Fate and destiny
It’s always been said that fate is a fickle mistress, as it
changes sides all the time. It makes you question whether or not ‘fate’ even
exists.
Destiny on the other hand is said to never change, and that
its only delayed. In that sense is it a man’s fate to have his destiny delayed?
Or he just did not work hard enough? As Africans we are always blaming fate,
destiny, witches, wizards or a supernatural being for our woes or gains. If
things go well, its our destiny, God has done us well, God has blessed the
works of our hands.
But in the event of things not working out, it is surely the
hand work of witches, wizards, or bad fate. We never imagine that maybe, there
were no works of hands for God to bless, or that our attitude might be a contributor
to the damnable fate.
This isn’t a story, it’s just me musing. I’m wondering to
what extent the fates affect our lives. How strong is destiny in the face of
laziness and refusal to push forward?
How powerful is fate in the face of a man determined to make it in life?
Weve all heard stories of children whose destinies were
stolen, (the Africans would understand this better), but did these children
grow up to wander the streets aimlessly?
It brings to mind the folktale of two young men, Gbemre and
Oshare who went to a powerful native doctor to have their destinies spelt out
for them. The fates, the native doctor said, favoured Gbemre. He was destined to be the richest man
the community has ever and will ever see in a long time. Even if he sold mud
which no one needed, he would still be rich. The wealth was so large that the
native doctor could think of nothing that could stop it. It was his destiny to
live a long and enjoyable life.
Oshare on the other hand, was destined for a life of penury.
It was his fate to die a poor, wretched man, at a very young age due to hunger.
Crops, he was told will wither when he touched them. If he attempted to rear
animals they would die of strange illnesses. The native doctor predicted he had
less than 8 years to live.
Gbemre went home happy, he married 2 beautiful wives,
decided to quit farming, employed servants, trying to get used to being wealthy
while the wealth, came.
Oshare on the other hand decided that even if he was going
to die poor and young, he wasn’t going to be buried under the sun and rain, and
started striving to build at least one hut so, he could be buried there. He did
so well, the hut was so beautiful, that his neighbor whose son was getting
married, begged him to build the hut his son would move into as a married man,
for a fee of course. Oshare decided that even if death was coming for him in the
next few days, he needed to earn money to eat till then and since crops would
wither and animals would die in his hands, he could at least build huts. Soon oshare
became known as the best hut builder in the community. His fame spread and
people contracted him from other villages both far and near. Sometimes, he and
his workers would walk for 2 days before they reached the village they were to
work. It was in such distant village, that he met a beautiful girl, who didn’t know
of the native doctor predictions, and when she was told, she refused to be deterred,
and soon they were married. They soon had children, and their children grew,
got married and had children, and everyone seemed to know of Oshare, the master
hut builder.
Oshare and Gbemre had had grandchildren when they decided to
pay the native doctors son who had taken over when his father died, a visit. They
wanted to know why his predictions had not happened. Oshare was still waiting
on death and poverty, instead, he was wealthier than everyone in the 12 clans
and 13 villages while Gbemre was still waiting for his wealth to come instead,
he had spent all his money, his wives had left him and he was now clearing
other people’s farms just so he can afford to feed himself. They wondered if
they had gotten wrong readings. The native doctor told them they had gotten the
right readings, at the time.
“Why, then, did they not come to pass?”
His reply was simple. “Fate is a fickle mistress; it changes
sides all the time”.
They were puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“Your destiny was bright or dull, but what did you do about
it? Did you work toward it, or in your case Oshare, did you do everything to
prevent poverty? At the end of the day, we all shape our own destinies and
forge our own paths in life”
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.
Like I said, just thinking.
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