Let me tell you a story —
Not of a king.
Of a little boy called G.O.A.
His dreams were bigger than his pocket,
yet life was serving him gari and groundnut "like say na 5-star dining"
Uniform torn.
Socks missing.
But every morning he still ran after school
like tomorrow had saved him a seat.
Then came the knock.
Loud.
The kind that shakes hope off the wall.
Landlady’s son came for rent.
His father came home tired —
Lagos buses, heavy loads, weight no child should know.
One word led to another.
Anger entered.
A screwdriver spoke.
And blood fell where dignity used to stand.
Then a whisper:
“How much is left?”
The room broke:
“Two naira.”
Two naira
A father’s blood for something that couldn’t even buy gala and Coke.
In that silence, childhood packed its bag and left.
Responsibility walked in without knocking.
And that little boy made a vow:
“Never again.”
Never again would poverty write his family’s story.
Never again would lack disgrace their name.
So he worked when others complained.
He learned when others settled.
He endured when quitting looked sweet.
Hard work wasn’t enough
so he chose wisdom over excuses,
purpose over pity,
vision over circumstance.
Step by step.
Prayer by prayer.
Scar by scar.
His future started answering the promise he made that day.
Today,
the boy who watched his father bleed
now places house keys and car keys
into those same hands that once carried the burden.
The parents who once counted two naira
now count blessings.
And every memory has turned to testimony.
So when you see G.O.A.,
don’t just clap for the applause.
First, honor the pain that produced it.
Because the deepest wounds birth the greatest strength,
and the darkest nights give birth to the brightest mornings.
So remember this, when life says your beginning is too small:
Pain may introduce you.
but purpose will announce you.
And if you remember nothing else:
We don’t look like what we’ve been through.
About the poet:
Gideon Adeyeye is a performing poet and spoken word artist with nearly a decade of experience exploring the depths of human vulnerability, mental resilience, and emotional healing.
