A change in plans.

That was it. I was fed up. They didn't care about how I felt? Fine! I'll just get out of the house and leave then," I said to myself as I found my way out of the house.

Things only happened that way because I wasn't independent after all. If I had my own money, no one would treat me the way they did in that house.

It's not like I didn't know ways to make money or anything, but they were all just not the right way to do it. And the right ones didn't seem to work out for me. Besides, I'm not the only one going through a hard time. What about Lee?

He's been having a rough time lately. At least that's what I noticed, but he's been catching up. He is really strict on getting what he wants, which has helped him a lot.

Sometimes I look at my mates pulling up in those Benz or in those neat Lexus toys, living that dream life. But I knew that they had to make deep sacrifices to get there, either the right way or otherwise.

I'm not saying I want to do all they did. All I wanted for now was just some money to get anything I felt like eating, anytime I felt like eating it, enough money in my account to sort my needs, and some good drip on me. Maybe I can start achieving my dreams of being a musician from there. Then get myself a beautiful wife, with beautiful kids, and a whole lot of money my next generation couldn't consume even if they wanted to, and something similar to the lifestyle of Lil Baby.

No! I wasn't thinking too far ahead. I believe making early plans leads to early success, and that was exactly what I was doing.

I mean, it felt just like yesterday when I graduated from secondary school with my friends. I remember when we used to sneak to the studio after school even when we knew we didn't have the money to record a track. We had the talent—not to brag, we were good. We did a couple of freestyles in the studio and even the owner got impressed, but all that was holding us back now was the money. Those were good days that seem to be fading away because things didn't seem to be working out the way we planned.

Dex would have sponsored us all, being the strongest financially amongst us for now, but he had other things to focus on. He's like the breadwinner of his family after all. Things changed since he lost his dad, and he's been a great help, even to me.

I remember when we would sneak to our friend's house after school to play video games, or the times we brought our girlfriends over to Netflix and chill. Those were good times, not minding the stupid things we did together. Also, the fact that I got in trouble almost every time because I got caught, but I always felt satisfied because it was always worth it in the end. I would still spend some more time with my bros if I had the chance.

Now life is setting us apart from each other. Salem is up in school, Lee just left, and Dexter is far away. At least he's the only one I see at least once in two or three months, and I feel like the distance between all of us is breaking us apart.

I never really liked school, but I knew it was important. But I wasn't planning to depend on it in the end, not minding that I always put my best in it. But now it seemed I had other plans to add to it.

I recall when my mum took me to a priest because she felt I needed deliverance. She felt there was an evil spirit in me. She claimed I was too stubborn. At first, I thought she was joking until the day I found myself there. She lied and said we were going to get some rare ingredients for the meal she was about to prepare that night.

And what did I know about cooking back then? All I could do was boil noodles and rice—literally anything that was easy. She tricked me.

"He was brilliant, wasn't he?" the priest asked, just taking a quick glance at me.

"He has a bright future, but a hand had crept into the plans God had for him. He isn't where he is meant to be now. He is way behind the plans God had for him. He shouldn't even be in this country now. The plans God had for him are beyond your expectations. But due to your carelessness, he had missed that opportunity. He also needs to drop bad things he's been doing in his life," the priest said with a certain look of seriousness on his face.

I knew I had to at least give what he said a try. Well, what was the harm in trying, right? Besides, my life was actually a mess back then. Not like it isn't now, though. But I gave it a try. I was a determined boy who wanted riches for himself.

I remember I always told myself I was going to get my first ride by the age of eighteen. But look at me now, I can't even get myself quality clothes. Come to think of it, I have never been a fan of these spiritual things with pastors and priests and all that. Not minding that this priest in particular was a really well-known and spirit-filled man of God, just like people would say.

But even at that, I'm still not a fan of all of that. But what if he was actually right? In fact, I think he was right.

But I think I just figured something out. Everyone's got their own path in life, different paths and different destinies.

What if fraud and selling dope was my way to make it out of the trenches in life? Maybe I wouldn't do it forever, but what if it was my way out of the trenches? Then why not?

Well, I've made a new decision. I'm getting that money one way or the other. And that was final.