The cool breeze was so much that Kunle slept so deeply without realizing it was daybreak.
"Kunle! Kunle!! Kunle!!!," Jaden tapped him so that they could get dressed for work but Kunle was far asleep.
"Kunle!," Nathan shouted and his thick voice woke Kunle up once.
"What now? Can't someone have rest of mind in this house again?," Kunle said immediately after he woke up then hissed as he managed to drag himself up from the mat he was sleeping on, then went outside to have his bath.
"Rest of mind indeed," Jaden said with a smile.
"Don't mind him, in this condition he still wants to have rest of mind," Nathan joined Jaden's conversation.
Some minutes later, the three of them left the house for work.
Kunle was from a polygamous family and his father died immediately after he was born so his mother didn't have a chance to enjoy part of his husband's wealth, and she was sent packing right after Kunle's father died.
Jaden on the other hand ran away from home in search of green pasture because he was the firstborn and his parent were separated, all his sibling's responsibilities were on his neck.
While Nathan was an orphan, he grew up with his aunt who got married and her husband insisted that Nathan couldn't live with them because he didn't want to take responsibility.
The three of them met in a factory and they became friends, the house they were managing belonged to Nathan at first, but later they paid the rent together and they couldn't afford to buy stuff inside the room because their salary wasn't much and responsibility has taken all of the money from them.
The month's end was closer and the three of them had plans to buy a bed in the room, but when it was month end their salary was cut off by their greedy supervisor.
Kunle ran from his department to meet Nathan.
"Guy, have you seen the alert?" Kunle asked immediately after he got to Nathan's place.
"Like seriously, why are they treating us this bad? I was expecting #20,000 and I got #18,000, meanwhile, the #2000 on it was the only money I have left in my salary," Nathan said with his eyes filled with tears.
"You don't have to cry because your's is better than mine, I got #15,000 instead of #20,000," Kunle replied.
"Have you seen the rubbish that was sent to us," Jaden said as he got to Nathan's place.
"I am tired of this work, but I need the money to take care of my mother," Kunle said.
Maybe we should ask the supervisor what was going on with our salary," Nathan suggested.
All the complaints we have done in the past few months what has it changed," Kunle asked.
The three of them round up their work and head home.
On their way home,
"You guys should wait I want to toilet," Nathan said as he entered the bush.
Some seconds later,
"OMG," Nathan shouted from the bush and Kunle and Jaden rushed into the bush in case something had happened to Nathan.
"What is it," Kunle asked without looking down.
"Look at this," Nathan said as he opened a bag full of dollars.
"What?" Jaden shouted, Kunle quickly covered his mouth before someone heard them.
"What should we do?" Nathan asked.
"What sort of question is that? Let's take it home," Kunle replied.
"Home? Why? What if the owner is watching us? Or what if it is set up?" Jaden said as he panicked.
"Set up? By who? Did you know anyone in this area?" Kunle replied.
He continued...
"Guys let's do this once and for all because we only live once, and die once, I believe this is an opportunity for us to make it," Kunle said with greed written all over him.
"Guys! Guys!! Guys!!!, I don't think this is a good idea, I think we should just take small out of it and leave here because it's not safe here," Jaden said sweating profusely.
"I think we should just leave without touching this money, it might be stolen money," Nathan suggested.
"What is wrong with you guys? Like seriously? Are you guys not tired of this poverty already? Let's take this once and for all," Kunle said as he grabbed the bag.
Nathan and Jaden followed him from the back and when they were about to get out of the bush they heard a voice saying.
"It's this bush, and am sure those criminals would still be there sharing the money".
Another voice said, "Search everywhere, get me the money and those hardened criminals".
I told you the money might a stolen money," Nathan whispered.
So? Let's run, after all, we are not the criminals" Kunle said.
Immediately he said that the three of them started running back into the bush Jaden was faster with Nathan but Kunle couldn't run faster because of the money.
"Drop it and run for your life," Nathan looked back and whispered to Kunle but Kunle was adamant.
"You knowyou only live once like you said earlier," Jaden said before he sped up his race but Kunle didn't listen to the two of them before they got separated.
Some seconds later after getting separated, Jaden and Nathan hid somewhere and they heard gunshots where they were hiding. They couldn't leave the bush till daybreak, Kunle was caught because he was shot in his leg.
The police caught him and the bag he was carrying was searched and under the dollars there were guns, he was sent to prison since he was caught with the bag and nobody listened to all what he was saying.
Jaden and Nathan never returned to their house because they were scared Kunle might tell the police they were involved, so everyone went their separate ways from the bush.
Some months later,
Kunle was released because one of the thieves got caught and confessed that Kunle wasn't among them, Kunle went back home to his mother from prison, he was compensated for accusing wrongly and he went back home to start a business with the little money given to him by the government. That was how his life started changing for the better, and he never bothered to look for Nathan and Jaden because he felt abandoned by them.