He Who Looks at the Weather will not Sow Seed.

Joe was on the quiet side of life. Anytime he came home he brought gifts for both the elderly and the young. Sometimes he will bring the elders used dresses, bread, and hot drinks and share money if he was about to return back to his station. For this he was well liked in his village. One December, he came home to celebrate Christmas festival with his people in the village. He brought gifts as usual.

Christmas is important in the lives of Igbo people. It is important because they are predominantly Christians. It is a period of mass return. During the period families have meetings and so also communities. It is at the time that all the Communty development projects are discussed and funds raised for the projects. It was a period full of fun and fanfare. It affords various families and their members opportunity to discuss on the welfare of their members. It was after the meeting of Joe's extended family that year that the family head ,Nze Paul, invited him to his house for a private discussion in the evening of that day. Evenings are usually better for serious discussions about the family. After such meetings the people concerned can retire to their bed to sleep over the issue.

When he arrived, Nze Paul brought up the issue of getting him to marry a wife for discussion. " I have observed you over these years", he began, " am proud of you. You are a true son of your father. The family is proud of you."
As he made his way towards the kernel of the discussion Joe wondered where Nze's talk will land. It eventually landed where he lest expected. "I have noticed that you are now ripped for marriage." Joe's heart flinched inwards. "There's this beautiful girl from this village I will want you to see. ,maybe you will like her as a wife. She is a wife material. I have spoken to her parents. I have also sounded her out she seems interested." He paused, took a deep breath and said" it is my responsibility to advice you properly, *it is always better to have a kid when you are still very young. Think about it . Time waits for noone. Joe's mind stopped wandering. It had wandered to capture a grip of Nze's talk. He kept silent for awhile and then retorted,"I will think over it this night.

In the morning Joe did not wait to be sent for before he came. He greeted and took his seat. "Dede," he started. Children don't call elders by their names in a typical Igbo villages. It is disrespectful. * I have slept over the issue you raised. It is good and I know that you meant well 'for me but I am sorry to say that I am not ready to get married yet. I hope you won't be offended sir." He paused " I need to put some things ready before I can marry."

He told Nze that he does not have a house yet, so he must build a house for himself and his wife. He does not have a car so needed to buy one. He does not have fat bank account so he must build his account so he can start a business for the woman when she is married. He said he needs to be well established first . Nze told him that he must have all those things before he marries.

Joe left for Lagos after Christmas and didn't come home until after a very long time and when did everybody thought that he had built his Lagos house and has returned home to build the one for the village or at least start it and get married and return to Lagos with a wife. Contrary to the expectation Joe had retired to the village to live out the rest of his life. He died lonely. He had no wife or children who looked after him while he was sick and no body mourned his death. His life was waisted. It is not good to procrastinate. Life is about struggle so somethings cannot wait. It is not good to have everything before you do certain things. If you start solving your problems solutions will come. If you wait for all conditions to be perfect you cannot do anything all. it is true that whoever looks at the weather cannot reap. Thank you for reading my story.