Julius a young boy in his early twenties with short hair and a thoughtful inquisitive expression.

He is average height and dark skinned. Julius is sitting on a bench in front of the library at the
university of benin putting on a black t-shirt and a blue jean short. He is just staring out at the
busy world around him, he felt lost and alone as if he didn't fit in anywhere in the world. In his
eyes everyone else seems to have a place, a purpose, a calling even, everyone except him that
is but Julius felt he was just drifting through life with no real direction. With this thoughtless
expression on his face a group of students walked pass laughing and chatting and one of them
caught Julius' eyes, an average height lady with dark braids. Julius was surprised and intrigued
because as the group walked passed only her turned and smiled at him, a warm smile that
made his heart race and something about the smile made him feel a little less alone. He
watched as the students continued on their way and he couldn't help feel a sense of curiosity
about the woman who had smiled at him. He wondered if he will ever see her again.

As the days went by Julius found himself thinking more and more about the lady he had seen
on campus. He started to notice things he had never noticed before like the way the sun hit the
leaves of the tree or the way the bird sings early in the morning. Julius began to daydream
about seeing this mysterious lady again and this helped him to escape his isolated reality if only
for a moment. And then one day as he was walking across campus he noticed someone on his
usual spot "a bench in front of the library" he was curious because nobody ever sits on the
bench because it is the oldest and ugliest looking bench in campus. As he walked closer he
noticed it was thesame girl who had smiled at him a couple of days back. His eyes widened with
excitement, his palms became sweaty and they fidgeted due to nervousness and his heart raced
with both excitement and nervousness. She was a beautiful as he remembered, light skinned,
average height and dark braids on her head. She sat on the bench reading a book. Julius stood
in a daze wondering if he should approach her or not and even if he does approach her what
would be even say. So he just stood there pondering over what his next move should be. Julius
is a timid and shy young man that doesn't have any friends because of his lack of courage to
approach people both male and female, he has always been alone, secluded from the rest of
the world but this same Julius for the first time is considering approaching someone because of
her warm smile that made the world seem less lonely. Julius' heart was still racing but he took a
deep breath and walked over to the bench where the lady was sitting "hi" he said barely
audible, he continued " sorry to bother you but I just wanted to say hello. We saw each other a
few days ago and I have been thinking about it since". The lady looked up from her book and
smiled again, a smile they made him feel at ease. "Its nice to meet you, I am lisa" she replied
while smiling. And so began a friendship that will change Julius' life forever............

Over the next few weeks, Julius and Lisa became fast friends, they would meet in the library,
read books together, meet at an eatery, go to karaoke together to sing a loud. They would meet
for ice cream at a diner; their favorite spot. They talked about everything under the sun from
books they were reading to their course of study to movies they have watched and enjoy
watching. Julius found himself opening up to Lisa in a way he had never done before. He told
her about his struggles with feeling lost and directionless and Lisa listened wit kindness and
understanding and as the friendship grew Julius started to feel like he was finding his way, like
he was discovering who he truly was.

One day while they were walking through the national park at benin city Lisa stopped and
pointed to a small tree with delicate white flower. "Do you know what that is? That is a cherry
blossom tree that only blooms for a few weeks each year and then the petals fall off and the
tree is just like any other tree. But those few weeks when the three is in bloom it's so beautiful.
Its like it has its own special time to shine and then it goes back to being just another tree" she
explained. Julius thought about the meaning of what she had said and wondered if that wasn't
true for humans too. They all have their own special time to shine, their own unique gifts to
show the world. He thought perhaps he just haven't found his time to shine yet. The more he
thought about it the more he realized that maybe what he needed wasn't a grand plan or a
clear direction but simply to love in the moment and find joy in the little things. Perhaps the he
would find his purpose and as he looked at Lisa he knew he was grateful to have found her.

