Iwalewa II

Hello folks! It's a new week and the month is ending, God has not forgotten you. Your miracle is on the way! Have a blessed week!

*******

The rest of the night was busy, it seemed like there was a food shortage in every other restaurant so people decided to find refuge at this one Wendy's. I ran back and forth from the cash register to the fry station to hassling the sandwich makers for my orders. And the impatient hungry customers didn't make matters any better. Complaints were endless "I said no pickles on my sandwich!"..."I asked for extra mayo!"..."My fries are cold, can I get a fresh batch!"..."You people don't know what you're doing back there, where's your manager?"

It was 9:00 pm and I was close to pulling out my hair strand by strand. Things had slowed down a bit so I was able to catch my breath. My coworker Ashley was finally able to take her 30 minute break so I took her place at the drive thru window. In the middle of a big yawn, an all black range rover sport with tinted windows pulled up. The driver's window rolled down slowly and a dark skinned middle age man smiled at me while showcasing his gold plated teeth. 

"Good evening, what can I get for you tonight?"

"Your number with a soda on the side" he responded with a smirk on his face.

I couldn't hide my annoyance, "I'm sorry but that's not available."

At that moment the back window rolls down with a light skin man with waves for days on display.

"Why you frontin' on my boy shawty? He got bread, ain't that what you chicks want?"

"Check out his fly ride!"

I was appalled, It took all that was within me to restrain my tongue.

"I could careless about his money" I rolled my eyes at him.

I turned back to face Mr. Black and shine and said, "I'm sorry sir, if you're not here to order food then I can't help you." My tone was far from friendly.

The driver looked shocked, he squirmed. His ego was crushed. I wanted to laugh but decided to play it cool.

The passenger in the back rolled up the window without saying a word.

I starred at the driver square in the eye, "So, what is it gonna be."

He stumbled on his words, "Umm umm, just...just gimme two number ones with cheese."

"What will you like to drink?"

"One coke and one sprit."

"Does that complete your order?"

He turns to the passenger seat, "What do you want?"

Then he looks back at me, "Let me get two spicy chicken sandwiches and a large frosty."

"Is that all?"

"Yeah"

"Your total is $14.75."

He handed me a $20 bill and I give him his change. And proceeded to get his food together and handed it to him.

Before he pulled off, the back seat window comes down again.

With fury in eyes and the smell of marijuana filling the space between us, Mr. Light skin and waves said "You'll gonna regret what you just did, slut!"

Someone in the car yelled out "Yo Dwayne, chill son."

Then the car sped off.

I was shocked, fear grasped me and I felt like I was chocking. The look in his eyes were so demonic. 

"Iwalewa! You okay? you look like you saw a ghost." 

Ashley forgot her earphones and came back to get them. She had 15 minutes left for her break.

"Umm yeah...thanks"

"You sure?"

"Yeah"

With one eyebrow raised she said "Hmm...ok."

I snapped out of it and brushed it off as an empty threat. I continued to take orders at the drive thru until Ashley returned from her break. 

It was now 10:00 pm, finally the end had come. We locked the doors and began to clean up. By 10:45 pm everyone had shut down their stations and we were good to go. I usually walked with my friend Ryan because he lived on Atlantic Avenue also, but he was off of work today. 

Sarah asked me to wait for her but she was taking too long to get ready and I was exhausted. She was going clubbing and had to layer her face with make up and drown her body with perfume to get rid of the french fry smell. I couldn't be bothered.

"Sarah, I gotta go. You're taking too long."

"Iwalewa, I promise I'm almost done just gimme 10 minutes. I don't wanna walk alone!"

"You said that 10 minutes ago, I'm tired."

"It is not safe for either one of us to walk alone."

"The longer you take, the more unsafe it becomes Sarah."

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Aight it's cool, get home safe."

I called my supervisor to go through the normal routine of her checking our bags to ensure that we didn't steal any food. I was good so she opened the door to let me out. I walked out the door and suddenly felt the need to go back. But I couldn't figure out why, I checked to make sure that I had all my stuff and proceeded to walk.

The cold air slapped me in the face, I pulled my hoodie tighter and adjusted my neck scarf. My phone rang, I managed to pull it out of my pocket and saw that it was my brother Kole. He probably wanted a burger or something and I couldn't be bothered. It was now 11:22 pm. I threw my phone in my bag. It rang 3 more times but I didn't bother to check who was calling, it was too cold and I wanted to retain the warmth that my hands received from within my pockets. I just wanted to hop in the dollar cab at the next block and answer my bed that had been calling me.

