So, a most beautiful thing happened a few hours ago that brought really big smiles to my face that I haven’t had in a while. I’d said in my previous post that the Christmas season hadn’t started at all on a really beautiful note for me but recently it’s begun to look up quite nicely and today’s event added to everything.
I’d spent the whole day at a cousin’s house today, studying for my exams that’s starting pretty soon and so after studying for hours, I laid down a bit and didn’t know when sleep took me away. I’m not sure how long I slept but I woke up to the persistent calls from my cousin’s house assistant who kept saying that there was someone outside that wanted to see me. When I asked who, she said she didn’t know.
Sleepy and still a bit disoriented, I walked to the porch, peeped to see the person and screamed as I ran back inside to look more presentable. Turns out, it was another cousin of mine. But it was pretty special. Cause I haven’t seen him in over a decade. He left for Canada years ago for his education and since he graduated, got a job as a software engineer and everything, I hadn’t laid my eyes on him.
I really tried to act like the mature woman I am, but I was completely overwhelmed with joy and then he smiled that smile that’s dominant and unique to members of my immediate family so it was like a welcome home. I expected a bit of awkwardness or that we wouldn’t know what to say to each other, since the last time we saw, I was just a little girl that he mostly ignored, but it was all laughter and banter and the back of my head began to hurt soon enough for expressing too much emotions. That happens to me quite a lot.
He came with his mother, so on the journey to my parents’ house we reminisced about old times like when I came on a holiday to their house in Lagos then. It was funny cause it was about this time ten years ago. It was a beautiful experience cause it was the first time I’d gone to the beach, the first time I rode on a horse, the first time I used an escalator. A time when I found out that financially buoyant people ate just three times a day, the period where I lied more times than I could ever count. Reminiscing about all of this is bringing too many smiles to my face because I had a lot of firsts in that December, ten years ago.
When he came to see my parents and the rest of the family, Mom legit burst into tears. I was a bit amazed because I didn’t think it was that deep but apparently, it was because she kept talking about how tall he’s become, how much he’s grown, how his charming smile hasn’t changed, just a whole degree of genuine excitement at seeing him and also his mother, who she calls co-wife as their husbands are brothers. Dad came home from work and just doused him with big smiles of admiration. There was a whole myriad of positive emotions at home in the last few hours, it was lovely. Very lovely indeed.
I think my hand would be sore if I kept writing about it. Because I really want to go on and on about how excited I am for the promises this festive period holds. Unfortunately, his flight back to Canada is on Wednesday and my siblings and I were more than sad owing to the fact that since he’s gotten a job there, we might not see him for another few years. But we made a quick arrangement to go out tomorrow. My elder sister and I, him and my other cousin. To have fun, reminisce about old times, talk about our lives and everything in between. I’m looking forward to making more beautiful memories this Christmas so it’s more than welcome.
I know that a lot of us, especially here in my country may not be feeling the Christmas vibe. But as every minute is passing, we should take advantage of it to make good memories for ourselves. I would have shared this experience anyway but coincidentally, the Hive Naija Writing Prompt, which is related to this has given me an avenue to talk about today’s excitement and blessings more profoundly.
Looking forward to beautiful stories of our holiday, have a lovely week ahead everyone.
Jhymi🖤
Image is mine.
