The Numbers Game

By Viora Mayobo

Perhaps we all know what happened when the world economy crashed in 2008. Everything people thought they knew changed, and it changed in an instant. The economy tanked and took with it everything in its path.

Before then, people were told that their retirement savings were safe and that they were backed by blue-chip stocks and so on. Well, that was, in fact, true before the economy collapse of 2008. But thats come and gone, and you ought to be fighting to establish your place in life. The entrepreneurial era is here, and you shouldnt be the one left behind.

Today, the young and the old are all fighting for competition, survival of the fittest. This is because the world and rules have changed many times over. Good jobs with better pay have evaporated before our very eyes, like mist. Change is inevitable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 9, 2016
• ISBN: 9781504961370

Viora Mayobo

With a passion for writing and educating women, Viora Mayobo draws on a comprehensive experience in domestic violence, self-worth, homelessness, and independence. Being a domestic violence survivor, Viora shares her personal motivations and aspirations that drive her to the extreme. Domestic violence is perhaps the root cause of homelessness for women and children all around the globe; this is because when a family separates, the mother, regardless of her ability to make money, is left to care for the little ones. Most men merely dust off and disappear from plain sight. As a result, women everywhere are left hanging on to hope. Viora was born in what many would identify as the dark or remote corners of the world, where kids, usually as young as seven, walk three and a half hours to get to school and another three and a half hours to get back home. Life in this part of the world is a game of chance. You go to bed without knowing what to expect the following day.

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© 2016 Viora Mayobo. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse   03/08/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5049-6136-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-6137-0 (e)

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Contents

Introduction

The Numbers Game Merged

Education

Aspirations

Last Day of School

Life after School

Coming to America

The Difference in Culture

Domestic Violence

Capitalizing on Unpleasant Circumstances

Homelessness

The Hospital

Moving to Missouri

Life in Missouri

My Dearly Beloved Thelma

Nonprofit

The Ups and Downs

Humanity

Education and the Misconception

Housekeeping

Growing Up in the Village

The Double Standard

The Independent Mind

The Information Age

Life on Opposite Sides of the Hemisphere

Life in Exile

The Speech

Cultural Kidnapping

Hindsight

Destination Is Key

Industrial America

I dedicate this book to the multitudes of people out there, who barely have a life to live. The world economy has gone haywire, leaving many with no place to start. Everything people thought they knew changed in an instant when the economy of the world went south in 2008. People’s retirement savings were wiped out in a flash. But that has come and gone. Ready yourselves for what is yet to come… the unforeseen future.

I would like to thank my father… for not allowing his old age to prohibit him from doing what he really loved -to care for his children. Father still walked hundreds of miles at seventy eight, in search of ways to provide for his family.

Although we didn’t have much growing up, father gave us reason to believe all circumstances were temporary, and that nothing is permanent. Father gave us all the love and attention we needed to stay focused, and the courage to keep pushing forward, even when nothing seemed possible… at the time. Father also told us to keep trying so long as time permits.

Introduction

I worked tirelessly from the get go – work hard, make lots of money, and go back home. Even with not much to show for I still believed anything was possible here in the land of opportunity. But when the job I thought was secure evaporated from my grasp like one very cold winter morning, I was left to wonder…what now? I prayed for a better paying job and hoped for change to come soon. Unfortunately, that job or day never showed, at least not in time to save the day. With bills pilling up faster than my brains could process information, I was getting desperate, and had good reason to be – I didn’t want to loose all I already had. I remember thinking so hard, scouring my little brains for answers. But when nothing made sense, I was willing to settle; I started looking for anything, and that’s exactly what I got ...anything.

The Numbers Game Merged

Have you ever wondered why we live by the numbers? Let me rephrase that question to make you understand what I mean: Why are numbers so important to us? The answer to this question is quite simple. Numbers allow us to position ourselves in our society; they tell us where we belong. If you have fewer numbers or none at all, then you undoubtedly make yourself believe you belong in the P quadrant.

For example, people in our society have a tendency of weighing others dependent upon where they live, the size of their house, the type of car they drive, the position they hold, the clothes they wear, the thickness of their degree, etc.

What exactly is the P quadrant? The P quadrant is where the poor belong. Why? The answer is simple: Their numbers don’t amount to much of anything. If you are poor, then you will perhaps spend more time struggling than you will living. You go to bed at night not knowing where to start on the following day, and because of that simple fact, you fall prey to the numbers game and you become a statistic.

Before I go into further detail, please allow me to introduce myself to you. My name is Viora Mayobo. I was born in a small town of Mumbwa, in Central Province, Zambia, Southern Africa.

Zambia is a landlocked country, completely surrounded by other countries. There are no visible seas or oceans in this beautiful country, but certainly harbors a great deal of compound landscapes, including valleys, lakes, rivers, man-made dams, the Victoria Falls, and more, all mounted on every angle of every corner of its boundaries, most of which offer famous tourist attractions.

Father worked as first secretary to the governor in our small township, Mumbwa, for many years. When father decided to retire, and with no other options from which to choose, we moved to the village. The change was sudden and intimidating to us… the children.

Within a short period of time, we went from being kids to full-blown farmers. Farming was not only hard but complicated as well. Although we had a tractor and other modern farming equipment, most of the work had to be done manually. For example, the planter would plant seeds, and we would run behind to make sure seeds lined up properly. By the day’s end, we would be good for nothing but sleep.

In the village a normal day begins early in the morning, usually before dawn. Every morning, we went to the farm to cultivate the land, to grow crops for profit. Everything we did from that point on revolved around farming. We woke up before dawn, in most instances as early as four o’clock, to go to the farm across the