The Laptop Incident (Part 2)

Ewoo! I was too numb to react or think clearly. I practically ran inside my room, dropped all the stuff I was carrying on the floor, changed to comfy shoes, carried my wallet and ran out. Until that day I had never ran and prayed at the same time in my life. I kept begging God to have mercy and deliver my eyes from tears. The worst part of the situation was that I couldn’t remember where I had left it. I called a friend who was still in class to help me check if I had left it there and her reply was in the negative. As I ran, different thoughts scrambled through my mind but the most prevalent was "how was I going to explain my carelessness to my father?” I started doing a mental calculation of all my estates (clothes/shoes/bags) and bank accounts and what it would take me to buy a new system in the worst-case scenario.

Since it wasn’t in class it had to be in the cafeteria or in the ‘free’ ride I had taken. I couldn’t stomach the possibility of my beautifully new in the car of someone I had no concrete information about, so I ran to the cafeteria hoping for the best.

As I got nearer to the cafeteria building, I began looking at every one that suspiciously. It’s funny how all the male species I passed by looked like my laptop’s abductor. (Yeah I know females steal too but in that frame of mind I wouldn’t have credited my own sex with such betrayal). There was even a young gentleman with a big black bag that I had to steel myself from walking up to and demanding rights to search his bag.

By the time I got to the counter, I was heaving heavily. Some students were buying meal tickets so I waited patiently for them. I couldn’t risk someone overhearing my inquisition out of sheer embarrassment. With my heart in my mouth I mustered all the courage I had left and asked the lady if she had seen a grey laptop in a matching grey laptop case. When the lady didn’t reply immediately but instead proceeded to call her friend, it suddenly dawned on me that I might have lost it forever.

The ladies asked me some questions pertaining to my pc’s identity and features. Then the first one smiled and said I was very lucky after which she proceeded to berate me stating how I must have plenty laptops to throw away. The second lady said I should go and buy them drinks. It’s funny how if they had asked me to buy them the whole cafeteria I would have (although that would have been subjected to the money in my possession). I collected my laptop and in that moment my world was made right again. God had indeed delivered my eyes from tears.

“Glorify the Lord with me,

And let us praise his name together.

I asked the Lord for help and he answered me.

He saved me from all that I feared.

Those who go to him are happy,

And they are never disgraced.

This poor man (referring to me) called, and the Lord

Heard him and saved him from all his troubles.”

Psalm 34:3-6 (NCV)

(Emphasis added)

Yours sincerely,

Cee

The Laptop Incident (Part 1)

So my old laptop who I named ‘ablaze’ had all of a sudden started acting up and giving me full blown ‘wahala’ (trouble). The trouble reached its height last year when I was working on my final year project. At first I thought it was a passing phase, until it’s fits of anger and temper tantrums increased dramatically in its frequency and duration. I’ll be working and the screen will just blank out and start display multi-colored lines. Being the cool headed lady that I am I took it all in good stride but that was until it started getting really angry with me for No good reason and it would shut down by itself after I had typed for hours and then I wasn’t a fan of saving while working so you can imagine how many times I sat on the floor and wept out of frustration. Anyways by God’s grace I was able to finish my project and defended it. The amazing thing was God compensated me big time by giving me the best grade in my class.

So at the beginning of the year I pleaded with my ‘Economist’ father to get me a new one and he did but that was after he gave me a serious lecture and told me this was going to be last buy and that after this I was *OYO* (on your own).

 After a few weeks of enjoying and basking in the euphoria of my new good tempered laptop who bears my name(you can’t blame me for resisting the temptation of naming anything exotic), I had to carry him (referring to the laptop) to class for a mini presentation with my supervisor. It was just a routine meeting with our supervisor to show him our architectural drawings so that he can monitor our progress and make any corrections where necessary. As soon as we were done, I went to the cafeteria to buy a meal. I was carrying a fashionable but BIG (as in one of those lady’s bags that are big enough to hide a multitude). On getting to the meal ticket counter, I couldn’t find my wallet in my bag so I had to empty the contents of my bag to get it.

