While She Was Away — Chapter 3
Our home in lively expectation
The following day, the third day of the year, was Mercy’s birthday. In the morning, we had our daily family quiet time. This morning, we read from the Holy Bible book of prophet Isaiah. The point of emphasis was our on our obedience to God. Walking in obedience to God and living by faith in Him give us assurance that our prayers will receive answers. Also, we will then be able to influence our community positively.
Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. ~ Isaiah 1:16–20
On weekends, we often indulge ourselves by staying longer in bed. This morning, we rose to pray around 7 O’clock. On other days of the week, we all wake up around 5 O’clock to pray before rushing to school and work. On some school days, we often have to skip the Bible reading part. No thanks to, “late to sleep late to wake up.”
This morning, we all woke early before 7 am. We were all in high anticipation of Mummy’s return from Lagos. She has been absent for less than a week but it felt like a one month absence. At home, she is always on the alert to attend to every one of her children’s needs. Her sharp, yet loving rebukes lends the family a positive pervasive family atmosphere. Every corner of the house bear her imprints. Often, she will work all round the clock into the late hours of the night. My job engagements has often entailed many short notice trips out-of-town and even outside the country.
Always grateful to God for giving her to us, I never stop wondering how she used to cope with all the home demands. When I teased her about this, she will often reply me with a new version of a sermon that goes thus. “You see now. I think you can see how it feels with me when you are away from home. That means I am doing a good job. Just recall all those past days when you will just come back from your office and inform me you are travelling for offshore the next day. Just like that.”
Later that evening, I drove with Helen to the hospital for her treatment. When we got back home, Mercy started cooking in the kitchen. Helen used her drugs as prescribed and was soon back to the empty shop. She spread the padded mat on the floor and with the electric fan whining away was soon fast asleep.
Mfon was in the habit of dropping his books all over the place for me or other family members to pick up after him. This time, it was one of the Ladybird series that was left carelessly on the floor in the balcony. Helen occupied herself with one of these when she entered the shop. She slept off with the book in her hands.
The washing machine has stopped humming now. Yet, Bobby, instead of removing and spreading the washed clothes on the line at to dry, went back to sleep. Rather than wake him up, I removed his washed clothes from the machine and dumped them in an empty bucket outside the laundry room.
When Mfon came out of his room, I told him and Emma to water the flowers. They failed to do this yesterday. I must not indulge their negligence any further today. Sulking, he dragged his feet to begin his assignment.
“Come on, stand up and do what I told you. Can you tell me when and where you learn to drag your feet when daddy sends you on an errand? My friend move before I hit your head.”
Giggling at first, Emma shortly busted into loud guffaws. He knew my threats were just that - empty threats. At least for now. Surely daddy won’t pound anybody’s head just to get him to wet the flower beds. One year younger than Mfon, Emma has a throaty adult voice whenever he laughs, but when he cries, his sulking and whining like a toddler tell you this is the pampered only son - of Helen. Mummy and I intend to wean him off his childish attitude.
The two boys stepped out to get water from the tap affixed to the wall by the laundry room. I urged them on. “Make sure you do it quickly before the sun rises. If you wait until the heat of the sun blaze in, you will do more harm than good to those plants. The heat from the warmed up soil will get them partially boiled to death. They soon wither off from smothering heat. ”
The morning sun was reluctantly shining through the misty clouds; hence, even though the morning hours have worn on, it was still cool.
Emma and Mfon helped to trim the flowers and weed the flowerbed yesterday evening. Willy too joined in. While I was trimming the flowers, the three had tried to stop me. Surprised, they had jointly queried, “Daddy, why are you cutting the flowers?” I replied, “Just wait and see.”
On sighting the transformation the flowerbed took on after my trimming job, the kids were pleasantly surprised.
“Daddy,” Mfon said, “The flowerbed looks more beautiful now.”
I smiled. “I need to trim the flowers because it is losing shape. Now, see how the trimming has given it a better look. ”
“It is beautiful now, sir. Very beautiful, we love it.”
"Where and when did you two learn to love it?" I need not guess any further. That must have been one of their new catch-phrases from hours spent on cartoon and other kids’ channel on TV. I wanted to tell them we don’t love things; plants, materials and other inanimate objects. I let it go. They will not understand that now. Or will they?
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