"Hey Lisa" Julius wave as he spotted her sitting at their usual spot, they had been dating for 3
months now. Lisa looked up from the book she was reading and smiled "hey there, how are you
doing?" Julius sat down across from Lisa but something seemed off. He looked tired and
distracted. Lisa raised an eyebrow and asked him what was wrong Julius forced a smile and told
her he was just tired from the days activities. Lisa didn't quite buy it she knew Julius well
enough to know when something is wrong so she asked again "I know you are not telling me
the whole truth. What's going on" Julius sighed and continued "i don't know, I just feel lost
again, I feel stagnant, I feel like I am not going anywhere, feel stuck in the same place I have
been all this years and I don't know how to move. Lisa's expression softened a bit "you know
you can talk to me about anything right? What is making you feel stuck?" Julius looked away
towards the empty environment trying to figure out words to explain his feelings, he finally
spoke "its just everything feels meaningless. I am not sure what I am working towards or what I
am supposed to do with my life, I feel like I am just going through the motions but I am not
really living". Lisa reached across the table and held his hands "remember the cherry blossom
tree 3 months ago? There is a time and direction for every single person and that includes you
too, you just haven't found what will make your flower blossom yet and knowing how sweet
and kind you are, you will definitely find it in no distant time. I am always going to be here for
you through thick and thin, I will always support you and encourage you" Julius left out a huge
sigh of relief. "You don't have to have everything figured out immediately, you just have to take
it step by step and we will definitely figure it out together, I care about you and I love you so
much" she concluded. Julius smiled and felt a huge weight lifted off his shoulders "I know I can
always count on you no matter what" Lisa smiled at him and just like that they were back to
their usual cheerful selves and they enjoyed the rest of their day, Julius took Lisa back to her
apartment he thanked her one more time for her encouraging words and she gave him a big
hug and Julius went back to his apartment.

As the years went by Julius found himself feeling more positive and optimistic about the future.
He still had moments of uncertainty but with Lisa by his side he was able to overcame and push
through, he also put in more effort in his education too after all he is now a final year law
student. One day as he was browsing the internet he stumbled on a website for a non profit
organization that worked with at-risk teens and youth. He was immediately drawn to the
organization's mission so he took his phone and texted Lisa all the details. Lisa was so excited
about it that she quickly called him and told bin to volunteer and help work on teens. He
volunteered and the following day he was in the office of the director of the organization with
Lisa. The director was impressed by his enthusiasm and willingness to help and she offered him
a position as a mentor to a group of younglins. Julius was so excited to get started and his first
meeting with the group went better than what he hoped for. The young people were filled with
energy and Julius found himself connecting with them on a deeper level. He knew that this was
exactly what he had been looking for. Over the next few months Julius continued to work with
the group and he saw a real change in the young people. They opened up more sharing their
hoped and dreams, they started to believe they could change and fulfil their goals. For Julius it
was incredibly rewarding to see the impact he was having on young people. After each meeting
with the group he would call Lisa and they would hang out at their ice cream spot and he would
talk to her about how the meeting went and she would tell him all about her day. They had
been dating for 3 years now, Lisa is about to write her final council exams to be a 4 degree
holder nurse while Julius was also preparing for his bar exam to become a lawyer. Everything
just seem like a fairy tale.

One day Julius got a call from the director of the non profit organization and she sounded
distressed "Julius I need you to come to the office right away there has been an incident and I
need your help" Julius' heart sank something was wrong he could feel it. He hurried there and
when he arrived the direction was waiting for him "i am afraid I need your help urgently, one of
the boys you are looking after has had a relapse he is at ijesha right now causing a ruckus there,
destroying public properties and harming people around him, he is completely uncontrollable. I
need you to help talk to him and help him out". Julius rushed outside without thinking and
headed straight to ijesha on getting there he saw the boy with a stick ready to hit an elderly
woman "kofi" Julius screamed out his name. Kofi on impulse stopped and turned around "sir
Julius, I can't take it anymore, I don't want to live any more, I just can't, please help me, help
me sir, please" Julius' face turned pale "Kofi I am here with you talk to me, is it your parents
again?" Kofi brought out a knife from is pocket "i am sorry sir Julius please forgive me" he then
stabbed himself right though his neck and the knife plunged out from the other side. Julius
rushed to meet him and held him on the floor, kofi was there gasping for air on the floor while
his blood kept on gushing out, there was now blood everywhere the blue shirt Julius was
wearing is now red. Julius quickly called a cab and rushed him to the hospital before they got to
the hospital he had died. Julius shouted and wailed, he cried and cried before picking up his
phone and called Kofi's parents, they rushed to the hospital crying and shouting. Kofi's mother
hits Julius repeatedly and shouted "its your fault, its your fault" he picked up her phone and
called the police and in less than 30 minutes two police officer was at the hospital with a
warrant for Julius' arrest. He was being charged with contributing to the death of a minor and
the evidence against him was clear after all he was at the scene of kofi's death. The family
decided to press charges against and place all the blames on Julius, they forgot about their
negligence and recklessness towards kofi, they forgot about the way they treated kofi, all the
nights kofi spent crying. They forgot how they abandoned him, they forgot how they deprived
him of his parents love, they forgot how they made him have a relapse and fall back into
depression again after doing so we this past few months, now the poor boy is dead and they
still won't take responsibilities for it. Julius just stood there tears rolling down his eyes, kofi had
confined in him about all the thing his parents did to him so he knew the pain kofi was going
through and now he is dead.

