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.