ENVY DESTROYS HAPPINESS

CHAPTER ONE

Do not support evil even of it is working for you. The evil that work for you today will definitely work against you ham morrow.

Day by day, wale has been wondering why his long standing friend Dr. Jonathan Nneji is more successful in life than him-self.

Sitting in front of his railed two bedroom flat in state lite town was he today brooding as usual over the issue that has been given him sleepless night for so long.

In outburst of uncontrollable emotion he recalled and compared his personal background with that of Dr. Jonathan.

They were both born and bread in the same Village of Ekiti and had experienced the same village life together, nevertheless the environment and social setup in which Wale was brought up had been far better.

Moreover he has story of popular names behind him. His Father now dead was a paramount chief in the village during his life time.

His grandfather was once the greatest farmer in Ekiti the length of his it that his great grandfather a man noted for voodoos was the first person ever know to have wag eel a successful war single handedly against a neighborly village by mere indentation

Wale had for long known everything concerning Dr Jonathan's ancestry. Neither his father nor is grandfather was ever rich or influential, rather they live a sincere and honest life.

But come to think of It, he should have been more prosperous than Dr. Jonathan. Or was it because of their individual choice of courses? Wale suddenly asks himself almost getting up form is seat.

While Dr. Jonathan has taking the cause of medical practice with special bass in obstetric and gynecology had settle for mechanical engineering.

CHAPTER TWO

Since they graduated from university five years ago, Dr. Jonathan has been working in a specialist hospital in Lagos. Wale has also secured a job in Lagos as engines under the auspices of Car Assembly Plant LTD (CAL)

But on the name Dr. Jonathan rings a bell, Wale one again I thought unhappy.

In every look and corner of the city, the name Dr. Jonathan is a house-hold word and a souse of inspiration of promising Medical practitioners.

Although wale that he was competent in the chosen professions but he felt conceitedly that he is just like legendary Cinderella.

Dejectedly he raised his head and looked up to the sky above in a sorrowful manner .Then he muttered some words to himself. Faith why have you cheated me? Why should a down town boy of yesterday grow ahead of me to an admirable up town man of today?

He was still asking himself the obscene question when they heard an unmistakable sound of an approaching car.

Hurriedly he looked down and saw a peoqaot 607 saloon car. Dr. Jonathan was inside it, the last person he wanted to see now! In a moment the car stopped in front of him and Dr. Jonathan a tall handsome slimy built fair complexioned man came out.

Like a morning glory coming up to the opening of the day Dr. Jonathan lips parted into a broad simile in an aristocratic bearing.

Wale found Dr Jonathan sudden mode extra-ordinary. Not just the mere ever cheerful face of any good natured person. A sincere act performed to clear off boredom, bitterness, distress, discouragements and unchangeable ups and downs in life.

CHAPTER THREE

His immaculate suit, lie and shoes were in order. His left hand was in his pocket and the right clutching a briefcase as he walked towards wale majestically like a seasoned American film star.

Gently he took a seat beside his friend wale and greeted, lowering his briefcase down.

"Hello comrade wale" wale putting on an air of affection, managed to reply. "Jona Jona" Happy to see you. Hmm…Hmm….You looks dumpy and extremely bright this afternoon

Dr Jonathan cut in anxiously" you can say that again wale. Meanwhile I have good news for you. I have won this years award of the best doctor of the year. "Have a look at these"

Quickly he bent down, opened his briefcase and brought out a waterproof multi-embroidered with gold, bearing an illuminating indication with that inscription "Best doctor of the year"

For three seconds wale sat motionless and with his mouth agape. All he could do was to stare at the precious item with concealed greed, overzealous desire and jealousy.

Admiringly, the examine this the award for about twenty minutes before they finally drove off to the restaurant with Dr Jonathan's car to crown the enviable fortune with the drinks and foods.

That faithful day, Dr Jonathan has filled with joy and happiness.

Vividly, he knew that he was to carry out niche for himself in the hall of fame. But as a humble fellow, he has never prided himself as being one of those successful man in life. To himself, self advertisement is eqotism.

However, the glowing popularity accorded him adversely affected wale's well being.

CHAPTER FOUR

As the day went by, the immortal domineering envy in him he gave away to open hatred and resentment therefore become a thing of the past.

There and then he discovered inevitably that moral and spiritual growth are no longer in concord with nature. As a last resort, he decided to eliminate Dr Jonathan.

After he had considered the plan thoroughly, one Sunday he went to a herbalist and obtained a poisonous charm, working as directed he bought two bottles of beer, opened one, poisoned it and cocked the bottle back systematically.

Normally, Dr Jonathan always visits him every Sunday. He then resolve to wait for him.

Soon Dr Jonathan arrived and they exchanged pleasantries for some minutes. Wale's wife Bimbo and her only child Tobi came out to greet him.