Something kept nudging me to stop and check my phone but I decided to wait until I got in the cab. I took two more steps and suddenly an all black Lincoln town car stops in front of me. I stood frozen in my tracks trying to comprehend what was going on.

And then I saw him, but this time he was the driver. 

"Remember me? Ms. Sassy." Mr. Light skin with waves asked with a loud laugh.

"What do you want from me? Leave me alone!" I responded.

I looked around and there was no one in sight. The other side of the street was a dead end.

"Today is your lucky day beautiful"

"Come on, let's go for a ride. I promise I'll take it slow."

"Nooooo....leave me alone" I yelled at the top of my lungs.

"Ain't no one gonna hear you, I waited all night for you. You're all mine boo."

Tears began to fall from my eyes, my heart started beating uncontrollably. This couldn't be happening. He stepped out of the car followed by two other guys from the backseat and they began to walk towards me with mischievous looks. 

I suddenly transformed into a dramatic character out of a Nollywood movie, with my right hand on my head I began to shout "Ori mi o...I am finished...e gba mi o...temi ba mi...see my life." (Translation: {Yoruba} Help me...It's over for me...My life is over)

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


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Package Your Gifts Well

And the quality of each person's work will be seen when the Day of Christ exposes it. For on that Day fire will reveal everyone's work; the fire will test it and show its real quality. If what was built on the foundation survives the fire, the builder will receive a reward. But if your work is burnt up, then you will lose it; but you yourself will be saved, as if you had escaped through the fire. (1 Corinthians 3:13-15 GNT)

God has endowed us gifts, talents, graces, and callings to impact the world (1 Peter 4:10). A gift isn't truly a gift until it is given. We should not keep what God has given us to ourselves, that is unfaithfulness. God is not in the business of me, myself and I, he blesses you so that you can be a blessing (Genesis 12:2). When you give of yourself and your resources to others, you showcase the love of God (John 3:16). As a member of the body of Christ, God has given you a specific task; if you fail to do your part, the entire body will suffer. You'll find certain parts having to work harder to cover up the slack of others (1 Corinthians 12:26-27).

Another thing to note is how we present our gifts to others, I'm sure you'd appreciate a professionally wrapped gift versus one that's merely placed in a plastic bag. Our father is a God of details, he thrives on excellence. Be creative with your delivery, there's something unique about your gift. Don't just dish it out thoughtlessly, take time to package your gift so that it'll attract a variety of people. When we give our gifts or stand in the places of our callings, we represent our father. Are a true representative of your father in heaven?

Quality is key, it is everything. People value quality, it is attractive. The people of the world have seem to gotten this concept well, hence why many people enjoy secular movies, music, fashion, etc. But as believers, quality and excellence should be our specialty. Our father is creative, we ought to be as well.

On the day of judgment, you will have to give an account of what you did with all that God has deposited within you. Are you going to pass the quality control inspection? Or will you work crumble under the pressure of the fire?

There's a saying that goes "Anything worth doing, is worth doing well." I totally agree, showcase the father first class through your gifts, graces, and callings. Be intentional, be creative, be unique. Wait on the Holy Spirit for ideas and concepts, he'll show you things that you could never figure out on your own. Quality is key! Be creative!

Confession: Father, I thank you for every gift that you've given me. I declare that I will take time to develop them and be creative in my delivery. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Prayer Starter: Heavenly father, I come to you today asking for insight and creative wisdom to bring you glory with my gifts. In Jesus' name. Amen. 


You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

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Iwalewa

Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good weekend? 

Today we are going to take a little detour from our regular posts on my personal testimony. I will be featuring short stories from time to time. Today I will be featuring a story that was originally shared on my facebook page last year. My short stories are all fictional, however some of my inspiration to write these stories comes from real life experiences. 

Today I will be featuring a story titled, "Iwalewa". Iwalewa is a Nigerian name of Yoruba origin (one of the major tribes in Nigeria). Iwalewa means 'Character is Beauty'. This is a story of a young woman that overcame despite the many curb balls that life threw her way.

Be blessed as you read!

********

Hi, my name is Iwalewa Oni. I am a Nigerian American. I was born in Brooklyn, NY at Downstate Hospital on February 26, 1990. My parents were overjoyed on the day I was born. They prayed for a girl after already having two boys. When my dad first laid eyes on me, he said I was the most beautiful girl that he'd ever seen. He told me that when he smiled at me, I blushed and looked away. It was then that my name came to him, Iwaoluwalewa. Which means Godly character is beautiful. However everyone calls me Iwalewa for short. Here's my story. 

