Timely Wisdom from Grandfather

By Ecloss Munsaka

Timely Wisdom from Grandfather is a book that teaches how to improve personal life and relationships through mastery of virtues like respect, love, self-discipline, gratitude, and forgiveness. These timeless virtues are brought to life through the captivating story about a young man, Choolwe, from a small village of southern Zambia, who immigrates to the United States of America soon after completing high school. He gets his US citizenship and manages to start a company, which becomes an instant success. At the peak of his success, however, Choolwe finds himself face to face with the consequences of his irresponsible choices and is on the verge of losing everythinghis wife, his children, his business, and even his life.

Discover for yourself how you can effectively deal with personal challenges by learning the timely wisdom from grandfather that navigates Choolwe through his tough times.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Jul 31, 2014
• ISBN: 9781452518763

Ecloss Munsaka

Ecloss Munsaka holds a PhD in psychology and has been teaching the subject at the University of Zambia for over eleven years. Ecloss has written three books, including Honour your Life and Enter Your Grave Smiling, a self-help book. He is married with three children.

Book preview

1

Phenomenal success becomes hollow

I t was 8 o’clock in the evening, Choolwe sat on the couch enjoying his cup of coffee. He had never been so happy in his entire life; a few hours earlier, he had signed a huge deal to supply some engineering software to one of the largest corporations in the United States. He had had big deals before, but this one was of a magnitude which blew even his imagination. While Choolwe was excited about the size of the deal, $ 50,000,000, what really elated him was the fact that the deal he had just signed would open up a range of opportunities for his company, Rising Enterprise, to win more deals to supply more software within the United States, Asia, Australia, and Af rica.

Life is so great!, Choolwe said to himself as he placed the coffee mug on the side table near his couch. He had every reason to be thrilled because, as a born Zambian who had only managed to get his American citizenship five years earlier, he did not expect that his company would so quickly become a force to reckon with in America. He picked up his diary to mark dates for some upcoming meetings. In the frenzy of excitement, it had escaped Choolwe’s mind that June 25th, the day he had signed the huge business deal was actually his birthday; he had turned 40. Had it not been for the his son, James who called from Chicago to wish him a happy birthday, he would not have remembered at all.

Hello, Dad! Happy 40th birthday, said James as he began the conversation with his father. Thanks, son, as a matter of fact, thank you for reminding me, I had totally forgotten about my birthday, replied Choolwe. You’ve gotta be kidding, Dad! You forgot about your 40th birthday! Now, that’s really freaky, I hope those are not signs of dementia, observed James in a chuckling tone. I can’t rule it out; I’ve heard of a number of 40 year olds who are recklessly demented, Choolwe chuckled back.

Father and son had a warm conversation on a number of issues ranging from personal to social issues. While Choolwe felt good sealing the business deal, nothing felt nearly as good as talking to his son. And so when James indicated that he needed to go because they had been talking for a good 45 minutes, Choolwe felt as though it was too soon to hang up.

Come on, son, we only just started talking, objected Choolwe. What, Dad, we’ve been talking for close to an hour now, indicated James. Is that so, son? I guess we need to be calling each other more often, replied Choolwe in a sincere tone.

Yes, Dad, you need to call a bit more often. Do you realize, Dad that for the past five months, I’m the one that calls you, you never take the initiative to call me, complained James. Oh, really, son, exclaimed Choolwe in a rather subdued voice. It’s so unfair, Dad. I need you to be there for me, continued James.

I’m so sorry, son. It’s just that there is a lot that requires your attention when you are establishing a company, sheepishly replied Choolwe. No, Dad, you can’t tell me that you are always working. And even if you were, do you mean to tell me that the company is more important than us, spoke James in a rather emotional voice. Dad, you have no idea how much you are hurting us. Do you even know the struggles that my young sisters Jane and Jessica are going through right now? Do you? Continued James with a seriousness that his father had never known him to have. Dad, when was the last time you spoke to your daughters? When, Dad? You have abandoned them, Dad and they are hurting. Do you even know that right now you are the last person they want to talk to, not because they don’t want to, but because you have ignored them far too long. Dad, Jane and Jessica are hurting; you have reduced them to a state of orphans.

Choolwe didn’t know how to respond to his son’s valid accusations. The silence between the two ends of the line was deafening. What James had said was true; Choolwe had not been there for his children. He had been blaming it on his ex-wife, who he said had driven a chasm between him and the children. Down deep, however, he knew that he had just had his priorities wrong. While he was still puzzling what he was going to say, the line went dead; his son had become too emotional to continue the conversation with his dad.

