My One-Night Encounter

It’s about three weeks ago today, didn’t feel like doing anything or going anywhere,so I indulged myself. I decided to rest. Not like I feel like doing anything on other days though but this one was different. I needed my me-time; it was a lie on the couch, press phone, put TV on without watching it kinda day. Just in the middle of this bliss, the ping came in, it was a reminder for a dinner. I had accepted the invite under pressure I must say, why drive across an 11km bridge and disturb my peace just so I can eat? Well, HR will put it differently… we were hosting the Leadership team! Bleh!

Reluctantly I got ready; of course I didn’t plan to be early. In fact if not for the reminder, I couldn’t be bothered but I had promised to keep a friend’s company at the event and as the keeper of my word “that I is” I had to go. Fast track, a few minutes past 7pm I was there and as I walked in into the lobby my friend was already chatting away with folks… Great! Maybe I should just sneak back out, and then I spotted a lady, a cute lady, sitting in the corner, sipping on some margarita, she appeared absent. I starred a bit, our eyes locked and then she looked away… she was beautiful, I couldn’t resist, I walked over. It was then my night started.

Hi, my name is… “I know you”, she cut in. Oh yea… but err, I work in… “Finance, I said I know”. She obviously didn’t want to be disturbed and in my usual can’t afford to be forward self I would have bounced but she had this come-do look with a gentle smile carefully lining her lips. Well, I’m sorry, I said, I don’t know you but eh that’s why we are here. “My name is Sunmisola, and I’d rather not be here”. I figured, that’s exactly why I came over so we can leave together, I really don’t need this food. With a sigh she muted, “if I knew where I’d rather be, then I’ll be happy to leave, but I don’t”. Huh? This was getting interesting! It was at this time we had to move to the dinning section, I led her to our table, there were two other folks on the table but honestly I can’t remember what they look like.

The first course was served and then I asked, “you really don’t look good. What’s the problem?” She gave me the side look, that type that meant you don’t really want to know and then she blanked out… I was confused, a little worried I had upset her and then as if talking to herself, barely moving her lips she began to talk…

I love your cheeks, they are my favorite toy

I love your beards, the roughness soothes me

I love your gentle, it warms my heart

I love your thoughtfulness, it brings me smiles

It’s so much easier loving you, I expend too much energy ensuring I don’t

Avoiding your eyes drains me, I’d rather drown in them

I’m so much happier loving you, that’s all I worry about when I don’t

It’s so much better when we talk, better than reading the hatred off your sealed lips

It so much easier to pray for you, either ways, I'll pray

But hey, I’m exhausted from looking for you

Done searching for your soul like a pin on the sea shore

I’ll move with the tides of Him, of Him who knows what’s best for me

With hopes that we find our end, ends so close yet miles apart…

“Sunmisola, this is Seun”, I cut in. I had to. God forbid that these words were directed at me. She was totally oblivious of her surrounding, she looked pale. Like a woman who’s lost her child she just didn’t know how to enjoy anything, not this food, not the jokes being cracked all around us, not the soft music being played in the background. She was completely lost in her pain. I didn’t know what to say but at least she stopped talking. It was then I realized she was holding my hand, I must have been carried away myself, she held on so tight I was almost in pain. I moved my thumb gently, rubbing the side of her palm as if to make her feel better, she stared into my eyes, but I was sure she wasn’t looking at me. The harder she stared the farther she seemed to have traveled and then she continued…

I wish I can tell you that I love you, but I can’t

I want to tell you that I miss talking to you, but I dare not

I want to tell you that I wish you happiness, but I’ll pray

I can’t because I know, there’s only one end to it. That end is my ruin

God forbid that I tell you what to do

God forbid that I tell you what not to do

You love One Direction so I’ve decided not to get in your way;

Cruise on to Asia, go ahead and have ya cake

But Michael Smith meant Jesus, when he said it’s all about You

I’m not worried that you won’t find another, naaah!

Not a little bothered that you won’t find love, of course you would!

But something worries me, and I must admit I shiver at the thought of it

That when you do find love again (or maybe you already have) you’d know what to do with it

At this point she dropped a tear, picked her things and walked briskly towards the exit. Without thinking, I followed her. Not like I understood all her rantings but by now tears was flowing down her cheeks freely. Her driver was waiting just outside, she rushed in. I looked at him with worry in my eyes, but he appeared used to it, he gave me a look that spelt it all out… “It’s normal for madam to cry, we are praying she’ll get well soon” and as the wheels began to roll she gave me one last glance that assured me, we’ll see again soon.