The number seven was always my favorite number, my mom told me that it was the number of perfection when I was a little girl. Perfection in all things was my goal so the number seven stuck to me. That was until that dreadful day that I'll never forget. December 7th 2007 was a regular day or so I thought. I woke up exhausted from studying for midterm exams all night. I was certainly looking forward to Christmas break. What kept me going was that I'd be graduating from high school in June of next year. Clara Barton High School was okay but I was so over the drama and pettiness of my age mates. I was looking forward to getting out of Brooklyn and going to college.

I wasn't the most intelligent student but I had pretty good grades. I grew up with a single parent and three siblings, I wanted to make my mom happy because of all the sacrifices that she made for us. After my dad's death she was thronged into the workforce again after being a housewife for 8 years. The day daddy died I cried all night long, I was his princess and he was the epitome of a great husband to my mom and an amazing father to my siblings and I. I being the third born and only girl needed daddy's love and he lavished it on me. It has been four years since his passing and I'm grateful for the years we shared. I have friends who didn't grow up with a father and the difference is clear. Many of them were constantly in search of love in all the wrong places, but I wasn't interested because my father's love was enough to last me for a lifetime. 

I looked at my alarm clock again and rolled my eyes, I was running late for school. And I hate being late. I had ten minutes to get ready and that was impossible. I read my morning devotional and prayed for a great day ahead and for success on my midterm exams. It was now 7:45 am and my first class was at 8:00 am. I took a quick shower brushed my teeth, combed my hair, and dabbed on a little makeup. I threw on a pair of jeans, a denim shirt, and a pair of leopard print flats. I grabbed my school bag and my small duffle bag with my work uniform and dashed out of the door. 

I got on the Q train at 8:12 am, I had on my head phones listening to "Faithful is our God" by Hezekiah Walker. Every time I listened to that song, I was encouraged. God has indeed been faithful to me and I owed him my life. I got to school at 8:25 am, thankfully I was able to grab a bagel and a small cup of hot chocolate on the way. I went through the usually routine once I arrived at school, showed my school ID to the security guards and successfully went through the metal detectors. I finally got to class and quietly took a seat at the back. Many of my classmates were half asleep and others were in their own worlds. Early classes weren't a favorite among most people. I tried to listen and take as much notes as possible while eating my breakfast. It was our U.S. history class and I must admit that it was a bit boring. But I had an exam to pass so I sucked it up.

The rest of the day went on fine, I attended all my classes, caught up with friends, and met with my guidance counselor about college preparations. Now it was time to head to work. I worked at Wendy's on Utica avenue. I really didn't like working at a fast food restaurant but it was better than nothing. I didn't always have to run to my mommy for funds, even though they didn't pay much. And working there didn't help with my waistline, I had unlimited access to food and I took advantage of it. Being a foodie, I was always being creative with my food choices. I ate everything from cheese burgers with bacon topped with chicken nuggets to bacon, cheese, chilly, and chive french fries. Yea, I am a foodie!

I arrived at work 15 minutes before my scheduled work time and decided to grab something to eat before a long night. I got a spicy chicken sandwich and a sour cream and chive baked potato. After eating, I changed into my uniform and clocked in for work. Here we go, let the craziness begin!


You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

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God's Grace, Our Responsibility

1 Corinthians 15:10 (KJV)But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

The grace of God should make you responsible, not a lazy excuse maker. 

It is a divine empowerment to be productive in every area of life, not an excuse to live carelessly. The grace of God is applicable for every area of your life. For example, just because you are a career woman doesn't give you the right to neglect your family at the expense of climbing up the ladder and making it to the top of your career field. God's grace is big and strong enough to empower you to be a wonderful wife, a marvelous mom, a success in your career and much mmore. 

The same goes for a student, a student should be disciplined if he/she wants to be successful. He/she must attend all classes on time, be attentive, take out time to study, complete assignments, etc to excel. He/she shouldn't have a nonchalant attitude, thinking "I'll just wing it or say a little prayer before an exam, I won't bother studying". God's grace doesn't work like that, we are to labor or 'put in work' with the grace that we've been given (Colossians 1:29). 

Don't limit God by stopping the flow of his grace in a particular area of your life, he is more than able and willing to empower you for all round success.

Can you be trusted with more grace? What are you doing with the grace you've been given thus far?

