My Christmas Day Miracle
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Ever since i got hitched, reproduced and became saddled with the responsibility of cooking Christmas meals, Christmas day is always an anti-climax for me. 25th December 2011 was no different.
My family and I travelled to the villa to celebrate the day with the rest of the extended family. That morning as usual found me in the kitchen, prepping the just-slaughtered goat for cooking. My sis-in-law and I were supposed to have gone to church with the rest of the family but we begged off so we could finish the cooking before service ends. So, we stayed home and cooked. No, my SIL cooked; i stayed steady downing the jar of palmwine that was just delivered that morning. Someone should package palmy in powder form and sell as tranquillizers/sedatives cos next thing i knew, i was snoring in bed, cooking forgotten.
The hubby’s call woke me and it wasn’t good news: our flat in Lagos was burning. Disturbing. The hubby was making frantic calls here and there...Helpless...only he didn’t look frantic. He carried on as if he was ordering bushmeat from Amokwe Station for a large party in a hurry! Unruffled. Finally, we got the call that said everything was ok. The fire has been quenched and even though our doors were broken down, they have been fixed and the house secured. Relief. We murmured the traditional “Thank God” and went back to drinking palmwine!
On the 27th of Dec, i boarded my flight to Lagos against work the next day. I was a little scared of going home. I didn’t know what to expect. No idea at all. Then, the taxi drove into my compound.
Dear Lord! I held myself long enough for the people that brought my things up to leave and then i collapsed in tears. I cried for nearly an hour!
I stand in awe of You. Only, God, to thee will all my praises be. I stand in awe of You!
I cried not because of the damage to my apartment. No. I cried because on the 25th of December 2011, a Miracle was wrought on my behalf. Favoured. Where my flat was extensively damaged, two feet away, my neighbour’s flat is non-existent. They lost everything!!!
Three days of electricians breaking more ceiling boards to re-wire the house, carpenters hammering left right and center, painters scrambling around lugging paint brushes and buckets, cleaners and washermen coming and going, three days of backbreaking, unbelievable stress, i finally have a clean space the kids can come home to. Except for the concentrated smell of smoke, no one will ever guess the trauma the flat underwent.
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| This space is what separates the two flats! As i executed the last swipe of polish on the wooden floor, i knelt before Him that sits upon the throne and sang songs of praises. I am yet to comprehend the magnitude of what God did for me! i am sooooooooooo thankful. So full of thanksgiving! Where would i have started from? There is a God and today, He became my personal Person! I’d like to use this opportunity to thank every single one of you that helped out, called, texted, visited, tweeted. Special thanks to Tanna Obidike and family, for housing me and Foluke, for gifting me the mop that cleaned the entire house. God bless y’all for me. And on Sunday, if you are lead, please put a little bit more in the offering box and murmur prayer of thanksgiving on our behalf to God! He totally came through for us this year!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR IN ADVANCE! |
HHC: Another One Bits The Dust
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House-Help Chronicles
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One month ago, on a certain wednesday morning, Happiness walked out on my household. No, not happiness the feeling. Yes, Happiness the nanny. She upped and left that day and *who am I kidding?* took my happiness, the feeling, with her!
Happiness was the nanny I never mess with and absolutely do not allow anybody mess with her! She took care of my kids like her own...or so I thought! A mother of three boys, Zi was like the little girl she didn't have. Heck, Zi called both of us Mummy equally...anyone within hearing distance answers her call.
Happiness was a lifeline and even though I didn't outrightly say this to her, I always made sure she knew how much I appreciated her efforts from my actions.
Happiness was more than my children's nanny to me. Yes, she was much more...Happiness was my friend!
Happiness stole out of my house and my life unannounced that fateful morning as I left for work, leaving my kids stranded in school! No warning! NONE AT ALL!!!
That day, I couldn't eat. I couldn't summon even the tiniest of appetites. I had this bitter ugly taste in my mouth. It took a while to realize what that taste was. Betrayal! It tastes like garbage, mixed with a generous dollop of really sour mayonnaise and served, wrapped in trash!
I will not even front...I cried. The only other time I cried over a heartbreak so deep-seated it physically hurt in my chest was when my boyfriend of many years decided, all by his lone self, that we needed a break (the boyfriend is now the hubby and I still haven't forgiven him for those tears).
With Happiness, kai, I was floored. I didn't know what to think; who to blame!
I blamed myself..maybe I have MPD such that after I slush off to bed, Cruella Devile, complete with claws and vampira dentition, emerges to torment these people.
I blamed my son..maybe this pint-size barely-four-year old boy is really a "problem child", rude and unruly to the point of driving grown ass women from my home.
I blamed my driver..beneath his dumbo cant-hurt-a-fly exterior, he really might be a househelp-molester.
I blamed everybody except for the person that thought I didn't deserve the courtesy of information. It took me a month to realise that laying blames and wondering where I got it wrong was an effort in futility. Like Toinlicious or was it CoyIntrovert tweeted, these people come wired with special effects. Nothing you do is gonna ever satisfy them! It also took me a while to realise nothing is wrong with me...infact I'm the mellow-est of 'madams' I know. Nothing is wrong with my son...he has just plain refused to be bullied. And finally, my driver has not given me reason to suspect he's into diddling helps.
It took me a month to be ok with her actions (no word from her as yet); it took me a month to let the hurt go; it took a month to bring myself to blog it!
And this day that it clocked exactly one month (a week ago), Mary packed her things to leave...same MO! And this time round, I had the last laugh. I laughed so hard, I nearly peed my dross. Even now, I have a small smile on my face! Because as she was about to abscond, I got wind of it, got someone to hold her down and made a mad dash home! How I handled that situation is post for another day. BUT she left...still...shocked to her marrows and I chuckle...still...each time I remember the circumstances of her exit! I'm done rolling over and playing dead! Last I checked, that tree at my backyard never begin shed money! Oloshi{s}.
[If you have any househelp tales that could educate mothers on signs not to ignore in a help amongst other things, please send to 21stcenturycareermom@gmail.com. It’ll be hugely appreciated. You never know whose life or marriage it might save!]
How is everybody doing? Good, i hope. Anyways, Beddings’n’Beyond is gearing up for its first ever sales. In case you are not familiar with what i’m going on about, check them out on:
You can follow on Twitter: @_beddingsrus_ and they follow right back!
Ok, that is all for today. Lemme now go and make Sunday rice before Chets crucifies me for tarrying! Blog soonest....xx
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