Friends Are Influencers

A friend is supposed to be someone you know well and like. Someone who always supports the best in you. A person who has the same interests and opinions as yours. If I can have someone like that in my life, I`ll get a clearer picture of the path I really need to take. But who could it be?

I once had a friend, I wouldn’t say I knew him well and like him. We were just naughty school kids. Maybe I should make new friends because those weren’t really friends. They were vultures in a sheepskin.

I was sitting alone wondering about what had happened when I got these thoughts.

A few minutes later, my lastborn brother came in.

“That boy is too secretive, but my contacts managed to get his banking details. It`s not in his real name, though. Now hack into his account.”

Why would he fake an account?

“I did a background check on the guy. Turns out his 2years older than me, currently doing grade8. which doesn’t make sense to me, he seems older than that phenotypically." I said, "Anyways, I hear his notorious but never went to jail; everything just vanishes into thin air. One thing I noticed is that both your records are the same. Everything links to you but there`s never enough evidence to bust you." I sighed, "Who groomed you? Wait, you groom him? Now everything is starting to make sense, I`m next. That's why I have to kill him?”

“Where did you get that?”

“I wanna meet him. Tell him I`m new in the field and it is his duty to groom me.”

“No! You can`t. You know him, you already saw him.”

“I thought so, but something doesn’t add up. The one I thought it was... is he trying to dodge tax?”

“The lesser you know, the better.”

"He's about 4-6years older than me. He's not even schooling.”

“Focus and stick to plan. Focus!”

“I got it! I`m in." I said, "Call the kid in a private number and don’t say a word when he answers. Tell me when it rings.”

As soon as it rang, I accessed his account; drained his money like dust.

Within 10seconds he was bankrupt. We then bought him a car anonymously. My brother brought the car so I could plant a device on it. After I was done, he took me home and went to give his dearest enemy a death present.

He had to die Tonight, if possible.

As I was waiting for the right time for action, I wondered. I am about to kill for my brother or kill my brother, either way, I am about to have blood in my hands. I wish I never came into this situation, I wish I never met these people. I do regret not listening to mom, not listening to my Last- born brother. Now I`m on my own, and I have to clean the mess I created myself.

As I was intending to press the buttons, I did it hesitating as my conscience spoke to me. But I guess what`s meant to happen shall happen no matter what. The car lost control and was crushed then burnt to ash. I couldn't sleep, not even bit chance.

In the morning, as I was preparing for school. That accident was broadcast on the morning live and it turns out there was no- one in that car, as there were no ashes or human bones, found.

I couldn’t believe it.

I went to look for my brother in every room of the house but was nowhere to be found. I was alone, and I had to do something.

I took my laptop and rushed to school without eating breakfast. When I got there, I sent my brother an anonymous email from overseas that offered a multimillion rands deal, it was convincing that he took a flight the same day- using his enemy`s money, of course.

After school, I went to the clubhouse to check on my friends. I was so surprised to see the Group- leader healthy and flexible. However, that’s what I was expecting. Now that I`m sure that he's not the guy I have to kill, who could it be?

Could he be working for someone else, someone younger than him? That doesn’t make sense.

“In life, nothing makes sense. You have to make sense.” said the Mystery- voice.

“I`m sure you heard the news. He almost killed our brother, now we have to act- fast!”

I had no news for them. I never thought of any. They were just a waste of time to me. But I had to say something if I knew what`s good for me.

“Aren`t you the one targeted?”

“Me, targeted? What is it you are not telling me?”

“They caught me too. I thought I had caught them, I was so close. I think they played me.”

“You aren’t making sense.”

“They threatened to kill me and my family if I don’t tell them whom I`m working for. I had to think for myself, I told them I work for you.”

“Mastermind! You messed up, big time!” said the Group- leader, “The Autocratic Family has no traitors, Mastermind. Now you have to die!”

“What was I supposed to do?”

“You wouldn’t ask if you did what we do. Use your brain, Mastermind.”

That gave them a chance to manipulate me, convinced me to do what they do but I refused. They also didn’t take no as an answer, they pushed me into a corner until I agreed- only to smoke cannabis. Not that I agreed, I did it to please them- to save my life.

I was used to smoking when I came to remember that I once said where I grew up is a place I`ll think of first when I make it in the future. So I never thought it would be a big deal to look for dreamers nearby and what was nearer to me was my friends; I just hope some of them are dreamers.

