IS MAMA STILL ALIVE?!

Living in Efon Alaaye was a low point in my life. I was close to nothing and all I had was a motorcycle which I sold a few weeks after I got to Efon Alaaye. Efon Alaaye is on the outskirt of Ekiti State in Nigeria. After staying in mama’s house as a tenant, I felt it was time to leave as I had stayed 3 extra months without paying the rent. I didn’t want the debt to keep piling up and so I told the caretaker of the house that I was leaving. The only objection he had was that I had to pay the rent I was owing. I tried to make him understand that I did not have any money left on me but assured him that I was going to come back and pay the rent as soon as I had the money. He had no objection but told me to see mama to explain to things to her.

I narrated my situation to mama, she had no objection and she even prayed for me while I was leaving. Now mama was in her 90s. I had no idea when I was going to come back to pay her money and I really wished I could pay her the money that very moment. That was in 2012! Things didn’t get any better for me until 2017…a five year hiatus!
It was a few weeks to my wedding, I made up my mind to go back and pay the money I was owing mama. This time around, I drove down in my car accompanied by my fiancée. I could not locate where baba Bose was living and so I had to ask around until someone was able to take me to his house. Baba Bose was the caretaker who took me to mama in 2012 when I told her I was leaving but would return to pay the money I was owing.

When I saw him, he could no longer recognize me and I had to take him down the memory lane before he recognized who it was that he was speaking with. I asked him the only question that had been so strong on my mind …“Is mama still alive?”” All my labour to come back to pay the money would have been futile if mama had died. Is mama still alive? I asked again after I got no response. Baba Bose wouldn’t respond yet but only signaled to me and asked me to follow him.

So mama had died, I thought in my mind as Baba Bose I believe was taking me to her graveyard. He rode ahead of me in his motorcycle while I drove behind him. After we got to a house, he packed and asked me to come over which I did. Seated in front of the old house was a very aged woman who I could not recognize. My face lit when Baba Bose told me “that is Mama…she was still alive!” Though she could no longer remember me either, I was very happy that she was still alive. Right there I paid her more than what I was owing her. I also gave Baba Bose some money too and the maid who was taking care of mama. The scene was a beautiful one and mama kept praying for me.

Are there still people like you? Baba Bose asked! I was happy that God not only gave me the grace to pay the money, He also gave me the grace to see mama alive. There is no greater joy than being a source of joy to someone else, no greater joy than being the reason someone is happy, if we can do our little quota, in our little sphere, this world can be a lot more better for everyone. If you hurt one person, you have also hurt those who love them. If you make one person happy, you have also made the people who love them happy too. Let love grow and let rid the world of hate. I love you

Thanks for reading my story. For my true life story on how I got burnt loving, see it here LOVE WENT WRONG