January 7th, 2025 – Tuesday
Schools had opened for the new year. The laughter, the shouting, the morning rush — all gone. Now, the neighborhood was dead quiet, like the calm after a storm.
“You know, Niss,” her friend said, breaking the silence. “That thing we talked about — keeping layers. We should do it. It’s a good idea.”
“Yeah, absolutely,” Niss replied. “I’ve been preparing. Reading, researching… there’s a ton of information in blogs, articles, even YouTube videos. It looks promising. I think I’m ready to start.”
“Really? Well, good for you.” Her friend smiled. “How many are you planning to start with?”
“I don’t know. I don’t mind starting with a hundred birds. It depends on how much money I can get.”
“A hundred?” Her friend’s eyebrows shot up. Niss suddenly wondered what she’d said wrong.
“How much profit will you even get from that? So small.”
“Here’s my plan,” her friend whispered, leaning forward like she was about to share a secret. “I’m planning to start big — massive profits, you know? I want not less than a thousand birds. I heard an expert say anything less than that is pointless.”
She paused, frowning. “But you know my piece of land — it’s small. If I keep a thousand birds, I’ll have no room left for maize or cassava. So for now, I’m saving. I want to buy a bigger plot. I hear Be Kanze is selling part of his land. That’s what I’m aiming for. When I start, it’ll be big — and fast.”
“What do you think?” she asked.
“I think it’s a dead plan,” Niss said flatly. “Let’s start with what we can for now.”
“Not true. Just wait and see,” her friend replied, folding her arms.
After a few more rounds of back-and-forth, Niss finally walked back home, unsure if she’d made her point — or lost it.
The Funeral
April 28th, 2025 – Monday
“Hey, what’s that?” a voice called out behind her.
Niss turned. It was her friend.
“I’m burying two of my chicks. They died overnight,” Niss said quietly.
“Chicks? Dead? What chicks?” her friend asked, puzzled.
“Layer chicks — the ones we talked about. I bought a hundred and fifty. Now they’re a hundred and forty. Ten have died so far. I spoke to the vet, and he said a few deaths are normal. But it shouldn’t be too many.”
“See? I told you. If you’d waited, this wouldn’t be happening. Plus, if you had a thousand birds and lost a hundred, you’d still have nine hundred left. That’s still good money,” her friend said, voice laced with concern.
“Where are you with your plan?” Niss asked.
“Oh, I’ve got the land now,” her friend said proudly. “So I’m saving for the next step — the structure, the chicks, equipment, and feeds. I heard prices have gone up again. Once I’ve saved enough, I’ll hire a contractor and buy my chicks.” She smiled, confident.
“That’s good,” Niss said slowly, “but I think you’re wasting time.”
“No, I’m not. Just wait and see.”
Niss sighed and turned away. Maybe she should wait.
For now.
But she knew that this was the day she had buried her inexperience in brooding. The day of the funeral..
(Part 2 drops next week Friday)
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