All I want is a friend, but I`m surrounded by friends. Friends that might be dreamers, friends that might be vultures. Are there dreamers in the real world? Is this why my brother once asked me if I would still be a dreamer should I get to experience this life?

The only way to see if my friends were dreamers was if I could tell them my dreams, they have to relate.

During our smoking session, out of topic. I asked them about dreams and stuff. Whatever I said or asked, they never gave me clear answers and most of the time they`d laugh as if I made a joke. I started doubting myself, but then I thought maybe they wanted me to lead by example.

I gave them a vision of my dream, and as I was speaking they all became quiet, quiet as if they were in a library. I got a spotlight like I was on-air on a radio and they were listeners. Like I was a teacher in front of learners with different dreams and talents, guiding them to choose the right path- a path I also don’t know.

I spoke like it was my last chance too, and when I stopped, there they laughed again. I felt like an idiot, I couldn’t understand who was stupid between me and them.

One thing my brother told me was to never go in a wind`s direction not knowing where it will ditch me. I wanted to know why they don’t believe in dreams if they were ever dreamers. I wanted to know why they classify negativity as reality and positivity as a dream.

Later, after they smoked this flakker drug. They started acting weird- like they were some kind of zombies.

I took that as an advantage of getting what I want to know. I questioned them like hell. I pushed, and pushed, and pushed until they coughed. But what they said is not what I wanted nor expected to hear.

They told me that I was dreaming, that I was narrating a fairy-tale story. They told me that I should wake up and face reality since sleeping makes me imagine lies. This time around, not even one of them laughed.

That made me feel guilty, guilty of being a dreamer, guilty of being positive. Such friends I have. Not even one supported me, all they did was to give me problems- not solutions, yet I came to the outside home world for solutions- not problems.

I guess this world isn’t meant for people like me.

Albert Einstein once said that one should never judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree because that fish will live its whole life believing that it is stupid and useless. So I put friends in the spotlight, not only do they make a fish climb a tree but also make them climb down and do a 10mile run.

Now tell me friends, are you proud of the things you have done? Making millions of children believe that their stupid, useless, and even worse, you steal their dreams by brainwashing them as much as you can.

So friends please explain why you treat us like cookie-cutter frames, giving us this “one size” fits all crap! Maybe if friends didn’t exist things would be better, maybe all our dreams would have been achieved and by then dreamers would be winners.

I just couldn’t hold the thought of being a loser, having to believe that some things in life are impossible to achieve. Living the life thinking I can`t reach the top- I just couldn’t hold onto that.

There is this story of an Eagle- chicken. It is of an Eagle that grew with chickens, believing that it is a Chicken even after it saw one of its kind flying high in the sky, higher than how the Eagle- chicken would imagine itself flying. There is more to the story, the Eagle- chicken didn’t wake up and believe that it is a Chicken but it tried, by all means, to fly high like the king of the sky, it made flying its everyday hobby. It kept practicing though there was no progress. It kept pushing and pushing until it had a chat with one of the chickens.

One thing I don’t understand is why do we think we know the future, I mean not all of us have a prophecy calling nor lantern eyes but we like to predict the future. Also, not all of us are good at giving advice; like that chicken, it thought it was giving the Eagle- chicken a piece of positive advice by telling it that it will never fly like The Might Eagle and it will always belong to the ground with chickens but when those words reached the heart of the Eagle- chicken, it wasn’t words of advice but words that broke its heart and self-esteem. Those words made that Eagle- chicken feel like a useless piece of trash. The Eagle- chicken chose to be a chicken whilst it had a chance to be an Eagle it was born to be.

I guess some things are never meant to happen.

That’s how I see the outside world, I feel like it is useless, and the same goes for its people. We may live in the era of the fourth industrial revolution but it doesn’t mean one should live for today and forget about tomorrow. I feel like these people have given up in life, everything they say is bad news; like that chicken.

It was almost 9 pm when I came to realize that I was still in the school uniform. I went home immediately- high as I was.

When I got there, they hadn’t gone to sleep yet. From where mom was sitting, she could see my whole- my walking balance, my face, eyes; everything.

“Are you drunk?”

I laughed at her, “Me, drunk? I`m allergic to alcohol, mom! Night, everyone.”

"Where are you going?" she said, "Come back here."

"To sleep, Mom. I love you!"

In the morning, I was disappointed in myself. To remember what had happened yesterday, I told myself that I`ll never set my feet at the clubhouse again. I know it wasn’t my first time saying that, but it was my last.