(Continuing from last week)…
Then, smiling broadly in a manner reminiscent of popular talk-show hosts of the 80s and 90s, he read from cue cards her successes to the delight of the studio audience. Then, turning to Ola, he asked an unexpected question.
“Ms. Ola, are all these things true,” he asked, looking intently at her.
“What do you think,” Ola responded, revealing her pearly white teeth in a flashy smile.
“Well, if you must know Miss Ola, public opinion holds it that your story is too good to be true.”
“I am not surprised,” Ola said. “Given the mindsets that have dominated our part of the world and us as a people, it is rather unusual to see someone like me successful. It would have been fine if I was broke and sick. It would be considered normal. But when someone like me succeeds, it becomes abnormal. Can you relate?”
She went on to describe circumstances that surrounded her birth. Her mom had passed on due to complications at childbirth, but somehow, Ola survived. Her father was unknown to her. Her mother fell pregnant as a teenager in school and attempted to abort her but failed. So, Ola grew up with an aging great-grandmother who was too weak to work and provide for herself and her great-grandchild. It was probably a blessing in disguise, according to Ola. Her living conditions with her granny pushed her to become enterprising at a very tender age. She learned to cultivate groundnuts that she harvested, boiled, sold, and made money for groceries for herself and grandma. They raised local chickens that she sold at the local market. The vegetable garden next to the old building that was their house produced large quantities of cabbages and tomatoes. Granny taught Ola to cultivate the garden. So, she did and sold the vegetables to their neighbors.
In her own words, the difficulties she encountered became the driving force that cultivated in her the spirit of entrepreneurship. Granny introduced her to the local church assembly, and she took a liking to the Bible that became the first book Ola learned to read.
Then, starting at the very beginning, Ola began to recount the story of her life. She said she needed to do so because she knew just too well that some young girl out there was about to experience a turn-around in their lives as they listened to her true story.
“I am going to start at the very beginning. I will talk about my upbringing, our living conditions, my great-grandmother, and the lessons she taught me. I will equally tell you how I started to make money, how I learned the important lesson of giving, how I resisted all sorts of temptation, and how I got to where I am today,” Ola said. There was a roaring round of applause from the audience as the talk-show presenter announced a commercial break.
(To be continued)
Ola was and is an avid reader. What about you? What have you been reading lately? Editors all over the world suggest books that matter to those who wish to improve their lives. Here is one of such books. Click here.