The rain began at exactly 4:17 a.m.
Yusuf Kareem knew because he was awake.He always was.
While most of Lagos slept beneath darkness and drifting dreams, Yusuf sat at the small wooden desk beside his bedroom window, a pen moving steadily across paper.
Outside, rainwater raced down the glass.Inside, everything was orderly.
His books were arranged by subject.His files were arranged by date.
Even the charging cables on his desk were neatly tied together with labels.
The page before him carried a familiar title.
TEN-YEAR MASTER PLAN
Beneath it sat a list of goals.
Not wishes. Not hopes. Goals.
Yusuf believed there was a difference.Wishes depended on luck.
Goals depended on effort.
And effort, in his opinion, could conquer almost anything.
He reviewed the list one more time.
Age 26 – Promotion
Age 28 – Management Position
Age 30 – First Property Investment
Age 31 – Expand Business Network
Age 32 – Marriage
Age 35 – Financial Independence
A satisfied smile appeared on his face.
Everything was progressing exactly as planned.
A sudden flash of lightning illuminated the room.Seconds later, thunder rolled across the city.
Yusuf barely noticed.
He was already adding new notes to the page.
The future wasn't going to organize itself.
A soft knock interrupted his concentration.
He looked toward the door."Come in."The door opened.
His mother entered carrying two steaming cups of tea.
Khadijah Kareem was one of those rare people whose presence immediately made a room feel calmer.
Years of hardship had placed gentle lines around her eyes, but they had never diminished the warmth that lived within them.
She handed him a cup.
"You've been awake since Tahajjud again, haven't you?"
Yusuf smiled."You make it sound like a crime."
"It becomes a crime when you refuse to sleep afterward."
"I slept."
"For three hours."
"Three productive hours."
His mother laughed despite herself."You are impossible."
She sat opposite him.
Rain tapped softly against the window.
For several moments neither spoke.
Then her gaze drifted toward the notebook.
"Oh dear."
Yusuf immediately recognized that tone.
"What?"
YOU ARE READING
The Best Planner
General FictionTwo hearts. One destiny. A plan written by the One who knows what lies ahead. Yusuf Kareem has always believed that success comes from careful planning. With a notebook full of goals and a future mapped out to perfection, he is certain that hard wo...
