True Life Story
Condemned by fate: Patrick’s battle against a mother’s curse
By Suliah Lawal
Patrick, a young and promising secondary school student, was born into an average family. His parents had only two children, him and his younger sister, and they did their best to provide for their needs. Patrick was known for his intelligence and reserved attitude, and his parents were always proud of him.
However, in no time, Patrick’s behaviour changed. He began to perform poorly in school, became rude and wayward, and started stealing from his mates and even his parents. His mother would often sit him down and advise him to stop associating with his new friends, who were a bad influence on him, but he refused to listen.
Despite his mother’s efforts, Patrick continued down a path of disobedience and theft. He showed no remorse for his actions and refused to listen to anyone’s advice. His father became ill due to his strenuous work, and his mother worked tirelessly to pay his hospital bills. Tragically, Patrick stole the money his mother had raised to pay the bills, leaving her devastated and heartbroken.
In her grief, Patrick’s mother placed a curse on him, saying he would continue to steal like a rat until rats stopped stealing. She was consumed by sorrow and disbelief, having lost the only person who had always cared for and supported her. Patrick, still a child, did not understand the gravity of his mother’s words and thought they were mere threats.
After his father’s passing, Patrick’s mother did not last long on earth, and she passed away a few years later. Patrick’s life continued to spiral out of control, and he became a frequent visitor to the police station for his numerous thefts. He would steal for no reason, even when he had enough to eat, and his uncle, who had taken him in, struggled to manage his behaviour.
The curse his mother had placed on him seemed to have taken hold, and Patrick’s life was forever changed. He was a shadow of his former self, and his promising future had been ruined by his own actions.
After his mother died, Patrick was taken to Lagos by his uncle, where he began a new life.
However, a curse from his mother started to affect him, causing him to steal compulsively, even items he didn’t need.
Despite being well-fed, he would still steal food and often waste it. His uncle tried to curb this behaviour by limiting his meals, but it only worsened, leading Patrick to steal from others and frequently get arrested.
This curse derailed his life, preventing him from achieving a stable and respectable life like his peers.
By Suliah Lawal
Fareedah, the last child born into a family of four (two males and two females), has never experienced the love of a father since birth. It has always been her mother who has been there for her and her siblings.
Life wasn’t easy being brought up by a single mother; her mum was married to her father out of deceit. She wasn’t aware her husband had another wife, and the wife was also aware of the plan; she pretended to be the younger sister of the man.
Ever since Fareedah’s mother got pregnant with her first child, that was when their motives were revealed to her. She couldn’t believe that the man she married had deceived her; she fainted and was ready to die.
Then she remembered she had a little baby on the way. She continued staying with her husband’s first wife; things continued getting complicated for Fareedah’s mother even after giving birth.
She wanted to leave for her parents’ house, but she got sent back to her husband’s house, being told she should bear whatever she faced for the sake of her child.
Her husband started pressuring her to get pregnant again so she could bear him more children. She had no choice but to give him what he wanted. There is a difference between wanting to become a father and becoming a responsible father; he only wanted children but wasn’t ready to take their responsibilities.
Fareedah’s mother couldn’t just sit back and watch her children suffer; she couldn’t leave them to suffer because she also suffered growing up. She couldn’t get herself a decent job because she wasn’t educated; she could only start up a small business with the little money she got from her mother. She continued like that until she could send her children to school.
Her husband finally built a house for her because the fight between her and his first wife was unbearable. She moved to her own place far from her husband’s first wife.
There, she began to live happily; she got pregnant with Fareedah, and then things started to turn better.
Her business started to expand, and then she moved to her husband’s shop where she couldn’t worry about paying shop rent.
She could now eat any type of food she wanted; she was able to afford her children’s fees and sort out little bills. In no time, she gave birth to Fareedah, and her husband still hasn’t changed a bit — still that same man who doesn’t care about his children going to school or staying at home.
Fareedah grew up knowing her mother as both her father and mother. She was sent to school only by her mother. It looks very awkward seeing other people having a father figure in their lives; her friends are always talking about how caring their dads are to them, but she has nothing to say about her dad — someone who comes home three times a week and doesn’t even give room for communication.
