THE SEED HE ONCE DESPISED

April 03, 2017

A farmer named Agbebiyi bought some mustard seeds from the market in order to plant it at specific areas in a government-owned estate. He lived in this estate as well. The job was committed into his care by the estate management authority. The mustard seeds were expected to grow to become mighty trees for the purpose of beautification and most importantly, serve as shade during relaxation.

Among these seeds, were the ‘good looking’, ‘the manageable’ and ‘the despised’. The good looking ones happened to be in greater quantity with ‘the manageable’ following closely but there was just one which was despised. It appeared smallest and roughest when compared with other seeds.

In selecting these seeds to plant at the designated points, he sowed the seeds that seemed to be best in his compound and that of his friends within the Estate. The manageable ones were sowed at the parks and gardens in the estate. He looked at the despised with disgust and said “this one is good for nothing! It’s a complete waste of money and my time spent in the market”. He dropped it on the floor, trampled on it and headed home.

Two days later, another farmer happened to pass through the same path. A small piece of paper dropped from his pocket as he brought out his phone to make a call. He bent down to pick the paper and his eyes met with this seed but he immediately looked away with further disgust because the seed now appeared to be in a worse condition.

One would have expected the seed to be dried up and extinct within one week but it was able to withstand the harsh conditions. Fortunately, it paid off at the end of it all.

Twenty years later, Agbebiyi visited Chief Oyeyemi, one of his new customers to deliver some goods to him and in turn request for his money. As he gained entrance into the beautiful compound, he sighted Chief Oyeyemi sitting under a tree, reading newspapers.

Along the line of their discussion, Agbebiyi voiced out his admiration for the tree that appeared mighty. “I feel very relaxed and cool sitting under this tree” he said. He also made mention of the fact that mustard tree was better grown than he one he had planted in his compound. Chief Oyeyemi could not help but narrate how he got the seed from the same region Agbeyi had dropped and trampled on it earlier on. He said “I had bent down to pick my fallen handkerchief, only to see this seed as well even when it appeared very small. The seed appeared to be in a very sorry state but I believed it could thrive well with some care and here is it today!”