"Words of Change" by Hatouma Doucoure ('26)
“Bow ka so!” yelled the father. “Leave this house, I don’t want to see you around my house from this instant you useless human. You’re a shame to this family!”
These were the words that changed Yimy’s life. He was from a poor family in the country of Niagara. His dad, aged 56, worked as a carpenter 45 hours every week to sustain his family’s needs, but still earned very little. Yimy, for his part, didn’t care about anything in the house. He didn’t respect anyone nor had any pity for his poor old parents who were struggling to pay his school fees to get educated and have opportunities knocking at his door.
Soon after turning 18, Yimy started hanging out with rich boys who owned expensive clothes, phones and had a lot of money. He wanted to conform and be like them, so he started missing school and going out more often. Not having a job or rich parents to provide him the same things as his friends, he started stealing his old dad’s little earnings and selling belongings just to please and look interesting to his new friends. His dad did all he could to change his habits by taking Yimy to work, letting him explore his interests but still, Yimy was too lazy and over-confident to do any work. In Yimy’s head, he was king.
After trying everything in his ability, his dad figured out that the only solution to change him and open his eyes to reality was to kick Yimy out and let him manage all alone. One fine afternoon, Yimmy came home from his walk with his friends and was confused! To his surprise, his father and mother were at the gate, his belongings by their side.
“Yimy, I don’t want to see you around this house from now on, take your stuff and go wherever you know,” ordered the desperate father.
Yimy being the only child of his parents was expecting anything but being kicked out. He looked at his mother’s eyes, full of tears like a river, then at his dad. Yimy dragged his belongings to the edge of the river thinking about his actions and everything his dad had done for him. He gradually started regretting his attitudes and made the ultimate decision of changing and making his parents proud. The next day, he went to Yorinda market looking for a job but was refused because everyone already knew about his stealing and bad habits. So he traveled to a nearby country where an old shoemaker hired him and let him stay at his house. Yimy was the first to wake up every morning and went to open the shop before the boss himself was awake. Yimy worked really hard and the shoemaker gradually felt appreciation towards him and considered him as his own son.
After two years, Yimy asked to go back to his country and the old man, in recognition of his hard work, offered him a golden bracelet. Yimy came back to his dad sick, laying on his bed, his mom by his side. Without any hesitation, Yimy sold the gold bracelet and used the money to take care of the dad. After his father’s recovery, his dad was so proud that his son finally shed his old skin. As Yimy’s dad felt he was now mature and responsible, he handed him the papers of a land he inherited from Yimy’s grandfather. Yimy used the money from selling the land and opened a shoe store. Although you have the absolute right to live your ideal life with all craziness and go on about it, it is important to know where the limits are. Yimy went over the limits for sure but he was able to reflect back on his actions and take a completely new path that led him to a successful life.