Images from Meta AI
If someone had told me two years ago that I would leave our dusty street in Maboro, Ogun State, to start working in a fashion company even as an assistant I would have laughed and said, “You dey whine me?”
Me? Inside fashion? I couldn’t even sew a straight line or tell the difference between satin and chiffon. Back then, I had zero interest in anything that had to do with measurements, fabrics, or style. My Sundays were the closest I came to anything fashion related, and that was just to iron my shirt and trousers for church.
But life, as I’ve come to realize, is full of unexpected turn
It All Started with Boredom
I had finished secondary school, but I hadn’t enrolled in any higher institution yet. There was no immediate plan. University was on the list, but it wasn’t happening soon. So I stayed at home, helping my mother run her moi moi and food business by the roadside.
My parents both married and raising four of us were doing their best. My dad often worked far from home, so it was mostly my mum and I managing the daily hustle.
Each day began early. I’d sweep the stall area, fetch water, rush to the market for ewe eran, onions, firewood, and oil. Once the moi moi was steaming, Once the moi moi started steaming on the firewood, I’d sit back on the wooden bench under our zinc canopy and scroll through my phone. The same routine every day.
I didn’t realize it then, but I was sinking into a quiet frustration. It wasn’t depression exactly it was just that kind of dull feeling where each day looks like the last and the next. I didn’t know what I was doing with my life. I was just there. I’d sit on a bench, scrolling through my phone with no real purpose.
One afternoon, my neighbor and longtime friend Kabiru came to visit.
“Ayo, you just dey waste here o,” he said, sitting beside me.
“Na so life be now,” I replied.
Then he asked, “You get any skill?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I no even know wetin I like.”
“ That’s when he leaned closer and said something that would change everything: “Why not come with me? The tailor workshop wey I dey work for dey find extra hand. You no need sew anything just dey assist carry cloth, help measure. Nothing serious. Just stand beside me.”
At first, I thought he was joking. Me, in fashion?
But later that day, the idea started to grow in my mind. But that night, I kept thinking about it. Doing nothing wasn’t helping. Even if it wasn’t my passion, maybe it would give me some direction. The next morning, I followed him.
So the next morning, I followed Kabiru. The shop wasn’t in Lekki as I’d once dreamed; it was a modest tailoring space far from home. But it was buzzing with activity. Threads flying, fabrics draped everywhere, tailors hunched over sewing machines with the focus of surgeons.
I wasn’t expected to sew, just to assist. And that’s exactly what I did. I swept, carried fabrics, watched closely, and listened.
My role was simple: clean the space, arrange fabrics, measure body sizes, and assist the tailors. I watched them talk about peplum, bishop collars, pencil skirts, and kaftans like professionals. It was impressive.
Days turned into weeks. I began to understand the difference between an Ankara six-piece skirt and a straight cut gown. I could now name different sewing machines and knew where to find fabric markets without asking.
Weeks turned into Months.I began learning the names of fabrics and styles just from hearing them every day. I was mimicking, trying to take a leaf out of Kabiru’s book. Maybe if fashion was working for him, it would work for me too.
But Even with all that Knowledge, something didn’t sit right. I couldn’t see myself doing this forever. I was copying a lifestyle that didn’t match me.
Then one day, one of the irons in the shop stopped working. While everyone panicked, I quietly checked the plug and fixed it.
Then Kabiru approached me and asked:
“Guy, how you take sabi that one?” Kabiru asked, surprised.
“I just check am small,” I replied.
Another day, I fixed a fan. Then someone brought me a phone with charging problems and I fixed that too.
That’s when everything clicked.
I wasn’t just guessing I actually enjoyed figuring these things out. My brain lit up every time I held a faulty gadget. I loved the challenge of opening, diagnosing, and fixing.
Suddenly, fashion became background noise.
I started watching videos on phone repairs, fixing gadgets at home, and noting the tools I’d need to begin my own small repair hustle.
It was like finding my true reflection in a mirror I didn’t even know existed.
Yes, I tried to take a leaf out of Kabiru’s book. I followed him into the fashion world because I admired his hustle and wanted direction. But that journey taught me something important:
Not every leaf will grow in your garden.
I wasn’t born to be a tailor, but taking that detour helped me discover my real skill. Today, I’m saving toward opening my own phone repair shop. No formal training yet, but I practice daily and keep improving.
If you’re stuck and don’t know what to do next, just try something. Anything. That step, even if it’s the wrong one, might lead you to your true path.
Taking a leaf out of someone’s book isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s sometimes necessary when you’re unsure. But never forget to find your own rhythm. I’m glad I followed Kabiru because in trying to imitate him, I discovered myself.
But the real lesson is this: *not every leaf you borrow is meant to stay with you. Sometimes, it’s just there to show you the direction to your own path.
Kabiru helped me without even knowing it. He gave me a reason to step outside, try something new, and most importantly discover myself.
Thanks for reading my story.
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