For almost three days after returning from Kaduna, I never found time to call him.
How a Chronic Drunkard Helped Reshape My Stay in Abuja as an Architect (Episode 1 Part Three)
For almost three days after returning from Kaduna, I never found time to call him.
The truth is, I was completely overwhelmed with work at the military project site. Every day strengthened my conviction that it was time to leave military life and become independent.
Then one afternoon, my phone rang.
I looked at the screen.
It was him.
Immediately, I exclaimed,
“Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un!”
Not because anything bad had happened, but because I suddenly realised how badly I had neglected someone who had shown me so much kindness.
I was sitting in the front office when Sergeant David noticed my reaction.
“Oga, what happened?”
As the phone continued ringing, I explained everything to him.
“I’ve really messed up. Since we returned from Kaduna, I haven’t even called this man once.”
Sergeant David smiled and said,
“Oga, just answer the call and apologise. Shikenan.”
I took his advice.
The moment I answered, I was preparing to apologise.
But before I could speak, the man surprised me once again.
Instead of complaining, he apologised.
He said he had been busy and was sorry he hadn’t called to confirm whether I had returned safely to Abuja.
I was speechless.
Here I was feeling guilty for neglecting him, while he was apologising to me.
That single conversation taught me another lesson about humility.
He then asked,
“Do you know Apo Resettlement very well?”
I replied confidently,
“Yes, sir.”
Perhaps the confidence in my military background made me answer without hesitation.
A few days later, I visited his residence in Apo.
That was when I met his family properly.
It was also then I realised he had spent many years abroad. His exposure explained why he demanded such a high standard in everything around him.
People thought he was difficult.
I realised he simply expected excellence.
At that moment, I made up my mind.
I would learn everything I could from him.
Although I had worked with the Federal Capital Development Authority and later with the Nigerian Army Special Projects, I suddenly realised something painful.
Compared to the standard this man expected, I was still learning my profession.
One of the first assignments he gave me was the renovation of his wife’s shop at Garki Mall—a project worth millions of naira.
He asked for my quotation.
I submitted it.
Without hesitation, he released the full amount required for the work to begin immediately.
That was where I made one of the biggest mistakes of my career.
Instead of employing craftsmen who specialised in luxury finishing, I called my regular carpenter from Minna.
Looking back today, I often laugh and say,
“It was like a blind man leading another blind man.”
We both worked hard.
But hard work alone wasn’t enough.
The finished concept fell far below the standard my client expected.
When he inspected the project, he was clearly disappointed.
I feared the contract was over.
But instead of humiliating me, he did something I will never forget.
He calmly asked me to see him at his house the following day.
When I arrived, he took me around his residence once again.
He showed me different parts of the house, explained the concepts behind them, and even told me how much each project had cost.
Then he looked at me and said,
“Kanti, these are the kinds of projects I want from you. Not the cheap concept you produced at the shop.”
“If you need skilled artisans, I will introduce you to them. That is not your problem.”
“Your problem is that your design thinking is outdated.”
“Go back. Remove everything. Come back with better ideas.”
My legs were shaking.
As I drove away, countless thoughts ran through my mind.
“Have I lost this client?”
“Where will I get money to correct this mistake?”
“What if this is the end?”
Just before I left, he gave me another instruction.
“Download Pinterest.”
I looked at him with surprise.
“For what, sir?”
He smiled.
“For inspiration. Study. Learn. Expand your mind.”
That was the moment I realised something important.
He had not given up on me.
He was investing in me.
I immediately downloaded the app.
Then I went back to the drawing board.
I challenged everything I thought I knew about architecture, carpentry, interior finishing, artistic expression, and luxury design.
I redesigned the entire project from a completely different perspective.
That experience transformed me.
From that day forward, I stopped designing buildings merely to function.
I started designing spaces to inspire.
Luxury design became part of my professional thinking.
My taste changed.
My standards changed.
Even my lifestyle gradually changed because my understanding of quality had changed.
Looking back today, I can confidently say something.
The man everyone dismissed as “the drunkard” became one of the greatest teachers of my architectural career.
Sometimes, your greatest mentor doesn’t arrive dressed like a professor.
Sometimes, he is the person everyone else overlooks.
And if you are humble enough to learn, God can use anyone to reshape your destiny.
To be continued…