We ought to represent God with the grace that we've been given, always putting ourselves in Jesus' shoes and following the example he left for us while he lived on Earth. Jesus came endowed with grace and truth, he accomplished all that he did on Earth by this grace (John 1:17). God's grace is a gift, it is to be cherished and handled with care (Ephesians 2:8).

There is a question that has been asked over and over again, Can a person have it all? The answer is YES! That's why Jesus came(John 10:10). God desires that we enjoy the best of all things and function at our best in every area of our lives, that's why he sent Jesus. 

Never settle for average or good enough, anyone can do that without trying. We need to know that our reference point is not of this world, we take out reference from above. The sky is not our limit, it is our starting point (Ephesians 2:6;John 3:31)

As I stated earlier, Jesus is the embodiment of grace and truth. He came to endow us with power from on high and reveal to us the truth about who he is in us and who we are in him (Colossians 1:27). We are unstoppable, unmovable, and unshakable with the grace of God working in us, for us, with us, and through us. Let it flow, take responsiblity for all that has been committed into your hands. Don't let your calling, gifts, talents, and skills go to waste. They were given for you to be a blessing to others, not to hoard them.

Don't waste God's grace!

Confession: Father in the name of Jesus, I declare that release myself for your grace to flow through every area of my life for your glory.

Prayer starter: In the name of the Lord Jesus, Father I come to you today and ask that you reveal any area of my life in which I have hoarded your grace. Amen

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

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Goodbyes & Hellos

A few days later, I headed back home to round up and get ready for the big move. I had so much to do in so little time. I packed for days, I really didn't realize that I had so much stuff. A number of events took place as my trip drew near. I had brunch with two of my favorite ladies as it was our custom. I said goodbye to the teenagers that I had the privilege to work with at church for a few years. My sister also threw me a going away party. Then I was off to New York to spend some quality time with my family.

Various emotions were circulating throughout my being. Where did the boldness come from? Was this really happening? Was I sure about this? Nonetheless, I kept my focus. I decided to follow God's plan for my life, there was no turning back now. 

The day had finally come, it was so tough. Tears ran down my cheeks as I said goodbye to my family and life as I knew it. I felt alone and uncertain, but that didn't stop me from boarding the plane. I was armed with sleeping pills and popped two in my mouth as soon as I found my seat. If I had not done so, I'm pretty sure that I would have cried throughout the flight.

I arrived in Lagos, Nigeria to the glory of God. I called my uncle and informed him and he told me that he was stuck in traffic and that I should take a cab. He couldn't be serious! A cab with all my bags? A young female that had no idea where anything was? Before I could get upset, a man suddenly ran towards me "Auntie, Auntie....you're welcome." I gave him a dirty look as I was not ready to fall for any Lagos pranks.

He smiled and said, "It's me! It's me! Your auntie's driver." I still didn't recognize him, he proceeded to tell me my aunt's name and address. He reminded me that I was around just a few weeks ago wit my sister. I proceeded with caution, I couldn't understand why I did not remember this guy. I usually don't do well with things not going the way I planned, nonetheless I tried not to get annoyed. Thankfully, he was telling me the truth, I got to my aunt's house safely.

I chilled for the next few days before it was time to pick up my call up letter (a NYSC letter that informs you of where you'd be attending boot camp for 3 weeks, it'll be located in the state where you'll work for the next year). Prior to then, my mom contacted one of her cousins that worked with NYSC. He promised me that he would work it all out so that if be posted to Lagos. I was rested assured, at least I had a number of family members in Lagos.

Imagine my shock when I went to pick up my call up letter, I'm surprised that I was able to make it home without passing out. When I read the contents of the letter, I couldn't believe my eyes. I was not posted to Lagos. Instead I was posted to Ede in Osun state. I had never heard of this place before and it sounded scary! No way! I quickly called Raymond, my family, and friends. 

Everyone was as hysterical as I was...some a little more. My sister said "Ede! What is that??? I'm sorry but when I hear that name, all I can think of is voodoo". Raymond came over right after work to calm me down. He suggested that we prayed about it together first, asking God for his Will to be done. Afterwards he suggested waiting a few months so that I could be re-posted. My mom called her cousin and he was telling stories, apparently he didn't have the power to get me posted to Lagos. My aunt was not having it, she said "How can they post you outside of Lagos or Abuja? You that you've lived in America your whole life! How will you cope in that town?" My friends were equally concerned, they asked if I was sure that I could live outside of Lagos.