I wasn’t in the mood to eat alone in the café that day as I have learnt from past experiences that a random male species who feels he has the prerogative to seat beside me will come over and ruin the meal by talking utter nonsense. So I bought a take away food pack and left. On getting to the bus stop I was lucky to get a very nice ride to somewhere very close to my post grad lodging. As I was walking the short distance from where the car stopped me to my room, images of my freshly laid bed and how beautifully I was going to sleep in it after eating came to mind. Suddenly I realized that my bag wasn’t as heavy as I remembered. I quickly opened it only to get the shocker of my life… My Laptop was not inside.

...To Be Continued

I'm a winner!!!

Last week Thursday I won this amazing novel from Toin (click here for details). Thank you soooooo much!! Plenty hugs and kisses. The novel was written by a fellow bloger @ilola aka Atilola Moronfolu. It is a collection of poetry, prose and drama illustrating the real life experiences of different people. I just recently started following her blog and her posts are very captivating and interesting so I’m really looking forward to reading my new novel.

WhAt He ReAlly Did

Tade Balogun knew he was a bad father. He hadn't done right by Tara. It wasn't that he did not provide her needs because he did. He payed her fees, gave her shelter, food and other necessities. He was aware she cooked up 'money laundering' schemes but he indulged her because he didn't have the time or patience to argue or berate her. It had always been this way. She was always trying to get his attention and he couldn't and wouldn't be bothered. But in all his wildest dreams, he never thought Tara would become a replica of him-selfish and arrogant brat! It wasn't his fault that he hated his daughter. She symbolized everything he had lost the day she entered the world. He had lost -Nike-His life! Nike had begged him  to stay by her side during the childbirth but he had vehemently refused stating 'money must be made' especially with a child coming. The irony of life was he had lost his job that day and was saddled with the responsibility of a daughter with NO WIFE! Life had become bland and lacking in color and its spark without Nike. He had stopped living that day. He simply existed a shadow of the man he used to be.

He married Sandra a year later because he was tired of the army of house-helps and nannies that had come and gone. Plus well meaning relations kept saying the baby needed  stability aka - A Mother especially since his obvious neglect for the child was apparent. They were happy when he introduced Sandra as his intended. They felt she would cure him of the malady that Nike's death had caused but if only they knew...
   Sandra was out matched! she couldn't light a candle near Nike's memory thus she was an ornamental wife. Tade didn't know why but he never got over his resentment for Tara. He had really tried but the fact that she was a splitting image of her mother only worsened issues. When he saw her, she reminded him of what she stole from him in order for her to live.
Over the years, Sandra had turned into a real pain. She was no longer content to lavishly spend his money on her eccentricities. She was always looking for a reason to fight and argue. Her high pitched voice always attracted the neighbors. He was a family man and respected in church he didn't need the bad publicity and he had told her so. But  it seemed to have the opposite effects. She had totally redefined the phrase 'a nagging wife'. She blamed him for her childlessness.
On that fateful day, Tade had stomached way too much. He was about leaving for work when Sandra planted herself in his path and started her rant. He didn't know what made him do it or maybe he did- SUPPRESSED ANGER! In an attempt to move her from his path he had pushed her but what happened next he couldn't explain. Sandra was lifeless at the bottom of the stairs and his dear Tara had just come in through the front door, so she had witnessed it.



(Cee's notes: Thanks everyone for the wonderful suggestions... kept me laughing and thanks to Alfafuss for inspiring this one ;)! )

Yours Sincerely,

Cee

WhAt ShE FouNd oUT

Tara always heard her name whispered in corridors. It wasn’t the hush-hush “bad gossip”, in fact anytime she heard it her face lit. Her name was mentioned with great awe. They all envied her. Everyone felt she had it all and with little effort. Although some called her obnoxious, spoilt and carefree; she couldn’t be bothered.

