The Apprentice Who Welded His Shadow

Baba Tunde gave Jide one instruction: “Weld this crack. Don’t rush.”

Jide was in a hurry. He cranked the machine high, struck the arc, _tsssk_… sparks everywhere. He finished fast and grinned.

That night, he went home tired. But when he reached his room, something was wrong. His shadow on the wall… had a crack in it. Same shape as the metal he welded.

He rubbed his eyes. The shadow waved back, but its chest had a broken line.

Next day, Baba Tunde saw it too. “You weld fast, but you didn’t fuse. You only joined the surface. The metal will break again.”

Jide understood. He went back, ground the bad weld, heated the metal properly, took it slow. _tsssk…_ pause… _tsssk…_ restart… proper penetration.

That night, he checked his shadow. The crack was gone. Whole again.

Baba Tunde laughed: “Remember Jide — welding is like life. If you rush the join, even your shadow will carry the crack.”

Till today, Jide is the slowest welder in the shop. But none of his welds ever fail.

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