Development On Wheels
If you recognize this flag you should be here. If you don’t, better now than later.
Faith was doing well. A lot of people were patronizing it. There was no day it wasn’t swarming with customers since it first opened. No, not until last week. What Happened? No one knew. Not even its prized customers of old. People are indeed products of influence. From the earliest day of shedding to the current 5-person constant. Occasionally, several people come in, joining the constants. They drop by to see the sensational drying up of the previously thought eternal well. The sparkle in their eyes. The pity in their voices.
Green, Red, Yellow, and Black grew up on the revenue that came from it. Now they’re grown and have traveled far. Not a nickel in contribution to the hand that fed them. If they at least bit that hand, I would’ve believed they felt something. But nothing. I was fed up with the commiserative looks. There was nothing to be sympathetic about. Everything has a boom period and a slump. I closed shop. I just needed to rebrand. Isn’t that how those banks keep chopping our money?
I never said it would be easy though. This had never happened before. I always thought essential goods never get out of demand. Who knew ‘essential’ was relative? To market soap, you first had to teach people they were dirty. I sat in a ‘tro-tro’ for 2 hours, traveling to a friend’s for advice. The shifting images as the car moved reminded me of the flow of time. How much time has passed? O how pride had filled the hearts of my siblings. So much so, that they deserted me and the mother who powdered their diapers. If they were around I could have left Faith in their hands.
“Mate, I’ll get down here”. I had reached my destination. Before long I found him, my friend. He had already rebranded three times; Only he could help me. I asked all the questions I had. He listened in silence with a relaxed face. “I’ll tell you this now. You are wasting your time. You don’t need rebranding, but knowing you I’ll give you what you want”, he said in answer to my questions. At the time, I did not understand his words. He led me to another friend. In his words “The one who helped me bring back ‘Republic’”.
I followed my friend. Our travel took 2 days. We climbed mountains and crossed rivers. Why was this one so hard to reach? The end of our journey was announced by the grand mansion. The most beautiful structure known to man. And at the Zenith of it was an imposing banner. With the majestic imprint ‘Democracy’. I could only “Wow”. I was curious about who lived in such a mighty house.
Eventually, we found him in one of the rooms, no different from the rest. He was seated, looking insentient. Lackluster at best. “My Brother, I have brought someone who needs your help,” my friend said. Right before our eyes, he was instantly filled with life. Probably happy to be of need to someone. “My friends, what do you need?” he asked with the most ostentatious of smiles. “I need help rebranding. I’ve been losing customers,” I replied. Seeming rehearsed, he quickly declared, “I know just the person to help.”
Another journey began. My friend and I followed his friend. This journey took a week. Much longer than any of those before. We crossed the sea this time, and when we arrived on land, it still wasn’t over. We continued to walk for days.
At last, we had arrived. We were met with a stupendous gated estate. Thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, were gathered before the gate, chanting enthusiastically. Still, we followed him. We were very careful, making sure not to get lost in the crowd. I caught a glance of those rascals in the sea of people. So is this where they have been all this time?
In time, we were able to gain admission, all thanks to our unrelenting guide. He led us through the ‘palace’ like he owned the place. Every turn preplanned. At this point, I was sick of the motions. I had made up my mind this was the last trip. He suddenly stopped in front of a giant golden double door. Then he knocked. “You may enter,” a domineering voice emitted. In obedience, we 3 made our way in. Our leader was intrepid while we 2 tread cautiously. We imagined the fiercest of men.
The room was gloriously adorned with magnificent jewels and treasures of Gold and Sapphire, I think. In the center of the room was a towering platform with a throne at its summit, and as we had predicted, a formidable-looking figure sat atop the podium. “This man can definitely help me,” I thought. The third of us immediately fell to his knees and said, “Great one, we have come to seek your guidance.” The figure stood up and began a descent. Out of fear, we 2 friends joined the third on our knees.; not daring to look up at him.
I got chills at the sound of every step. Eager to know what will happen next. His steps paused. The room was void of sound. I could only hear my heartbeat. Before thinking, I lifted my head in curiosity to quell the suspense. Lo and behold fabrication. He was not at all what I expected. He was short and had a round figure. After making eye contact, he spoke. “So, what exactly do you guys need ?” with the dopiest voice. Instantly, the tension in the room fell, and I found myself disillusioned, wondering if this man was not a fraud.
Our cherished guide, still in character, answered, “Our friend over there needs a rebrand for more customers.” The short man roared in laughter. “You have come to the right place,” I believe he said. Then he instructed, “If you want more customers, you have to make your product seem like it meets every need. Secondly, you have to send your product to the customers until they can’t live without it, then they’ll come to you”. Hearing this, I got excited and rashly asked, “Where did you acquire such wisdom, o great one.” “Hah, that’s easy, the Bible,” ‘governance’, the short ball said.
My ears curled up, and I looked down in shame. He continued to talk, but it all sounded like nonsense now. The last thing he said was if I ever became a big name with his methods, I would have to pay him royalties of influence. I left the ‘Politics’ palace dejected and conflicted. The results of his methods were still gathered outside chanting. My friend, however, just smiled without saying a word. I parted ways with the others. The 2 had decided to go back the way we came while I stayed to at least try what I had heard.
I bought a bus and boldly engraved on it ‘Faith = PROSPERITY,’ making sure ‘Faith’ was written very faintly. I drove around preaching a ‘ONE-STOP shop’. To my surprise, business was booming. Selfishness always bought out my stock. Yet, there was no peace, no joy. No fulfillment, like in the old days. I couldn’t bear the guilt, so I sold the bus and returned home. Even if Faith was no longer as popular, everyone who patronized was full of true joy and peace, not greed.
After a long expedition, at last, I had returned home. I was greatly astonished at the scene that greeted me. There was an innumerable horde of people waiting in front of Faith. “Had they heard of my exploits abroad?” I assumed pessimistically. Even my siblings were in attendance. I walked up to a stranger and asked what was going on. “Faith has always been like that. The Clerk closed shop some time ago, and the line of people has been increasing ever since”. That’s when I finally understood what my friend said. Essential goods don’t need rebranding. The church doesn’t need to rebrand the Faith.
Truth is timeless. It never gets old.
I was finally at peace at this realization. Still curious, I asked my siblings why they were back, hoping they had returned, like prodigal sons, to serve their mother. These were their words, “It’s election year”.
Last I checked, claps are not illegal.
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If you agree or have doubts, the comments are always open for your thoughts 💬.