Subsequently Wale went to his fridge and carried the two bottle of beer.

Envy destroys happiness. The envy that made the biblical Cain to kill his brother and was cursed by God to remain a wanderer all the day of his life.

The two men determine to have their drink s on Wales order in the Garden in order to receive fresh natural air, and also to watch the scenic splendors of state lite estate. Tobi gently carried a low table and a bench for them to sit in the garden.

Envy that made the greedy dog to abandon his bone on top of the bridge and jump in the lagoon in chase of his refutation in the water.

Wale confidence was over wheezing. He knew that in next done one hour Dr Jonathan would be dead. The herbalist as expertly timed the charm to unable Dr Jonathan die elsewhere other than Wale's house.

CHAPTER FIVE

As soon as Wale colleagues has taken his seats, he opened the two bottles of beer and put the charm one towards Dr Jonathan and quickly carried his own and started to sip it

As Dr Jonathan was about taken is bottle of beer from the table Wale's dog 'Jimmy'' came out of the back yard and started to wriggle it's tell beside Dr Jonathan.

In response he gently rubbed its soft. Wale was about to say something when the suddenly the dog moved under the table unbalanced it. Dr Jonathan beer rolled off and crash on a cemented hard object on the floor. The two friends were taken unawares. The dog quickly sneaked away.

Wale became furious and disappointed. To control himself he bent down and began to pick the broken bottle. Later he grudgingly gave Dr Jonathan a bottle of coca cola as a substitute.

Soon, Dr Jonathan left and Wale was happy. To get rid of him In his deliberate Endeavour to kill friend, Wale once again contemplated another plan six days after the first one has failed.

This Time he raised hired assassin but as fate would have it the plot was averted after Dr Jonathan have received an important call from a neighboring state inviting him to an important conference of doctors just on the very day he would have died.

Its part of the plan, wale had earlier organized a ground in part of the state and his friend had consented.

When Wale realized that his second strategy has failed again he decided to try the third time swearing to commit suicide whereby he failed this time.

However since he started having funny ideas up his sleeves Dr. Jonathan never suspected anything. His third plan looked absurd yet fool proof and dependable.

CHAPTER SIX

It's unusual he went to a native doctor who prepared a powerful charm tied with red cloth for him. He was advised to lie it under Dr. Jonathan pillow in his bedroom.

The charm as he was told kills and vanishes into oblivion immediately on lies on the bed where it is placed.

Wale felt he would definitely succeed but how would he carry out the exercise? Then he remembered engineer Jeo Hanson, an American expatriate had invited him and Dr. Jonathan to his fiftieth birthday being their age mate.

Dr. Jonathan house and that of Hanson are adjacent to each other and that made it easy for Wale.

On the birthday, Wale and his family and that of Dr. Jonathan attended. When the party was going on, Wale took Dr. Jonathan house key on the pretext that he wanted to ease himself and through that means he planted the charm in Dr. Jonathan bed with ease.

But barely five minutes later Wale has come out, his son Tobi and the eldest son of Dr. Jonathan also went into the house with their two girl friends.

When they went in the house Tobi chooses to wave some fun with his girl Amada in Dr. Jonathan richly finished room in spite of Odun's plea urging him to manage his younger brother' room.

Inside the room, Tobi and Amada quickly undressed completely naked they shimmed into Dr. Jonathan bed and that was all. The charmed bed transformed them into solid dummies and each lay like an Egyptian mummy. About fifteen minutes later Odun left his room to see Tobi leaving his girlfriend behind and his female companion his head seem to grow bigger and bigger. A Glance at them revealed everything. (They are dead).

He stood stiff like a solider observing the ethos of the National anthem. He tried to scream but his mouth could only form the letter "O".

After staying in the heart stopping breath – taking room for a period that seemed like eternity. Odun found himself outside.

Involuntarily he raised an alarm and people gathered. As soon as he had told them what he saw, wale lost contact with reality. He cried out in a sing – song guttural high pitched voice which unmistakably echoed like irritational lot being of a developing lunatic.

I tried to kill Dr. Jonathan with a bottle of bear, jimmy foil it, with the help of hired assassin, the madicall conference outside the state prevented it.

Now I dropped a charm on his bed but see----- see---- see---- what has happened to me everybody see -------- see -------- see ------- as he sang along he claps, dance and nodded his head.

Dr. Jonathan couldn't believe his eyes. Everybody was perturbed after seeing what is on his bed, he came to realize everything.

Then he said to the hearing of the terrified on tookers and Wale who was busy enjoying his performance "Wale you actually tried with your evil acts to take my life because sheer envy, but as an avid reader of the bible, you should have known that nothing hurtful will befall the righteous one's but the wicked one's will be filled with calamity repeatedly.