"DON'T BE A THOMAS BECK" By Obi Gospel O.
THOMAS BECK is a fictional character who got lost in a bid to figure out what in life he best fit into doing. Beck, born into a fairly middle income family in Norway after the first World War, is a typical example of today's youths who wander in their quest for self-actualization.
Born into a family of four, two brothers and a sister; Beck grew up as a local farmer. Farming has been the family main-stay for at-least three generations. At tender age. he believed he could be a better farmer - he will use advanced equipment and perhaps rake in millions through farming. He saw a future in farming and decided to live by it. As Beck grew up, he found out that he there are others things he could do better - Writing, dancing and even Singing. He desired within that he could be a writer but at the time he did not see a lifetime income stream coming in from it so he do not bother exploring it further. This desire was like a fire in his bones. Last among the three siblings, Beck was opportune to be the only one to acquire secular education. He was to be the eye of the house to the rapid civilization of the outside world.
During his early childhood education, Beck is known as brilliant, humble and above all charming. He was what every parent would love to have as a child. The love of his village and the pride of his peers. Having grown from a family and community of local farmers, Beck's desire to be a better farmer was threatened by his new found love in education and learning. He wished to proceed further in it, a wish which was granted without doubt by all who knew him. After all he has the wit, the zeal and the community would readily support to augment the differences in cases of financial drift-backs. He was a indeed a star.
As student in the high school, Beck's short playwrights and poetic flavor has made him an attraction. They have brought him before great and and prominent men. On one occasion he wrote an elegy for the mayor's father who passed out a day after the Mayor was officially installed. This elegy which was circulated at the tomb side and a part of which the mayor used as epitaph for his late father became very popular in whole of Norway. Afterwards, the Mayor took Beck in as his child. Beck only saw writing as a hobby and not a lifetime profession..
Beck has three friends who were closest to him at the time - Billy, Fred and Kate. Billy and Fred were childhood friends, their families were in the same neighborhood as Beck's while Kate was his teenage love. Billy's family like Beck's were into farming while Fred's family were basically woodworkers(Carpentry). While in the high school together, Fred loved Beck's writing skills and coveted it in his heart. Every morning, he will love to read each piece of beck's writing both old and new. His love for Beck's pieces make people assume that he was parasitic to Beck. Billy was simple and orderly, his love for the farm was undaunted and visible in his every conversation. Kate was one of those such smart and intelligent girls in schools who can't take it in to be overridden in any classwork (assignment, quiz and exams) by male counterparts. How she fell in Love with Beck is a story for another day.
Upon graduation from high school, Beck's father desired that he become a farmer. the Mayor who is now his new sponsor and foster parent believed he could better individual if he studies law which was a trending profession at the time. The community on the other hand lamented of their lack to medical services since the death of the last community medical personnel who was actively serving as the community doctor till death last 20 years at the age of 78. To them, only a brilliant child like Beck can fill that gap and their hopes were high. It was at this point that Beck's life became chattered. He was confused on which of these options he will go for and what are his reasons. Beck forgot to listen within, he let the noise on the outside to becloud his judgement. He did not ask himself what he wanted to be in himself, he forgot to prune some of his innate gifting. He went on to study law.
By this time Fred has developed Beck's like flavor in his own writings, Billy has settled for large scale farming and animal husbandry and was pretty comfortable while Kate's parents has relocated her to Africa on a seemingly endless missionary adventure. Fred did not continue with his education neither did Billy. Kate's missionary adventure kept her entirely out of scene since she cannot be located in any particular country of Africa (Upon graduation from high school, Kate became so religious that she opted to leave home to ensure new coverts are brought to belief sect. Her parents has handed her over to a priest who took her along with him on his missionary voyage to Africa). Beck moved on with his study, graduated and became a solicitor. His flair for singing, dancing, poetry and short writings were long gone. Years later he rose to be become a renown solicitor in the metropolis. Many from near and distant land sought to see him. He was good at his job. His father was proud of him, the Mayor see him as his pride, his community has long forgotten his inability to bent to their desire - after all the Mayor ensured that before Beck went on to study law, a trained medical personnel from the state was posted to the community. They were all proud of him. He was an achiever, a lesson to and for all kids.
Fred though not trained in higher institution waxed very strong in his writings. His write-ups later won several nationwide and global accolades of reckon. Some of his books became best-sellers worldwide. Fred did not have a gifting in writing, he developed it by following Beck. Beck though at the apex of his career was not fulfilled. One day in his office he said to himself, "Truly, I have lost the true part of myself. I have yielded to the outside rather than to the within." He wished he could have worked more in the past years on developing his writing skills than spending years in higher institution studying law. He has read many bestselling pieces from Fred and have congratulated him severally on his exploits. He has also accompanied him in handful occasions where Fred was invited either to deliver a speech, read a review or receive an award. He wished he could reverse the hands of time so he could live his heart desire and not other people's desire for him.
Fred later won a Nobel Prize in Literature and one of his books became a literally command in higher school of learning and was used in most colleges and higher institutions of the world till this day. Beck retired from active service and his esteemed glory and impact in the metropolis seem faded away in a twinkle even before the later part of his life comes to a peaceful end.
(c) Obi Gospel O.