Initially I was afraid, I could not imagine being all alone. That night, I decided to drown out all the voices of my friends and family and get quiet with God. I remembered that I went to Nigeria by instruction from God, so I said to myself "If God wanted me in Lagos, he would have made sure I got posted to Lagos." So I made up my mind to go, I still can't say where the boldness came from. I informed all my folks and of course they thought I was crazy yet again. 

My aunt and mom calmed down a bit when someone told them that once I got to camp, I'd be given the opportunity to be posted back to Lagos. My aunt would get her doctor friend to write a fake note stating that I was very sick and had to be close to family. I hesitantly agreed. Camp was set to start in less than a week, so I had to get ready. I bought food items, clothing, etc. And I tried to mentally prepare myself to be in God knows where for three weeks straight. 

The day had finally arrived, the place was about three hours away. My uncle got a cab to take me there. It was a long ride, I slept through most of it so that the time could go by faster. Upon arrival at the entrance of camp, I saw soldiers standing in front and not allowing anyone to enter except the camp attendees. I wanted to cry when the driver left, I was officially on my own with my extremely big bag. 

To be continued...

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

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Patience: The Key to Perfection

James 1:2-4King James Version (KJV)2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Matthew 5:48, tells us to be perfect as our father is perfect. The word perfect here is teleios in Greek. It means being mature or complete, lacking nothing. 

The father's desire for us is to become fully developed, he wants us to be absolutely complete in all things. Patience is the act of being consistent or unmoved even while under pressure. Faith without patience is unfruitful, it will not produce desired results. It is by faith and patience that we see the manifestations of the promises of God in our lives (Hebrews 6:12). 

Your faith will be tested at one point in time. It's during the time of tests, that one's true colors are revealed, it reveals what one is truly made of. So don't despise the test, be patient and past it instead.

Absolute faith in God leads to complete rest in him. A man or woman of faith is never bothered by what he sees, he is stabilized by what he knows. When you truly trust God you'll keep holding on to his Word even when it seems like time is not on your side. Because God can not be limited by time. He is never late, he knows what you need, when you need it and he'll always deliver it right on time. 

We must always remember that God is faithful, and that it is impossible for him to lie. Therefore if he has promised you something, he will fulfill that promise. God and his Word are one, he keeps his Word, he is true to his Word. 

Don't give up on God, add patience to your faith and receive your reward (2 Peter 1:5-6). Faith can be described as a race. The race of faith is one of endurance, everyone will go through a rough patch but we must endeavor to never quit. You may be familiar with the saying, "Slow and steady wins the race". In the race of faith patience wins the race.

Faith can also be described as a fight. We all have been enlisted in God's army as soldiers of Christ Jesus, the bible doesn't tell us to fight because the battle has already been won, instead it tells us to endure (2 Timothy 2:3). The fight of faith is called a good fight because we've already got the victory (1 Timothy 6:11-12). All we have to do is maintain our victory by staying the course; believing God absolutely, rejoicing in expectation, and keeping up our confession.

So if you are currently going through a tough time, things may even seem to be getting worse by the second, REJOICE! That's the cheat sheet for this test. If you add patience to your faith, you'll coming out stronger, better, wiser and PERFECTED. Glory to God!!!

Confession: In the name of Jesus, I declare that I add patience to my faith. I refuse to give up despite what I see, I choose to trust God absoultely. Amen

Prayer starter: Father, I ask for the grace to be patient and stay the course in Jesus' name. Amen

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


Wait before you go:



1. If you have not received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, life won't make any sense, it will be cold and empty. You deserve more! Take a few minutes and click on the 'Come to Jesus' tab at the top of the page and be saved!


2. Please leave a comment below, I'd love to hear from you!


3. You can subscribe to this blog and receive email updates once a new post is published by entering your email address in the 'Follow by email' section located on the right of this post.

4. You can share this post or previous posts by clicking on the respective social media icon on the right.

5. Follow me on twitter @BunmiAdebiyi_


6. Like my page on facebook: Bunmi Adebiyi

Self Redemption

Our flight to Abuja was like walking on pins and needles. A few days prior to our trip, there was a major plane crash (Dana Air Flight 992) that claimed many lives. We could have actually been on that flight, we were planning to go to Abuja earlier and return to Lagos around that time, but we couldn't get tickets. As I sat on the plane, I held on to my faith in God. I was walking in obedience to him, he had my back for sure. Even when we experienced some turbulence and people around me began to panic, I shunned fear. There's was a sudden boldness and confidence in God's protection that came upon me, I could not be moved. 

