Chapter 1

A kind and lovely gentleman he was, a bright star, lovely and highly indispensable. Gyebi loved to listen to others yet hardly contributed to any discussion and was sometimes mistaken to be a gossip or a spy. Whom would he spy for and for what reward would he be doing that? That belief was so inconceivable that people repudiated it as soon as they heard it. Everyone was unique. Few embraced that fact, though inevitable. Surely, it did wonders, yet only for the believing. Gyebi was about a foot and a half tall and a very imposing character you would not want to miss for anything. So charismatic, both in his approach and in attitude, you would never think of denying him the pleasure of having whatever he desired. Simply an unassuming, buoyant, selfless character, kindled with a definite passion for life, he was willing to help others even at the peril of his life. No wonder he exhibited great leadership skills that could not be ignored anywhere he found himself. His passion drove him beyond his dreams into worlds unknown, compelling him to see the impossible, dream the invisible, and live the unimaginable. It was such a world where no one else could dare enter with him. It would be better to leave him alone to dream and become the person he has always wanted to be. As a reward for his faith, however, he received everything he desired; so no one had the guts to accuse him of being ‘crazy’, unrealistic or a failure. Intuition told him that his time had not yet come. The same told him he needed loads of patience to get there. When, however, the moment was right, there certainly would be prompting or a sign to that effect. This confidence baffled people around him. It was a kind of tenacity that was rare and priceless. This was his time, this was his season, and he was not going to blow it! This young man believed in the saying that opportunity comes but once paid off most of the time, and bailed him out when all hope was lost. There is this one opportunity waiting to be grabbed which his life depended on. The time had now come for him to show the world how much he had bubbling inside of him. Ironically, however, each day greeted him with silence, a state which could not change his resolution in any way. He would recite his dreams to a silent world, oblivious of the many desires locked up in a heart that had no outlet for expression. He was a young boy, ready to face life’s challenges squarely by leading an honest life.

Gyebi had grown into a tall, dark, and handsome young man overnight, very hard to resist and persistent in his ways, unlike in his childhood days when he was ridiculed and nicknamed for being ugly. That did not bother him in any way; for in his own eyes, he was handsome. Of course, beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder. Perhaps, his attitude became the springboard for his philosophy about life; that when life gives you a bitter pill, you can choose to turn it into candy and life would taste much better. If it hands out lemons, turn them into lemonade. Little did he know that he was nurturing an unquenchable fire, a drive, and providing for himself a stepping-stone that would ignite his passion into fulfilment.

His critics, however hard they tried, could not quench the fire burning the inside of him. They stood defeated now because the tides turned in his favour. According to his desire and expectations, destiny prompted him that it was time to begin searching diligently for something that would change his life forever. What could that be? Was it something tangible? How would he know he needed that thing badly? If he found it, would it be unexpected? He reached out for it all right when the time was due, yet the day chose to hand him a bitter pill like an illusion. Perhaps his past was catching up with him. Was he beginning to experience disappointment once again like other days? It seemed life would not permit him to have a happy life. After several years of wallowing in the dark and now thinking it was all over, here he was again at square one! This was the last day he was going to roam about like a man seriously in search of his dreams.