said appreciatively, "but most graduates prefer white collars jobs this days. All the graduates I know would never dream of doing farm work or participate in artisanship anymore. Even my cousin who just graduated last, he is still at home, running from pillar to post, looking for banking jobs.’’

"Yes, they forgot we cannot all be doing white collar jobs. Perhaps, they’re not much available nowadays because of the booming population. Our universities graduate thousands of students every year, but there are no jobs for them because the government has no wherewithal to create new ones and the old ones were taken. If the government or private individuals can contribute their quota to make agriculture grow or even artisanship, there would be enough jobs for graduating students. ’’

"Wonderful,’’ Richard said convincingly. "With your explanation, I have come to realize how good and promising farming and agriculture as whole could be. But, my parents I know so well won’t allow me to choose it as a career. You know they’re city people and white collar jobbers. I don’t think they would allow me to stay in the village, doing farming. Perhaps, I have personally come to love medicine, my future career, so much and willing to sacrifice anything to achieve it. I mean I can’t allow anything hinder me from pursing it.’’

"Well, that’s not a problem. You can take farming as second fiddle job. I mean, after you become a doctor, you can be doing farming on part-time basis. Perhaps, you don’t need to stay in the village before doing farm work. You can be in Lagos, Abuja, even abroad and doing farming work in a remote village like mine in this country. You’ll just have to employ some labourers to work on your farm, using modern farm implements you’ll buy for them. And remunerate your labourers handsomely so they could work their heart out for you.’’

"That’s a very good idea. Addie I will do that in future, yes I will. After all, it’s going to be another source of income for me. But come to think of this, you’re in art class, how are you going to study agricultural science or other farming related courses in the university? Or are you not dreaming of going to the university?’’

"I have planned to become a journalist in future.’’ Adrian bit her lower lips, tightened his face into grimace before arriving at the reply. He just wanted to chose a lucrative future career to please Richard. He hadn’t thought of becoming a journalist before. ‘’So, it’s expedient I go to university to study journalism. You know, journalists are disseminators of information; I want to work in Radio or Television station or print medium like newspapers or journals. I will be doing that on part-time basis or as a freelancer. So I could be able to do research, get new information about new ways of increasing farming yields. Also, I will contribute in agriculture journals; feature on newspaper pages or anchor programs on Radio and TV stations, I mean programs that will help my fellow modern farmers have high yields. You know, it’s said that information is power.’’

‘‘’Yes, that’s terrific plan, my agro-journalist friend!’’ Richard said elatedly, shaking his head in approval.

‘’Whatever,’’ Adrian said, waving his hands aside, not sure if there was a career called Agro-journalism or actually wanted to be a journalist.

‘'Agro-journalist,’’ Richard said again, accompanied by a short cackle. He felt proud of his intellectual ability to construct such nice word. "Hope you like the way I combined the two words to make it one?’’ Adrian was silent at Richard question. He was confused if the combination was correct or not. Richard reached out to hit Adrian on the knees jokingly, to make him reply quickly but the later avoided his hands artfully. He continued talking. ‘’Hope you’ll interview me if I become a farmer in future, how far my farming work is going?’’ Sensing that Adrian’s continual silence meant he has lost interest in the discussion, his mood has swung as usual; Richard stood up from his bed, folded one of his books and made it looked like a microphone. "I think I should dramatize what I mean to you…‘’

He put the "micro phone’’ close to Adrian’s mouth, demonstrating how news reporters interview their interviewees. Adrian was laughing he was doing so,l until something stopped the child play. What was that?