"Temi...!" Mrs. Smith called.
Temi raised her head to look at her mother.
"What's the answer?" Mrs. Smith asked.
Temi sighed as she looked down at the floor as if she could see the imaginary lines that she had drawn.
Then raising her head again, Temi said ;
"I...don't know if what's on my mind's the right thing, but...!"
"That's why we're here Tems, to correct you wherever you make an error!" Mrs. Smith said firmly, but sternly.
Hearing what her mother said, Temi let out a deep sigh as she looked down again, and then after a while, Temi raised her head back up as she opened her mouth and began talking.
She hated it when she was wrong.
"You said, in life, there are different kinds of people, right?" Temi first asked.
Mrs. Smith nodded.
Temi nodded.
"Okay, and they are...the good...the bad...and the ugly...am I right?" Temi asked again.
Mrs. Smith nodded yet again.
"Life's not gonna be easy!" Temi said.
"It's gon' be filled with ups and downs, good and bad...life is not going to be as easy as eating cake but the process of making it, manually," Temi said calmly.
"People would come into one's life, either to be of help to you...or to be one's downfall!"
"People would fine as friends and family, but deep down, they've got their motive planned and if not careful and alert, they would be successful in their plans."
Temi went silent for a moment.
"Success and prosperity are what attracts all kinds of people...!" She said.
"The good..the bad...the ugly...the evil...the vile...the saints...the procrastinators and other categories of people...and they would all want to be your friends, but If your eyes are not well peeled, only God knows what would happen!"
"There are people out there who are looking for one's destruction and downfall...!"
"They are waiting to mock and laugh at the person so bad, they want the person to feel a certain kind of hurt and feeling that that 'one' had never impacted in people and has never felt before...!"
"This caliber of people hates progress completely, and would do anything in their power to eradicate that person and then wiped that person out of the face of the earth...!"
"They hate seeing that specific person succeed because it's always that person...!"
"Improvement of the community...it's always that person...the first to travel to different countries and meet different people...always that person...first to gave 'the' biggest and most successful enterprise that is flourishing amongst others, it's always 'that' person...!"
"So the hate for that person would multiply!"
"They want to hurt that person so bad because seeing that very person every day hurts their eyes and causes a burning sensation to erupt in them, and then they take it to the next level!"
"That's what results in the killing of innocent souls!" Temi said.
Pausing for a while, she let what she had said sink in...
"And for those that wouldn't even want you dead but alive, also have 'their' own different reason...!" Temi said.
Mrs. Smith adjusted herself in her seat as she rested her chin on her hand and listened to her daughter.
Where did this daughter of hers come from anyway?
Mrs. Smith didn't expect her daughter to guess the answer to what she had asked.
Though she didn't doubt her daughter's ability to quickly grasp onto what she was trying to say, she 'did' doubt the fact though, that she would.
.ue to the fact that her daughter's life revolved around friendships and relationships and it was also difficult for her to cut off from such...
Temi could easily disengage herself from all other things...
But when it came to friendships and relationships...
It was always a hard game of chessplay.
"Due to the progress that one makes, it is bound to attract a lot of jealousy and envy, love and hate from lots of people around that person...the love aspect would only have a one percent appreciation as people are bound to love you for their interests!" Temi said.
Mr. Smith creased his brows.
'Is this the same Temi speaking?'
"People are willing to do anything for their interests not that they love you...but there's always something behind their food will and attitude towards you...so be careful!" Temi said as she laughed.
"We're the ones advising 'you to be careful, and you're throwing it back at us?" Mrs. Smith asked as she pointed at herself and her husband, laughing also in the process.
"You're very funny, Temi!" That was all Mr. Smith could say.
"And sometimes, if you don't fulfill their wishes, even if they don't come to you, they have their motives behind them!"
"They already have something up their sleeves that would ruin the person if that person isn't as wise and sharp enough!" Temi said.
"Sure enough there would be people that would want you dead to assess the person's wealth...family members...!" Temi said.
Her parents looked at each other.
Their faces filled with worry.
Temi noticed this but decided not to say a word as she lowered her head back down.
"But I guess that there are some people...some family members that are not like that...!" Temi said as she raised her head to look at her parents.
"Right?"
Her parents only stared at her without replying, causing her to shift her gaze and continue with what she was saying...
"There would be people that would badly want to see you no more and would even take steps at making sure you get eradicated but would have second thoughts... because their main aim is not only to see you suffer and die but also to make sure 'you get to also see them prosper too!" Temi said.
Mr. Smith frowned.
"What do you mean?" He asked.
Temi looked at her Father.
"People would want you dead because they don't want to gear your name whenever something good happens...like if a business venture is established and is blooming, like ours, they don't want to hear the name 'The Smiths'...!" Temi said.
"They don't want to hear the same name over and over again that they are the ones to accomplish things greater than the last...!"
"They are so sick and tired of hearing that 'oh, that girl just established the newest boutique in town...have you heard?' "
"Then others would be like; 'ugh...that girl again? Doesn't he ever give up? Must she rub it all in our faces?' other's would then be like; 'girl, don't tell me you're jealous...!' "
"Then the others would admit it, and then everyone that hates that particular girl would gang up and devise a master plan to wipe her out!"
"If she's smart enough, she'd be careful with what comes out of her mouth, how she gives and what she gives...plus also being extra careful with who she associates with!"
"Personal information shouldn't be dispatched anyhow, and to just anyone...!" Temi said.
"It needs to be concealed within one's self...and among the most trusted ones...but those 'most trusted ones' must also be thoroughly checked!" Temi said.
Mr. and Mrs. Smith were both wide-mouthed as they both looked on at their daughter in amazement.
How was their daughter able to guess everything so quickly...?
In less than ten (10) minutes...?
Was this their daughter...?
Their IQ couldn't be compared to their daughter's...
It took them almost their entire lifetime to learn that, but here she was as she had guessed everything in one...less than ten (10) minutes!
They had truly been blessed.
But the problem was...
Did she understand anything she had just said..?
Looking at themselves both in astonishment, Mr. and Mrs. Smith were both about to ask something when Temi said;
"But the funny thing is...I don't get any single thing if what I had just said right now!"
Mr. and Mrs. Smith's mouths dropped wide.
"What?" They both asked at the same time.
Temi looked at both of her parents, darting her eyes from her Mother to her Father as she chuckled.
"I don't... seriously!" She said as she shrugged.
Turning to look at themselves, both husband and wife thought the same thing...
'Of course, you won't!'
As they turned back to look at their daughter, still in shock.
"I guess who you relate with...that is associate with real matters and also determines who you are!" Temi said.
Her parents narrowed their eyes at her as they listened to and watched her intently.
Where had she gotten this knowledge from?
And why wasn't she applying what 'she' was saying to her life?
"Just like they say, 'Bad company corrupts good manner...!' "
"That is, who you associate with determines the type of people a person is...even if you weren't raised with a faulty foundation, the people or even a single person, can ruin that person's foundation!"
Temi kept on saying with her head lowered, unknown to her, her parents watched her intently as her words had an impact on them...
They hoped that one day she would find and know the value of the words she just uttered today...
Right now, she's just an eighteen (18) year old girl that would soon turn nineteen (19) and does not know the value of what she had just said...
Looking at themselves in worry, the couple held each other's hand as they each prayed silently in their hearts for their grown, yet little daughter...