Choolwe sat in the couch frozen like he had been embalmed; the words of his son had caught him off-guard. Suddenly, the $ 50,000,000 deal did not seem to matter anymore; his focus shifted to James, Jane and Jessica.

While Choolwe was still tangled up in the labyrinthine maze of his confused thoughts, the phone rang. Choolwe picked it up immediately because he expected his son was calling to close the conversation properly—he had done that a few times in the past. To his surprise, however, it wasn’t his son on the line.

Hello, Choolwe, Happy 40th birthday, it was his second wife, Angela with whom he was on separation for four months now. Angela had been married to Choolwe for two years and she loved him very much, however, she could not stand being placed second to Rising Enterprise, and so they had agreed to go on separation three times already in the first two years of their marriage. During the first separation, Angela had moved back after two months, hoping her husband would become more caring, but the change only lasted a mere month, and Choolwe slipped into the old habit of not being there for his wife. He would leave home sometimes for a week, citing pressures of running a new company as the reason. When he was in town, he would stay at the office till well after midnight.

Angela tried to tolerate for some time, however, it became too much even for a patient person like her. And so, they were forced to go on separation a second time. They again stayed apart for another two months, but came back together after Choolwe promised that he had changed. Things seemed to work for a while, but after five months, old habits set in; Choolwe started his usual irresponsible behaviour. To add to the already bad situation, the third reconciliation coincided with his pursuit of the $ 50,000,000 deal which he had just won. This drove Angela crazy and she left during one of Choolwe’s long absences from home, supposedly on a business trip. She got her belongings and left the house keys with the receptionist at Choolwe’s office. Choolwe had tried to get them to talk and get back, however, Angela had made it clear that she was fed up with the games.

It had been four months since their last conversation during their separation, and so when Choolwe heard her wife’s voice, he was filled with much hope that they were getting back together again. His hopes were buoyed further when Angela wished him a happy 40th birthday.

So, how does it feel to be 40, Choolwe? continued Angela. Wow, Angela, thanks. It feels lousy to be 40 without you, Angela, replied Choolwe with a sincerity that even moved Angela. Oh, Choolwe, please don’t start, I’m not in the mood for that, dismissively replied Angela.

I mean it, Angela, I need you back in my life. By the way, I should tell you that I will be more available now because I’ve sealed that $ 50,000,000 deal that used to keep me away from home. Rising Enterprise will now be stable, you have nothing to be concerned about, pressed Choolwe.

Wow! That’s so great, Choolwe. Congratulations on the deal, I’m really happy for you. However, she continued, let me now come to the main reason why I called. Choolwe was filled with much anticipation as he waited for what his wife was going to say.

Choolwe, I want a divorce, she spat it out. Dead silence ensued. Hello, Angela was forced to confirm whether her interlocutor on the other end was still there. What did you say, Angela? asked Choolwe in a perplexed voice. You heard me, Choolwe, I said I’ve filed for divorce and I need you to sign the papers. I will bring them over to your office tomorrow so that you sign them. Going by your old schedule, I suppose 10am will be fine. I’ll see you then tomorrow, at 10. Once again, happy birthday. May God grant you much wisdom as you begin the 4th decade of your life. Bye, Choolwe.

Choolwe was too shocked to even return Angela’s good bye. Things had happened so fast. Nothing in the least had prepared him for what had just transpired. He had gone through divorce once with Sara, his first wife and mother of his three children, but it never hurt as bad as it did now. For all his irresponsibility and stupidity, Choolwe deeply loved Angela. As he sat there looking at the telephone receiver, he felt he had lost a huge part of himself.

Sleeping was out of the question for Choolwe; his mind was too whirly and turbulent to allow him that luxury. Instinctively, he abandoned his coffee, which was too cold by now anyway, he switched to the bottle of whisky. He quickly gulped two undiluted shots. He drunk and drunk, until he passed out on the couch.

Thanks to the phone which rang, Choolwe would have slept till noon. He sluggishly dragged himself from the couch to answer the phone. Good morning, sir, came the voice on the other end of the line. It was the voice of his assistant. Oh, morning, Ireen. Boy, what time is it?came the crocking voice of Choolwe.

It’s 8 o’clock, sir, you have an appointment at 8:30 this morning with the CEO of Hans International, replied Ireen. Oh, yes, that’s right, acknowledged Choolwe in a voice that sounded more