We arrived in Abuja safely to the glory of God. As we walked through the airport, I liked what I saw. It wasn't as cluttered as Lagos' airport. We existed the airport and linked up with our family friend that came to pick us up. As we drove for what seemed like forever, I couldn't believe my eyes. Was this Nigeria? The same Nigeria?

The rodes were clear and clean, the streets were smooth, it was quiet and calm. I marveled at the major differences between both cities. I instantly fell in love with Abuja. Our hosts were great, we had our own means of transportation with someone to drive us around. They showed us a good time, I had the biggest and freshest grilled catfish ever at a lounge in Abuja...my mouth is watering now as the memories of scooping succulent well seasoned chunks of catfish with my hands flow in my mind. Take me back!!!

Registering for NYSC was beyond stressful, I almost gave up. The process was unnecessarily tedious. I felt like I entered a time machine as we had to input our information in notebooks, there was no electricity, everything was disorganized, a bunch of hidden charges, and the staff was extremely rude and unprofessional. Frustrating is an understatement. It took me two days to complete something that should have taken an hour or two. Little did I know that this was just a glimpse into my one year NYSC experience. Thank God for my host, she knew someone that worked there. The second day was much better. Mission accomplished!

Throughout my stay in Abuja, Raymond kept trying to reach me. But, I either ignored him or gave him the run arounds. I was disappointed in him, his true colors were gruesome. He was not who I thought he was. I finally gave him the time of day about a day before I was scheduled to return to Lagos. He apologized and told me that his behavior wasn't something that happened often. He stated that he was just happy to see me. I told my sister and she said "Yea right!". 

Well I was still stuck on the illusion that I created in my head, "God said that he's my husband". So when we returned to Lagos, he tried to make it up to me. He promised to stop drinking. On our first day back, we met up at a restaurant, he came with his coworker. I went there armed with a you-better-redeem-yourself attitude. I barely smiled initially but later had mercy on him since he brought a friend. As he stepped away to order our food, his friend said "He told me what happened, he said he was so happy to see you and he misbehaved" with a wide grin. I felt anger brewing, as the memory of all that transpired replayed in my head. I faked a smiled and remained silent, his cue to either shut up or change the subject. He choose to change the subject.

We went to a lounge with live music afterwards, the same one that we went to on our first date. The music was awesome. We also met up with one of our friends. It was my sister's first time there and she had a blast. He even had the band dedicate a love song to me. I had to admit, it was cute. We had such a great time, we danced and danced. By the end of the night, he had been proceeded in redeeming himself 20%.

The next day was a Sunday, we had agreed to attend church with him. The service was okay. It was good to see the kind of teachings that he was exposed to. I felt like there could have been more but I was satisfied. He introduced my sister and I to members of the ministry he volunteered in. He was a member of the power, sound, and media unit. They were all so friendly, one of them even said that he was looking forward to covering our wedding. I felt much better knowing that he was active and known at his church, it gave me a sense of peace. That shot up his self redemption to 70%. 

He told us about his friend's birthday party after. So we got home and changed and went right back out. On the way to the party, I caught a glimpse of him from the corner of my eyes as he drove. He looked at me with so much admiration and what appeared to be love. My sister saw it also. I was feeling good, I guess he wasn't that bad after all. 

We enjoyed the party, there was great music, barbecue and plenty of alcohol. Of course the alcohol part made me uneasy but I tried to take my mind off of it. The birthday boy was excited to have us there and made sure that we were well fed. My sister and I were also getting a lot of attention, we overheard some people saying that we looked like the Kardashians. It was funny too me, while other people may have been flattered I was unmoved.

The DJ could not get his eyes off of my sister, as he spun each track he became increasingly excited as we  gave our approval of his skills. We love music! And boy oh boy when he began to dance, we couldn't believe our eyes! He definitely had some moves. He and my sister managed to exchange numbers, even though his face did not make his dance moves according to my sister.

Throughout the time, Raymond maintained his cool. And surprisingly he didn't drink. The birthday celebrant offered him alcohol at numerous intervals but he explained to him that I didn't want him drinking. The guy seemed shocked, he even tried to appeal to me once. But I gave him an ultimatum, and he seemed to be cooperating. Even though, he looked like he had to gather all the strength that he had to resist grabbing a cup. I felt like I was on top of the world, at the end of the night his self redemption increased to 85%.

You're blessed!


- Bunmi


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