Julius was taken to the police station and placed in a holding cell where he waited for his trial.
He contacted Lisa and she rushed to the station immediately, she spoke to him, encouraged
and reassured him that she is with him through this hell but that was the last time she came to
the station, that was the last time he was able to contact her, she had disappeared from his life,
at first she was no longer picking up but as days went by her number became switched off, she
had abandoned him in prison. Julius felt like he was in a nightmare one he couldn't wake up
from he just hoped he would wake up and everything will be back to normal he would be sitting
with Lisa eating ice cream. After spending a month in the holding cell with daily beating for him
to confess he had a visitor a man. "Good day Mr Julius Okoduwa, I am barrister Ali Adewale
your parents sent me to get you out. I assure you in a day or two you will be out of this place,
please endure for a little while longer". After the meeting Julius went back to his holding cell
and he sat on the floor his clear skin is now filled with bruises, he had become black and rough,
his hair is unkept and he smelled but all he could think off was what he did to Lisa to deserve
what she had done to him, he felt dejected, rejected and abandoned the one person he relied
on, the one person he could count on left him at his most difficult time. The more he thought
the more his despair grew, he felt his world had crumbled around him.

Two days passed slowly for Julius and he was finally out of prison after being cleared of all
charges, he was in jail for a whole month but he was finally back to school and he was ready to
write his final exam which was in two days time. While he was walking across campus he could
see people avoiding him like a plague, he was being shunned and ignored like a person with
leprosy, he could hear the whispers around him. His only comfort was his room but even there
he felt the weight of the world pressing down on him. It was at this moment he made a
decision, he decided he could no longer take it anymore, constantly hounded and judged, he
could no longer take the memories of kofi dying right before his eyes, the memories of being
abandoned by the one he loved, he decided to drop out and go back home. So, he packed his
bags booked a cab and traveled back home. The cab dropped him facing a sprawling luxurious
mansion with a grand entrance complete with a sweeping drive way and a fountain on the
front. As he stepped inside he was greted by a sweeping floor to ceiling windows that let in
plenty of natural light. The furnishings are all top of the line and there are art works on every
wall. The kitchen is state of the art and the bathrooms are marble clad and spa like. There is
also a home theater, a library and a wine cellar and ofcoirse the grounds are spectacular with
perfectly manicured gardens, a sparkling pool and even a tennis court. The building is the
epitome of luxury and comfort. There are numerous staff everywhere to take care of every
single need of the mansion and this is just one of the many mansions owned by the Okoduwas
around the world. As he stepped inside he meets a man in his late 50s tall and distinguished
with salt and pepper hair and a woman in her middles 5os elegant and poised with a classic
sense of style. They are both well dressed and impeccably groomed with an air of sophistication
about them, they exude confidence and class.

