THE EARLY BIRD CATCHES THE WORM
There lived in Gwabi two friends whose names were Francis and Chukwuma. They were intimate friends and their friendship started from childhood. These two friends were brought up in the same village where their friendship began. Their friendship continued after leaving the village and decided to settle down in Gwabi. In Gwabi. these two friends went into the same type of business of fabricating spare parts for industrial machines.
Francis and Chukwuma were in this business for a long period of time, struggling very hard to make a living. Though Gwabi was a big city that was full of opportunities, these two friends toiled daily to eke out a living. It got to a time in their lives of struggle when they thought that they were dogged by misfortunes. Hard as they struggled daily to eke out a living. difficult was it for them to make an headway. "I don't know why we are unlucky. Those who started after us are doing well". said Francis. As despondent as Francis was, he continued to struggle hard with his friend, Chukwuma, serving as a source of encouragement for him. "Don't be discouraged because I know that our own time will come". Chukwuma always said to his friend and business partner.
The story that changed the misfortune of one of these two friends started with Chukwuma's business trip to Gwandu, a neighbouring city to Gwabi where he and his friend, Francis, were living. Chukwuma had traveled there to buy some metal scraps with which they would fabricate some tools in their workshop for a company that had asked them to make the tools for its factory. After buying the metal scraps, he ran into lfeanyi, another friend of theirs. Ifeanyi had become a successful businessman and he had just arrived from an overseas trip. Chukwuma narrated the hardship and difficulty he and his friend, Francis, were passing through in Gwabi. lfeanyi then promised to introduce them to a man who helped to give him the opportunity to break even in his business of selling vehicles.
When Chukwuma got back to Gwabi, he told his friend how he met Ifeanyi and the promise that he made. Two weeks after Chukwuma and Francis set out for Gwandu to see Ifeanyi. They went to meet Ifeanyi in his office through the address he gave them. After entertaining them, he took them to Chief lberemadu who after listening to them promised to help at least one of them to travel abroad where he would have the opportunity to stay, depending on the readiness of any of the two friends to make a good use of the opportunity. Chief lberemadu asked them to come back in one week's time.
On the day that they were to come and see Chief Iberemadu, Francis woke up early in the morning to wait for his friend, Chukwuma at their workshop where they had agreed to meet by 5.30 am. He waited for Chukwuma to come for thirty minutes before setting out for Gwandu to see Chief lberemadu. Francis got to the Chiefs house at 6.45am and the Chief gave him the document with which he would travel abroad and a cash donation of five million dollars.
Chukwuma arrived Chief Eberemadu's house at 8.00arn with lfeanyi. The chief welcomed them and said that he had given all what he intended to give to Francis because he made use of the opportunity he offered maximally. There was nothing Ifeanyi could do to make the chief change his mind to help Chukwuma. He then turned to him and said that, "the early bird catches the worm."