I walked back into the hall, I had lost my appetite. It was a short encounter, but it left me heartbroken. Only God knows what she’s going through, I pray she comes out better. I’ll give her some time before reaching out I thought to myself, or maybe not… Maybe now is the time, she needs help, and I can be the help she needs, a shoulder to cry on.

At this time, everything about the dinner and event made no sense to me. I picked my car key and headed out as I continued to think... maybe I need help too, maybe mummy’s prayers might finally get an answer, maybe, just maybe, I stepped into the car and with some conviction I said to myself, I didn’t come here for nothing, there has to be more to all this.

This Pain We Bear

It was a cold Sunday afternoon, the ideal weather to lazy away. Lying on the couch under my duvet watching AFMAG, yea, Africa Magic :) and there in the movie was this lady that had a rough past which made her hate men (and women too). In fact, she hated almost everyone that crossed her path. Then, we got talking… “There’s so much pain in the world” I said, “actually a whole lot!” my friend agreed. With a sigh, I began to reflect…

There’s actually a lot of pain in the world

Heavier in some than in others

But "these mountains we carry;

we were only supposed to climb”

When you meet people with so much hate in them

Whenever the constant reactions you get have no bearing with your actions

Defying every bit of Newton’s 3rd law of motion

Just pause to think, it may be from their wealth of pain

Some wear it on their face, others have a camouflage

Putting up a front, so busy “loving” others

But beneath that is a load of pain

Tearing up inside, if only we’d notice

Bring down these walls, let love heal you

Bitterness has become a jacket, once got one for myself

Was hard getting into it, harder getting out of it

It was an inch or two too tight, guess it just didn’t fit

As we walk this path called life

There’ll be people on our way that need a helping hand

Regardless of how it went the last time, never stop doing good

Be kind, be the best you can, but don’t let that drown you

A helping hand it’s called

Unless it’s your calling to lay your life

Be careful how deep in the rescue you go

Lest you both get drowned in this mud called life

Thinking about it again… getting drowned together isn’t totally bad as long as you are not making a fool of yourself in the process.

Are You Jesus?

Ever since mumsy got on WhatsApp I've gotten all sorts of messages from her. From "Hi this is mum" to "Hello, Okanlawon, how is work today?", and of course the many many broadcasts and funny videos, I wonder where she gets them from... Anyways, to the point, she sha sent me this one and I think it's interesting even if, like me, you get the feeling you must have seen it somewhere before.


I think it's a good read for anyone regardless of your beliefs but if you are one of the millions that if given an official form to state your religion you'd tick "Christianity"... this is for you. So please, grab your coke & popcorn... just a few seconds will do :)


"This write up touched my heart. I am sure it will touch yours too.


A few years ago a group of salesmen went to a regional sales convention in Chicago. They had assured their wives that they would be home in plenty of time for Friday night's dinner. In their rush, with tickets and briefcases, one of these salesmen inadvertently kicked over a table which held a display of apples. Apples flew everywhere. Without stopping or looking back, they all managed to reach the plane in time for their nearly-missed boarding...


ALL BUT ONE!!! He paused, took a deep breath, got in touch with his feelings and experienced a twinge of compassion for the girl whose apple stand had been overturned. He told his buddies to go on without him, waved good-bye, told one of them to call his wife when they arrived at their home destination and explain his taking a later flight. Then he returned to the terminal where the apples were all over the terminal floor. He was glad he did.


The 16-year-old girl was totally blind! She was softly crying, tears running down her cheeks in frustration, and at the same time helplessly groping for her spilled produce as the crowd swirled about her; no one stopping and no one to care for her plight. The salesman knelt on the floor with her, gathered up the apples, put them back on the table and helped organize her display. As he did this, he noticed that many of them had become battered and bruised; these he set aside in another basket. When he had finished, he pulled out his wallet and said to the girl, "Here, please take this $40 for the damage we did. Are you okay? "She nodded through her tears. He continued on with, "I hope we didn't spoil your day too badly."


As the salesman started to walk away, the bewildered blind girl called out to him, "Mister..." He paused and turned to look back into those blind eyes. She continued, "Are you Jesus?" He stopped mid-stride.... and he wondered. He gently went back and said, "No, I am nothing like Jesus - He is good, kind, caring, loving, and would never have bumped into your display in the first place. "The girl gently nodded: "I only asked because I prayed for Jesus to help me gather the apples. He sent you to help me, so you are like Him - only He knows who will do His will. Thank you for hearing His call, Mister."


Then slowly he made his way to catch the later flight with that question burning and bouncing about in his soul: "Are you Jesus?"


Do people mistake you for Jesus?