Julius walked up to them with his face downwards "mom, dad, I am home". The man in his late
50s turns, looks at him and heave a sigh of anger and discontent "Julius you disgrace, you finally
tarnished my image, you have always been the black sheep of the family the bad apple the
broken egg, look at yourself, you got arrested? The audacity and for what? How dare you even
set foot in this house? How dare you show your face before me? Do you..........." " that's enough
honey" he was cut short by the woman in her middle 50s "he is too insignificant for you to be
bothered about him, don't worry and just rest my dear. As for you Julius go to your room and
don't step out till you are returning back to school whenever that maybe." "I dropped out
mom" retorted Julius. "You did what?" Shouted his mom "are you drunk? What is the meaning
of your life if you can't even finish from the university? Can you see what your younger brother
has attained in life, you are 23 years old and you are dropping out while your younger brother
who is 21 is already inheriting your fathers position in the company, you are just a disgrace to
this family and to our name." His dad just sat down and shook his head in utter disgust, he
couldn't bare to look at his son. Julius finally spoke out "You both have always been like this,
you have always castigated me, you have always made me out to be a disgrace, nothing I ever
did has ever been good in your eyes, you have always abandoned me, no matter how hard I try
to seek your attention i always failed, you never looked at me, you alway blame me for every
misfortune that befall this household, I have never been seen by my parents, I have always
been isolated by you, what did I ever do to you what did I do to deserve this, you always
uplifted Jackson even if it means bringing me down, you gave Jackson all your attention and
time, you took Jackson on rides and left me alone with the maid, you took Jackson on vacations
but left me with the maid, all you have always cared about is your money and Jackson I was
never in the picture. With a the money in the world all I ever wanted was to be seen by both of
you but I guess it will never happen". His mom snapped back "are you done?" His dad snapped
at him "go upstairs and don't come down we don't want to see you". Julius walked up the stairs
he sat on the floor and felt the world was coming to an end, he could feel his life drifting away,
he was losing his mind, he started to argue with himself, he started to scream at himself and
just then his phone started to ring an unknown number was calling him, he almost didn't pick
but something in him clicked and he picked up. "Hello" he said tentatively. "Hi, its lisa, I just
wanted to talk to you, to check up on you and to explain what happened, can we meet?". Julius
paused and hesitated for a minute, he wasn't sure what to do, he didn't know how he will react
if he saw Lisa again but he agreed "okay, where and when" he said. Theh agreed to meet at
their usual spot. He had not seen Lisa since the one time she came to see him in prison, he
didn't know what to expect.

When he saw Lisa sitting at their spot he felt a wave of emotions wash over him. He felt anger,
sadness and confusion all at once but as he saw down and Lisa smiled at him, he felt the world
had stopped me he felt strength building up within him again "stop" he shouted, "stop smiling"
he repeated. "I am sorry" began Lisa, "I didn't mean to hurt you, I never wanted that" "but you
did" shouted Julius. Lisa continued "I was scared", "scared of what" retorted Julius. "I didn't
know what to do, my parents heard about the arrest and told me to stay away from you, I was
too weak to go against their wishes, I should have been there for you, I should have fought for
you, for us, I am sorry Julius" Lisa paused with tears in her eyes. Julius had not cried since kofi
died he had being fighting back the tears but seeing Lisa and hearing her voice was too hard for
him, his heart was being crushed, he felt weaker than ever, he felt vulnerable "you broke me,
you left me when I needed you most, you were the only person I could rely on, the only person
I could count on, I could confide in but you left me" he stood up and his chair scraped on the
floor loudly "I can't do this" his voice was shaking, "leave me alone" he turned to leave and Lisa
begged him not to go with tears rolling down her cheeks but Julius didn't stop her walked out
and went home, he took his bad and went to the airport as he boarded a plane to USA.

As the plane took off he gazed out the window at the clouds below and the clouds made him
feel safe, as he watched the clouds he could see a glimmer of hope in the clouds. "Maybe this is
what I need to do" he thought. He stood up from his seat walked to the jump door of the plane
to get a better view of the clouds and as he stared at the clouds from the jump door he left out
a sigh of relief and jumped out. He fell from 20,000 feet above ground and the moment his
body collided with the floor a big thud was heard and his body turned into a million pieces. He
took the easy way out, he couldn't persevere anymore and he found a way to escape from
everything the easiest way out DEATH.

THE END