Beast of Burden

He remembered the pressure
His friend was having a party
They were all teenagers
It was the days when Bikers, 
Sanches and Chelsea boots were
the rave!
If you don't have it you are not a
hard guy
The least you ought to do was Moccasin 
or loafers!
Those were the 90s
Michael Jackson was the dance that reigned
Shaggy, Chakademos and Pliers, Shakira
Mariah Carey, Toni Houston, Boys 2 Men
Those were the days 
He had "wonders" in his heart
But he was powerless to execute them
All hed had were a pair of rubber sandals
His parents were too poor
He couldn't catch the groove of that moment
He watched his age mates living the life
He was totally left out
It was brutal!
Not measuring up to his peers
Not being among
Being looked down upon as a nobody
Sometimes he would hide whenever
his age mates in the estate were having a
party
He was good at playing football but
he had no kit
They, on the other hand, were average players
but they come to the field heavily kitted
Sometimes the players would abandon
the game to just admire the kit
a talentless "peacock" wore to the field!
He hated the fact that he was born poor
Then the game changed
His friends started driving 
They were all between fifteen and seventeen
Their parents allowed them to drive
They would even drive down to the field
for football games
Or to parties in fancy clothes
They all wore designers
He hated it
He hated the fact that he was born to
"Never havers" and "Always lacking!"
Her father was a cupboard full
of excuses and complaints!
Her mother was always silent and praying
Doing nothing but praying for a change
He hated prayer
It was a convenient excuse for the 
lazy to pretend to be doing something 
while doing nothing but talking
and grumbling and complaining about
a situation he or she could change
He needed his friends to like him
He didn't want to be seen as the guy
who didn't belong
Some of his friends in the estate 
were nice 
They would ask him to follow them
when their parents sent them to do chores
He would watch them shoot pool
or play table tennis
There were lots of gaming centers close
to his estate
He was introduced to cigarettes and 
alcohol and later marijuana
He later joined them in chasing girls
It was the normal projection of life
He missed out on so many waves
and opportunities to shine
That he was born without a spoon
does not mean he should die without
enjoying the pleasures of life
His parents did the best they could
He graduated with good grades
He got a job
Finally, he was empowered to make 
his own mark on life
He lived for the thrills 
Sex with whosoever was available
Booze, cigarette, Ecstacy, Shisha,
clubbing, shows...
He hit money and he spent money
He lived on the fast lane
He lived for the pleasure
He made certain kind of friends
High spenders who only came out
of the shadows when there is money
When they are broke they would
sit in a place and eat whatever was
available
Always waiting for the next heat
that will push them back to the top
of the wave
He bought a good car and furnished
his apartment 
He dressed well and minded his business
He tried as much as possible to keep
away from crime
It was tough because his lifestyle
attracted many criminal elements
Easy money and easy spending is
touch for the average responsible person
He kept his responsibilities at a bare
minimum so that he can spend on himself
and ride the waves of pleasure
He didn't have any permanent girlfriend
Relationships were too expensive
He met a girl, the girl saw potential
thinking he might be the one
The girl will open her legs
They will sleep together for a while
The girl would see that he was not
interested in anything other than sex
the girl would leave and another girl
would take her place
He didn't have to break up with anybody
or ask anybody out
He was dripping with honey
The ants must locate him
That was the reality of life
When he was thirty-six things suddenly
took a nosedive
He couldn't explain why
He still had a good job
He lived in a good apartment
He was living the life he wanted
But the zing was gone
He drank more, slept with more 
ladies
Did more of Marijuana, even did 
some blow
The thrill was gone
It was as if he was in a permanent 
state of deflation
It was as if he was becoming a ghost
He lost his shine
He lost his glow 
It was the curse of Ecclesiastes 
Nothing mattered anymore
He had seen friends hit it big
only to die like dogs
He had seen friends not making it
only to die of suicide 
He had seen beautiful girls turn
into empty shells upon scrutiny
It was all a mirage
Like a big fat lie life has played
upon everybody
Nobody will live forever
Nobody will be a superman
Death is a curse on all
And pleasure is not better 
than pain
Eventually, he was advised to see
a doctor
A psychiatrist!
It involved a lot of talks
Session after session
trying to make sense of the tatters
He had been broken beyond repair
He knew it
The psychiatrist was hopeful it was
a blip
But it was not
He went back to work
He went to the club
He met a girl
They drank and smoked and seemed
to be on a wavelength
Another guy came for the guy
He was offended 
He didn't bring her but the girl
laked him more and felt him more
It became a fight 
He was never violent 
But it was a thrill he felt
an adrenaline rush
His finger tingling, his heart pumping
Finally, he felt alive again
He went for it
The pain was as exciting as pleasure
They had a bad fight
each inflicting as much damage as
he can on the other
The bouncers came in and threw them
out
He got in his car
The other guy got in his car
He started the car, reversed it and
rammed it straight into the other
guy's car
He was as mad as a hatter 
The other guy barely escaped with
his life
Madness has a boss!
He won the madness contest
He was arrested 
He was bailed by a friend
He paid for the repair of the car he 
damaged
He lost his job weeks later
He just didn't feel like working
anymore 
He was tired of answering to people
He was on a roll
A wrecking roll
A roll to self-destruction
There was pent up energy within him
He was angry all the time
Snapping at everyone like a pitbull
Just waiting for a release, a blowup!
He was at the filling station one 
Saturday when a former neighbour
saw him
The lady an elderly widow got
concerned
she called his name 
He turned around and greeted her
She said "What are you doing here"
He couldn't answer
He really didn't know
He just left his house that morning
and started walking about
He was sane and fine
He wanted to take a stroll but it
became a walk and later a marathon
walk
He was very far from home
He just needed to see life and get 
tired
He needed the release 
She gave him a phone number
She said "Call my brother, call him today
he will help you"
She did!
She called the Brother in jeans and T-shirt
He said "I was told to call you
I was told you can help me
I have a burden, a huge load on my mind
I cannot get rid of it
I am empty yet I am carrying a burden
I cannot explain it
I feel overwhelmed and spent
I am tired of everything"
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
has seen it before
He had also been there 
They talked
he told him about Jesus
The Brother in Jeans and T-shirt 
asked him if he would like to give 
his life to Jesus
He said "Yes"
THe Brother in Jeans and T-shirt
led him to Christ
He got filled with the Holy Spirit 
Hallelujah!!!!!!!
The joy of the Holy Spirit was
instant
The Volcano threatening to erupt
within him erupted
Instead of destruction, he cried his
eyes out
The tears flowed freely and for
hours
When he was done, it was done!
He had become light
All things have become new!

PS: The change was instant
He said he didn't leave his house for
a week
He just read the book of John over
and over and prayed in tongues
He was offered a job as a partner
in an investment firm
He took the job
Old habits died instantly 
He joined a local church and grew
He got married in July 2018
The sister he married was a 29 year
old worker in the Church choir
They had their son, named "Adeife"
"Crown of love" in October 2019!

GSW's notes: Sin is a burden
Jesus told the people to come into
his rest
He told them to leave the yoke of sin
and the burden of pleasure
There is a higher life
A better life
A greater thrill in the Holy Ghost
We have the best of all things
Enter His rest today