The term 'proceeds' , as used in the passage, means
Reading Passage: Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining
Directions: Read the passage carefully:
Once more, fate dealt him another fatal blow. His spare parts shop in the market had been glutted by fire. Everything he worked for, his sweat, his source of livelihood, all gone. What was he to do now? Who would he turn to for help?
In his two room apartment, he sat quietly and remembered how at the age of sixteen his father died, leaving behind his mother, himself and his five younger brothers. He was at that age, in grade five, a brilliant student with a dream of becoming a successful accountant. But now he had to shoulder the responsibility of taking care of his younger brothers while going to school.
Life was hard on him. Everyday, he would wake up as early as four o'clock to help his mother in domestic chores and preparing his younger brothers for school. At seven o' clock, he would start off for school. Hoping and praying for the best for his mother in her sales. She sold food stuff at the local market and from the proceeds she paid her sons’ school fees and provided for their basic needs. But this was hardly enough as sometimes, they would have to go without food and in tattered clothes. Emeka was not discouraged in his efforts to study hard and came out in flying colours. He strove constantly to keep his will strong for he knew that where there is a will there is always a way.
He waded through secondary school and obtained a high grade in his final exams. With this, he hoped to gain admission into the university which he did. This also meant that his mother would have to spend more money on his tuition fees and feeding. He knew that the burden on his mother would be too great. So, he decided to take the burden on himself and look for a part time job out of which he was able to fend for himself. He found a job as a waiter in an eatery in the university premises. He would start work at 4 a.m. and close at 10.00 p.m. This was no easy task but somehow he endured the hardship considering it as a training ground, and hoping that one day fate would be merciful to him.
Emeka studied real hard for his final exams and came out with a second class upper degree. He hoped he would be able to obtain a job with this but was bitterly disappointed as virtually no firm was willing to give him a job. He had become one of the thousands of unemployed youths in the country. Emeka was doggedly determined to make it in life so he out rightly refused to allow himself to be pitied. He asked for help from some of his friends in order to rent a shop in which he would sell car spare parts. Out of the sales, he helped his mother take care of his younger brothers. As a matter of fact, he was doing quite well but unfortunately, everything was gone. It seemed that this major incident had sapped all of his strength to carry on. His future seemed to have become bleak. Lamenting his woes, he cried out. "O God! Why me? Why me?
His very good friend Eze tried to console him and encourage him to carry on assuring him that behind every dark cloud there is always a silver lining. Emeka took up the courage and picked up the pieces of his life once again.
One Monday afternoon, about two weeks after the incident, a letter came to him. He wondered who could have sent it. He read the letter and found out that it was a job offer from a renowned bank in the country to become the manager of one of their branches in Lagos. He did not know how he was chosen for the job but he remembered that he had gone there for an interview. He was told to start the job with immediate effect. He was also given an official car and an apartment. Now it seemed as if fate was compensating him for all he had lost and he could do nothing but thank God over and over again for blessing him so. Words were not enough to express his joy and he remembered Eze's statement that every cloud has a silver lining. And that was exactly what happened to him.