The first episode of this series is available here: Psych Ward Diaries. 00.
“I like Yemi a lot. I feel like we are going to be lifetime friends.”
I feel betrayed.
Andrew has just betrayed me.
Yemi is the guy with the sleeve tattoos.
Andrew is another guy.
He was brought in a number of days ago. Sedated as usual, arms hanging limply by his sides as the nurses carried his unconscious body into the ward.
I liked his boots. They looked kinda goth-ey. Had some small metal spike-looking things on them. I thought they were cool.
They brought him into the room where I was staying.
Cool, now all I have to do is wait for the guy with cool boots to wake up, so we can chat.
“….because am a separatist….”
Hm.
This guy has just dropped a word.
Hm.
I am talking with Andrew. He recently woke up.
As we keep chatting, I infer that “separatist” is along the same lines as “subversive” and stuff.
Hm.
We keep talking.
He used to work for Chevron.
Nigeria’s GDP is predominantly a function of crude oil exports. This means people who work in Oil companies are a huge deal.
In my final year of high school, there was a lot of hype about studying Petrochemical Engineering. It appeared to be a straightforward path to working at an Oil Company, and getting paid a desirably overwhelming monthly salary.
And so of course I’m interested in talking with this guy who used to work at Chevron. I want to know what life is like for these Oil Company people.
I mean- I recently spent some time living in Silicon Valley, so Oil company salaries probably do not seem as obscene to me as they did when I was in high school. Regardless I’m curious to know what the Oil company life is like.
We keep talking.
He says at some point there was some sort of an issue in the organisation. No one else seemed to be bothered by it, so he flew to the international headquarters to notify the officials there.
Hmmm.
We keep talking.
He says there was this day he felt led in his spirit to give out his MacBook. He walked into a park and dropped a bag containing his wiped computer along with the charger, on a bench. Said it would be a blessing to whoever came across it that day.
Hmmmmm!!!!!
I am feeling this guy.
We keep talking.
Every once in a while we touch on a topic that makes us laugh and get very excited. Excitement is a very rare and precious feeling when you’re in a psychiatric facility with nowhere to go and nothing to do, so I attempt to keep mental bookmarks of these topics we find mutually exciting. So we can revisit them later when we feel like having a laugh. Like in-between-flight layovers and the different ways of ingesting crack and Lombard street in San Francisco.
Andrew has just betrayed me.
Yesterday we chatted until pretty late in the night.
He told me about how he quit his pretty well-paying job at Chevron to embark on an entrepreneurial venture. Says his severance package was immense. Says he has no idea when he’s ever going to finish spending the money.
Says he has just been living on the interest for the past year. The actual funds are untouched.
Hmmmm.
I need some money to fuel an AI endeavour I have been working on for a while. I’m thinking maybe I could pitch the idea to him at some point. Financial support is needed. Financial support is very needed.
He told me about his meeting with Robert Kiyosaki. The “Rich Dad Poor Dad” guy.
Hmm. I remember reading the book some months after finishing high school. I later heard the guy went bankrupt.
I ask Andrew what he thought of that. How that affects the veracity of his perspectives on wealth acquisition.
Andrew essentially says the disparity between Kiyosaki’s experienced financial-statuses gives him breadth of perspective, which makes his insights more valuable than those of someone who has known only success.
Hmmmmmmmm!!!!!
This guy. This Andrew guy.
We keep talking.
He talks about his experience under Kiyosaki’s mentorship.
He was provided with guidance on some E-Commerce endeavours.
He purchased Callus Removers from AliBaba.com, and forwarded them to some sort of storage space he procured in the USA.
The storage space served as a warehouse from which he delivered to customers ordering for his Callus Removers on Amazon.
The price difference between the Callus removers on Amazon and on AliBaba, was very significant. He was making steady, substantial profit.
He told me about how when the money began flowing into his account, he began to smile and sing appreciative songs of praise to his Almighty God, because life was taking an interesting turn.
Hmm. I keep listening.
We talk about his young daughter, and his floundering marriage. There are talks of divorce. He is sad and conflicted and worried. Does not know how all of it will turn out. Sometimes he seems certain divorce is the best mutual decision. At other times he’s not so sure.
Andrew has just betrayed me.
He met Yemi this morning. Yemi- the tattoo guy.
They had a brief chat over table tennis.
He just came back into the room to communicate his excitement to me.
“I like Yemi a lot. I feel like we are going to be lifetime friends.”
Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, Andrew.
You just talked with him for like ten minutes.
Ten minutes! Ten minutes Andrew!
We’ve been talking for days now!
What about all of our late night discussions and hearty laughter?
What of our mutual excitement over the different methods of crack ingestion?
What of Lombard street in San Francisco!
Jesus Christ, I thought we were close?!
I thought we had a special bond?
Now you go talk with this guy, for ten minutes, and all of a sudden you want to be lifetime friends with him?
Lifetime friends?
Jesus Christ Andrew, Jesus Christ.
You’ve never given me a personal compliment anywhere close to being that nice!
Lifetime friends?!
My God.
My God, Andrew, My God.
Andrew has just betrayed me.
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