She finished her secondary school at a very early age; she was already exposed to things her elder sister was not even exposed to. To her mum, she was the only perfect daughter she had; she was the smartest, the only one who always had this vision of someday taking good care of her mother. She was her mother’s favourite, so her mum never saw anything wrong in the things she did or decisions she made.
Fareedah has always had it that her mum has suffered a lot for them, so it’s time for her to enjoy the fruit of her labour. So, she started doing things with all sorts of men, and started having numerous boys around her. On the other hand, her mum would always defend her anywhere, saying that her daughter is the best; she doesn’t engage in any dirty thing that would tarnish her mother’s name.
She became a very beautiful woman with her certificate in no time. She was preparing for her youth services but still didn’t stop the work she was doing; she was using the money she was seeing to take care of herself and her mother. Would Fareedah be able to make her mother proud? Or would she meet her end? It is still unknown.
Esther Ademola was born in the early 1990s in the ancient city of Ibadan, Nigeria.
She was the first child of three children born to Chief and Mrs. Ademola, who were respected leaders in their community and valued education highly.
Growing up in a loving and supportive family, Esther was an excellent student and always showed a keen interest in science and technology.
She attended the University of Ibadan, where she studied Computer Science and graduated with honors.
After completing her National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) program, Esther secured a job at a reputable tech firm in Lagos.
She worked hard and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming a lead software engineer within a few years.
However, Esther’s life took an unexpected turn when she was involved in a devastating car accident that left her with a spinal cord injury and paralysed from the waist down.
Despite the challenges she faced, she remained determined and resilient, refusing to let her disability define her.
Instead, she turned her experience into an opportunity to help others, starting a non-profit organization that provides support and resources for people living with disabilities.
Her inspiring story and advocacy work soon gained recognition, and she became a sought-after speaker and mentor.
Today, Esther is a successful tech entrepreneur, motivational speaker, and disability rights advocate who continues to inspire countless people around the world with her courage, faith, and determination.
Despite the challenges she has faced, she remains a shining example of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning.
In a surprising turn of events, Esther recently met the love of her life, a talented artist who shares her passion for advocacy and social impact.
They met at a disability rights conference, where Esther was the keynote speaker.
They are now engaged and planning a beautiful wedding that will celebrate their love and commitment to each other and to making a difference in the world.
By Suliah Lawal
Olalolu, a young and intelligent secondary school graduate, was a reserved and promising individual. He had a sheltered life during his school days, but later developed an addiction to smoking and fraud.
He learned how to smoke from his cousin during his UTME exam in Ogbomosho and became addicted. Despite being reserved and calm, he struggled with this addiction, which continued after gaining admission to Gateway Polytechnic in Ilaro.
There, he met old friends and made new ones, including a neighbour with whom he started smoking Canadian loud. His new friend introduced him to pills, which he took regularly, in addition to smoking and drinking.
One Sunday morning, feeling bored, they decided to attend a church program, where they were informed about an upcoming praise night.
After a football training session one Thursday, his friends wanted to get high, but Olalolu, tired of his lifestyle and the pressure to continue fraud, convinced them to attend the praise night with him.
However, his friends took pills before leaving, and their behavior during the church service was noticeable.
They left early, leaving Olalolu behind, and had a flat tire on their way back.
Meanwhile, Olalolu was deeply engaged in the praise night, and during the worship program, the pastor delivered a message that resonated with him. The pastor spoke about someone in the congregation struggling with wrongdoing and urged them to stop before it was too late.
Feeling the message was directed at him, Olalolu decided to quit his addictive habits and fraudulent activities.
He confided in his parents, who accepted and guided him toward a new life. With their help, he overcame his smoking addiction but struggled with masturbation and pornography. Frustrated, he left school and returned home, where his parents were processing his travel visa.
This decision proved beneficial, as he drew closer to God and eventually stopped all his addictions. He has since gained admission to his preferred university and is living a fulfilling life.
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