She prided herself in the fact that all her ‘eye-catching’ possessions and spending money were legitimate. She didn’t have to sleep around, beg or steal to get the money. Her Daddy gave it to her. it wasn’t her fault that her Dad was shrewd  and she had to keep inventing authentic  foolproof reasons why she needed money.

At an early age of seven, she had learnt that Daddy won’t give her five Naira to buy sweets but would happily give her five hundred Naira to buy a non-existent textbook. As she grew older her schemes became more convincing and tactful. By Js2 she could forge her principals and the school bursar’s signatures in her sleep. She reasoned her father had too much money to spare and since she had worked hard thinking and executing her schemes, she was worthy of a pay all the same, plus she hadn’t  begged him to knock her mother up so he was responsible for catering to her needs.

She kept living life like a normal girl her age but with the occasional scamming and scheming until one fateful day. She had come home unexpectedly and saw the unsayable…

 It’s funny how a little coincidence can change one’s fate. Her teachers were correct; KNOWLEDGE IS POWER! Now she no longer had to crack her brain thinking of schemes for poor old Daddy. BLACKMAIL-was much better and its rewards more gratifying. Daddy loved his position in society and church to risk the ‘truth’ leaking out and he also depended on her for the “robe of respectability” that having adorable daughter endowed him.

[Cee’s note: Since my blog readers are great thinkers… I’m curious to know what you think Tara found out that ‘fateful day’…]

Yours Sincerely,

Cee

The Mosquito Analogy

I was talking to my friend yesterday about a big 'blood sucking' mosquito i had killed and how nauseating it was to see MY blood splattered all over, when it suddenly occured to me that Christ must have felt the same way, although to a greater degree and with a lot of pain involved. Each stripe He took, involved sharp thorns digging deep into His flesh and ripping it until His blood was splattered all over.

But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him - our sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we get healed.

Isaiah 53:5 (MSG)

...He did it all

so that I might have it all

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

Hope you had as much fun as I did ;)

yours sincerely,

Cee

April Fool's DaY FoR Me

Every year I look forward to the 1st of April but not for the conventional reasons of playing practical jokes on other people. It’s the day I celebrate the greatest Dad ever (that sounds cliché but it’s the truth)

As a child, I remember racing to the door daily screaming “Daddy is back” just before throwing myself  at him, never doubting the fact that my daddy will catch me and give me the goodies he always brought back.

The only threat that ‘held any water’ and I never got tired of using on anyone who dared offend me was ‘I’ll tell my daddy for you’ for in my mind and heart he was my Superman and he’ll surely get the bad guys ;)

My dad gave me an important gift. He taught me how to write, especially essays and how to use big words like ‘eradicate’, ‘tautology’ and ‘relegate’. He also gave me the freedom to express myself.

He is the only person authorized to give me nicknames that stick and he loves to oblige me by making use of this privilege frequently. Just last month he added a new one to the collection.

I can never forget the day my dad gave me a lesson on logic stating ‘we were age mates’ because the first time I saw him was also the first time he saw me thus making us equals.

He taught me about ‘inward beauty’. One fateful day after spending hours in the salon making my hair, I came home to ask my dad, “How do I look?” He smiled and told me Igbo proverb… ‘The beauty/goodness of a peacock is not its colorful feathers but in the meat inside.’

My dad respects my opinion and has always made it a point of duty to discuss ‘big people’ things with me. Nowadays he calls me ‘my fellow graduate’ to further reinstate the value of my opinion.

Just calling my dad and hearing him say ‘my darling daughter’ as soon as he sees the caller ID has a way of brightening my day and reminding me that I’m loved. For to him, I’ll always be his adorable little girl.

So on this day I celebrate

My ‘CATCHER’

My SUPERMAN

My TEACHER

My NICK NAME GIVER

My LOGIC TEACHER/AGEMATE

My FELLOW GRADUATE

My FRIEND

My CARE GIVER

My FATHER, My LOVE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD

With Love,

Cee