10 Days To 30 years (Day 9)

I wake up slowly, and the first thought which crosses my mind is a reminder that tomorrow is my birthday. Looking at the time shows that it is 11 am, but I don’t care.

After my prayers, which I spend extra time on, I smile as I remember the good news Ayomikun gave me when he called yesterday.

Ayomikun.

Ayomikun is my ex and my crush.

I know it’s complicated, but it is what it is.

We had a little time in a relationship which didn’t work out, and so we ended it, but ending it didn’t stop me wishing.

Don’t get me wrong, I know it is over, and I have accepted it, but I like him and I feel good when I get attention from him.

Well, back to yesterday.

He is in America and so he does the calling, once in a while, as it is cheaper for him to call me than it is for me to call him. The calls are usually long, but it is not nearly enough.

Well his call this time, yesterday, was short. He just called to tell me to check my telegram. That was strange, because he is not one who has time to chat, per se. In my opinion, he is forming busy, but he claims he is actually busy.

So I put on my data and check my Telegram and I am pleasantly surprised to see that he sent me details to get the money he sent me via Western Union. He sent me $70.

I was temporarily shocked because I didn’t ask him for anything, and it has been a while we spoke for him to know that I am in need.

I quickly send him a message, thanking him, and yet asking him why he sent me money. I know it sounds like I was looking a gift horse in the mouth, but I like things plain.

I like knowing where I am with people, I am the kind of girl who’d pester a misbehaving boyfriend to breakup with me if that’s what he wants, and when he does, I will cry, but at least I’d have my peace of mind.

So I asked him why he gave me money, and he said he felt I needed it, and felt led to give me the money. He explained how for about a week he kept forgetting, and finally forced himself to do it right then.

I was surprised, very surprised, but I was grateful. I thanked him profusely, and then I thanked God at night.

Yes that midnight prayer I couldn’t do when I was afraid, I did when I was grateful, for close to three hours.

Love is a stronger force than fear.

So today, I am going to get the money.

As I get ready to go to the bank, I wonder why God decided to bless me so, and one of the voices reminds me of how I returned tithe in faith, even when I didn’t have enough.

I feel goosebumps rise on my skin, and I can’t help but wonder what would have happened if I had not acted faithfully. Maybe the voice which pestered Ayomikun would have gone silent.

Maybe.

I take note of this. Though it may not always work out like this, I realise that God is letting me know he can take care of me, even from places I can’t imagine.

I head to the bank, get the money, take out the tithe and offering immediately. I also put most of the money in my account

Next I plan on how to cook something good for my birthday, and maybe get myself a good wristwatch as a gift.

The day’s goodness makes it easier for me to write, and so I focus on writing some short stories.

I realise I write better when I am not looking for money. Maybe because I am not worrying about where my next meal will come from, and so I can allow my creative juices flow.

Maybe.

I write for so long, I don’t notice the time flying, and before I know it, I have written for three straight hours, and I remember that I have not eaten anything throughout the day.

It is an irony how on days I lack, I’d feel so hungry, I’d feel like I would die any minute, but today when I have been blessed, I am satisfied and can even work without food.

The power of the mind.

When in lack, all I see and think of is the fact that I lack, and so my subconscious tries to establish the fact that I lack.

But when in plenty, my subconscious knows that there is abundance, and so it does not worry as it knows that of the need arises, it can be met.

The power of the mind.

One of the voices whispers to another that it seems like I am getting wiser, as I seem to be reading wisdom messages from everything.

The other voice whispers back that I am getting older, and so it is expected that I get wiser.

I ignore them and go to the kitchen where I make eba so I could eat it with the remaining soup.

I am eating, and simultaneously thinking of what next to write after I edit what I have written so far, when I feel my phone vibrates. I notice it is the green light blinking and not the red, which I have come to interpret that it means the incoming message was an important notification.

I take my time, finish eating, and then I wash up. It seems nothing can worry me, but then I voice reminds me that the money will soon be gone, and I would be back to a state of lack, except I find something to bring in money.

I remind to use my new found energy to think up something.

I leave the kitchen and head for the parlour, and then I check my phone.

It’s a message from my bank, I wonder if they were sending a late alert of the transaction I did earlier, but no, it is a new alert.

A credit alert.

I open it and found another humbling good news; my big cousin sent me 10,000. I didn’t call him. I didn’t ask him, but somehow, God made him send me some money.

I am weakened to my bones, and a part of me wonders why God is being so good to me.

I find myself on my knees and in tears.

The message is clear; God will take care of me, no matter how bleak the horizon may appear.

As I praise and worship God for His gift, I am reminded by a pesky voice of the day I cried for a gift from Him for my birthday.

That day, I had been very close to depression, and I had begged God to give me a special gift for my birthday.

It was not yet my birthday, and yet I feel His goodness all around me. Remembering how I had acted ungrateful in the past, cause more tears to flow.

I am still on my knees when my phone rings.

I ignore it and focus on my prayer, but it rings again, and again.

At the fourth time, I wonder if it was my cousin trying to find out if I got the alert. I quickly round up the prayer and get my phone.

It is my best friend.

“Hello,”

“Your phone is called mobile phone for a reason,” he says without replying my salutation.

“No vex, I was praying.
“Okay, how you dey?”

“I am fine oh. Very fine, how you?

“I just dey.  What made you very fine?”

I tell him about my early birthday presents, and he is almost happier than I am.

“Wow! Happy birthday. You see, God will provide.”

“Yes o, now I see,” I reply.

I tell him of my plan to cook some food and how it was too late to order a cake, but the food would do.

He advises me not to spend the money on the birthday, but should find a way to invest some.

Not long after, he says he has to go.

I say goodbye and almost immediately call my big cousin.

“Dede God bless you o!” I say immediately he picks up.

“Amen dear, Amen.”

“Thank you sir,”

“You are welcome,” he replies, then asks me to take care of myself.

Still partially dazed, I go back to edit my work.

As I work, I am happy. It is a kind of happiness that comes from answered prayers.

I know beyond a doubt that I am loved.

This feeling stays with me till it’s time to sleep.

I am tempted to stay awake till it is midnight, so I can see my birthday arrive, but I decide against it. God has given me rest, let me rest into my birthday.

And so I go to bed, and sleep enfolds me just as the thought that I will be entering my thirtieth birthday richer than I have been in a long while, crosses my mind.

I pray it sets the pace for the rest of my new year.

Tomorrow is my birthday!

___________________________________________________

Your comments bring out the beauty in our stories. Have your say in the comment box below. To share our story, click on the Facebook share button or on the twitter button.

Follow our twitter handle @lagosconvo