That's our destiny, is it not? To be so much like Jesus that people cannot tell the difference as we live and interact with a world that is blind to His love, life and grace. If we claim to know Him, we should live, walk and act as He would. Knowing Him is more than simply quoting scripture and going to church. It's actually living the Word as life unfolds day to day.
You are the apple of His eye even though you, too, have been bruised by a fall. He stopped what He was doing and picked up you and me on a hill called Calvary and paid in full for our damaged fruit.


Please share this, if you feel led to do so. No condition attached just that it could bless someone. Thanks"


LORD help us to be like you. Amen.

Away from Here

Don’t ask why I have my ears plugged

I’d rather not be here, rather not see or talk with you

Don’t ask if I’m fine either

We both know you don’t care, and trust me, that’s absolutely fine

As a child, I spent my siesta in tears, happy tears

I’d imagine the worst and cry but yet I was happy

Now it’s all happening.  I have been here before!

But still, for the enormity of my sorrows, I am unprepared

Like every pain, I say, soon it shall pass

When I take a step into happiness my planet shifts

Who have I wronged, why is my universe upset?

I need another life; this bag of tears soon shall fail

I’d wish the pain disappears

I’d hope I don’t get stabbed by the hand I loved

I’d hope my mind will stay in the present

But I quit hoping... I know it’s all a dream

Whatever the end is… The end of pain or of dust

It will come, and quickly too

For then will peace come and the vanity called life shall be over

And as with my childhood, I’ll find the joy in my sorrow.

From a troubled mind.

From the Heart You once Loved

Rantings of a one time love induced maniac. She's well now though :) I could share your story too if you want ;) PS: Not her Picture!

Exactly a decade and a year ago, at precisely 4:03 PM, while I was busy with my life as usual came this message from the blues "Hi, I have many questions"... Like, was I a teacher? Why must I be asked? Those questions could be directed to another, right? But well... curiosity won the battle... Ask your questions... Ask them "small small" I said. Unknown to me, the questions were more than I could answer, more than I could ever handle. Looking back at my decision that day, I still ask myself... should I have curved him? Should I have entertained those questions... Oh well, I smile and say to myself... It was part of my journey.

It took a week, only a week, for the handshake to get to the elbow and then it was clear, it was a nice pick up line. Thinking now about how things were, even if he hadn't tried, I guess I would have, against the "norm" that ladies shouldn't ask, I certainly would have tried. For it is and was clear, our paths must cross, for a reason or reasons, they had to cross.

It still makes me smile when I remember how beautifully it all began. That feeling you have when you discover that the stalked is also your stalker, when you finally believe you can be yourself without being judged, when it feels like he loves you as much as you love him and there's gonna be an award for the best lover but it didn't matter who won because you both were one? LOL! All that silly gay sh*t kinda love was just too awesome... I can't help the smile now. It was a match made in heaven at last! To be honest, I secretly thanked God every moment for apparently giving me a man of my dreams, I was really happy!

But sadly, it was a dream. A dream I had to wake up from. Too soon even.... Cos even though it lasted a few years, it was nothing close to forever, that was our plan, or maybe that was what I thought. Like a wind of bad luck, what was once so beautiful became covered with darkness. We'd complain and nag, we'd argue and fight, it became more sorrow than joy, greater sadness than happiness. Oh! my pretty little happiness, the reason I existed soon became history, the history I write about today.

For years I wept, and I learnt you did the same. Aren't we both morons? [I just heard you say, ori e, iwo ni moron]. Lol. Like couldn't it just have worked... But nah the script is different... Maybe we both deserve better! Or it was merely another bump in our lives' journey, in the end we'll enjoy the fruits of the land. Finally we've had to dust ourselves up and live life. I heard her name is Toyin, chuckles, extend my regards.

If there's anything I learnt and I'd share with the world, it is that our fantasy love life exists somewhere on this planet... only a few are lucky enough to find theirs. I found mine, I am finding mine... I found mine... and it's going to last forever. Besides that, I'd say... what you give is what you get... sow love, sow understanding, give your best, misery will ruin you "and yours" and finally perfection is in the grave :)

I have had to return to my friends. Some of whom mocked the love we shared, some now laugh cos it's all come to nothing but I smile because I know that if another "Hi, I have many questions" pops up on my phone today, my response would most likely remain as it was a decade and a year ago "ask them, small small".

Happy "would have been a decade" Anniversary! I still love you, but sadly our "love" was not enough :)

"If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere".

My Sweet 16 is 60

Ok, finally... I'm getting to this. It's been several weeks now, more like two or three months even that I should have written this piece but as usual, the laziness in me has prevailed till now that I can push it no further.

Unfortunately, this time, it was worse than just my laziness, times have been hard. lol. Imagine having to smile and act like all is well, when all you're really at is tearing up inside. Well, I put myself through all that and there isn't much I can write about that now...

