• By Godheard King

The enterprising Bill Adelowo!

A guy I knew once, who loved his privacy and private life above every other, went about his own way quite easily and did well without reaching out to anyone. Fairly at ease in his own skin, as you’d expect of a true gentleman, some might say; but he is known for saying he would not detain anybody for the world. No, he hates disturbing people. He hardly greeted strangers, young and old, out of sheer timidity, and when he did greet, he did it warmly. We were merely his acquaintances and nothing more, for everyone knew Bill had no friends nor foes. He seemed to always shun the company of others with whom he was in the same boat. Amusingly, he often tried to excuse himself from the slightest contact with the opposite sex: I guess this is what pulled them to him, for girls used to flock around him back in the day.

It so happened that he failed in some of his aspirations, which I presume distracted him from an association in the first place. This failure plunged him into utter loneliness. He confided in me that he had never felt so lonely despite having been alone for a long time. He felt something was wrong in his life, that something had been wrong all along. Now he was suddenly coming face to face with his inclination to be all by himself, to do things on his own.

Afterwards, he began to console himself by sleeping for long hours, socialising intermittently and frequenting cafeterias for no reason at all. This instant awareness, nay discovery, surged through his veins, got his adrenaline pumping, injected him with tremendous energy that made him crave the company of other people.

Brother Bill started attending fellowship regularly, and no sooner than later came across that Scripture that reads “Two are better than one”. He had fallen and now there was no one to help him up; He, however, refused to stay in this ditch and buckled down to connecting with his mates and meeting new people with such passion you would never have imagined he possessed. He also graced functions and seminars solely for the purpose of networking. The more he did these, the better he got at breaking the ice and building relationships that eventually became investments.

He lost himself in forming friendships, even going beyond giving himself to giving his love away. Yesssss. He opened up his mind and heart to others. Before he knew it, love (or was it lust?) found entrance into his heart which once was well fortified and watched. An excess of some tender passion for a maiden named Daisy crept in unawares. He began to fantasize about Daisy; Bill basked in the imagination of what could become of him and her. He was set up and entranced by her grace and poise until she became the sole presence in the temple of his heart. Daisy knew none of it, and if she did, she either avoided him or feigned pretence. When he began making advances, she warmly allowed him to express himself. Then having long lost himself, he got giddy as soon as February 14 approached. His erstwhile calm, sober soul which had started to dance madly to the music of passion drove him to ask Daisy out on Valentine’s Day. As she had yet to let her guard down, however, and sensed what was going on, she restrained her communication with him, and the boy’s loneliness began creeping back in, more acute than before, like the return of the demon and seven greater others. Alas, Bill found out he had been served!

For the first time in his short life, he shed tears over this matter of the heart, felt the strong stab of rejection and nearly killed himself with a hunger strike. He would not acknowledge his heartbreak till eternity but he’d listened to love songs enough to realise that he had loved and lost, something most artistes say is better than to never have loved. Nonetheless, he had let Daisy go. To his mind. As he had been vulnerable once, he swore he would gladly deny ever falling or being in love, for he had fallen in anything but that.

He began yielding to the philosophy of Bacon especially on such matters, and nursed the desire to join ‘the great and worthy persons’ as a salesman, from the depth of rejection, or was it unrequited love? For hardly had he had this breakfast than he declared, “They say love is an open door, but it’s closed on me. I will from now on fling myself at the art of salesmanship. For love don’t pay the bills.”

As Bacon had advocated in his Essays, he vowed to be the wiser by keeping out this weak passion that had got the best of him. The artiste, Michael David Rosenberg became his favourite, his crooning henchman in the weakening dullness of everyday life. He plunged into the busyness of existence and forgot love.

Bill Adelowo used to be the loner-turned-lover I once knew, but he has since become a successful salesman. A Google search could convince you. Even though my friend failed at love, I am happy he didn’t fail in business. His story convinces me that all things, the good and bad, can really work together for the good of those who rightly channel their pain, hurt, anguish, bitterness, rejection, among other potential motivations, even if it is a breakfast (or is it heartbreak?)