To why am here. My baby is gon' be 60 in a few days from now... and the first thing that comes to my mind is how much of a pain in her ass I've actually been and how well her love towards me doesn't make the pain count. Not like I was the most stubborn child growing up but literally, at least according to her, I was 5kg at birth and that caused considerable tear, so pain in her a** is actually putting it mildly. I'd write her a poem, but not today... someday, most def, I will… Today’s just to reminisce a little on how much of a bae she’s been.

Thinking back, mum's being a whole lot to me... Wait a minute! Dad just sent me a Facebook request? WTH!!! Naaaah mehn, this isn't happening! =)) Anyways, what was I even saying? Yeah... mum's been a whole lot to me and there’s almost no better time to reflect on some of those things that make her special.

Despite the fact that daddy was the first Pastor in the house, mum has always been our domestic pastor. I remember her very long prayer sessions, especially the ones we had just after fasting... Apologies mum, it was hard looking forward to them, and on this one, I speak for the sisters too... lol. But yeah, she's someone I look up to spiritually. The fruits of the spirit personified... I pray God continues to strengthen and perfect her. She remains the only one in our house who finds talking about certain things awkward (and me too, don't beef! lol)... those kinda chats that give popsy and at least two of the sisters so much energy! Smh.

My baby is gentle. I think without any argument she's the least stubborn of us all. Note, least stubborn... not most gentle! cos that agídí-ìjèshà thing runs in the family, I believe. More in some than others though (not like am subbing anyone :p). Growing up, her biggest punishment was "I will tell your daddy" (popsy was the then title holding Mr. Macho) and all you needed to do most times was beg her. Beg from a distance where àbàrá will not touch you!

She's the perfect example of sacrifice; she'll give off her anything for you. The type that will abandon her illness just so she can visit another ill fellow, like her own life was less important! There's just one thing I recall now that she isn't glad to share - her husband. Once she was saying with so much pity how she needed to start eating well (and taking her meds when necessary too) cos daddy said he wasn't promising not to marry another if she dies. Sounds harsh yeah? Trust me, she really needed that sometimes... at least, threat or not, it worked. Not sure that threat will work anymore though, they are both all greyed-up now.

She may be retiring but she's my teacher for life. Like her co-teachers (and someone I used to know) would call her, Mama Ajayi. Mama Ajayi is diligent. I know how many hours she'd put into marking scripts, preparing score sheets and report cards and how bad she felt for one tiny little error, despite the seemly permissible mediocre output we find in public service these days. I can say with confidence, her kind is a dying breed.

I honestly can't recall her spanking me for not getting my homework right or anything like that but there's something I'll always remember and that's how much she supported my going to JSS1 after primary five even after dad brought a counselor home to attempt to convince me otherwise cos his boy was still too young (yímú). I recall that night, after listening to the whole sermon by the counselor, like the true omo ìjèshà that I am, I heard it all but did not agree (as me and mumsy don plan) and thank God, I didn't disappoint her. When we went to check the list of qualified candidates, abi na pupils, after searching in the wrong list for about 10 mins (I already sensed her disappointment) we suddenly realized we were checking the reserve list and immediately I heaved a sigh of relief cos then I was all too sure I passed. I can't not pass and not be on reserve, kò possible!

She didn't stop there. When I was in the university, at the time paale will say "my son is already a big boy", she put in the word that got my weekly allowance raised. I'll save y'all the stress of laughing; I won’t put a figure to the whole allowance itself.

And Oh! Mum is a workaholic. This can never be complete without her famous invention. "Kí a tia se yèé?" An expression she used after a day of tiring chaos with the sisters, and just when they thought it was over, she spotted one last thing to be done... "e máa bò, e máa bò, kí a tia se yèé?" (a combination of pure Yoruba and ìjèshà that means come, come, what do we do about this??) I'll leave the response they gave her to your imagination.

Before I go, this is another opportunity I have to appeal to her to agree to marry daddy o. Hmmm... Mummy, it should be about thirty-something years now, about thirty eight if am not making a mistake that he asked to marry you... Just so we are sure, I think it's high time you opened your mouth and said YES! Trust me it won't hurt (and fyi, maybe that's why I haven't asked anyone yet cos me I must hear the answer o)... shy shy something... abi, even if it was about being skeptical, after thirty four years, by now, you should have believed! Now, I just looked for trouble... I know!

Finally, to the point of all this… Happy Birthday to my wonderful momma, thanks for always being there and may God continue to keep you for us all in good health and happiness and may He grant all your heart desires (I know one of them) in Jesus name.

I love you mum!