I should have known my best friend was up to something when she hadn't called to talk about my birthday plans. Aside from her calling to wish me a happy birthday first thing that morning she had gone in a silent mood on me.
Usually, she would call and say, Hey birthday girl, how are we celebrating your special day? From there I could tell her my plans and we will start making some kind of arrangement.
But this time, she was all busy, and even when I tried calling her she would just give me an excuse to get back to me.
Every attempt to get to know what she was up to was unsuccessful, she kept on posting me. Like, babe, don't worry I have a lot to tell you later but now I'm kind of busy. Bye-bye!
This made me wonder what she was doing the whole day, but inside me, I knew I would find out sooner or later. I never had any major plan anyway on that particular birthday aside from receiving calls, messages, and presents from some family and friends, so I just let her be, knowing that when we would see each other later we could always talk things out.
My elder sister on the other hand was acting very mysterious before I left the house for work that morning. She had called in sick from work even when I knew she was doing perfectly well. When I asked why she won't go to work she told me she needed to rest for that day.
Hmmm, I knew her too well never to miss Friday work, according to her, Friday is when all the goodies happen in her workplace. Even when she was sick she would still manage to get herself to work on Fridays.
I didn't even have much time probing her that morning, so I just let her be.
Funmi and I had been friends for four years, but it seems like we have been friends all our life. We are no longer just friends but we have become like sisters, gist partners, and someone who would go to any length for one another. That kind of bond isn't easy to come by and I cherish her friendship so very much.
We had a lot of plans together, we talked about business, and our future. I had thought that I would get married and settle down in the same city of Lagos as her but as fate would have it, my husband-to-be got a job in the northern part of the country and I had to relocate to be with him after our wedding.
Yes, we knew we could always catch up on the phone and visit one another occasionally but it will never be like it used to be once I leave the city.
We never planned to be separated so soon but life seems to have different plans in store for us.
There are only a few people in my life I wish not to stay far away from and Funmi is one of them. When I informed her about my final relocation to the northern part of the country in a few weeks to come, even though she saw it coming as I have been carrying her along about the process between my fiance, and me. We both got emotional, it was hard for us but we just had to accept the new direction life was taking us.
For this reason, Funmi with my elder sister had planned a surprise birthday party for me. A tale I would remember to share for a very long time to come.
That evening around five pm, my sister called me to hurry home from work because she needed my help, and remembering she had told me she wasn't feeling too well earlier I had to rush home as soon as possible.
As I walked into our house and made my way into the sitting room I sensed that there seemed to be a few more people than usual, there was a birthday decoration, a beautiful cake having my name on it, and a DJ with his equipment on one part of the house. And many presents ramped on our dinner table. As I stepped my foot into the room everyone raised their glasses in a toast to me, among one of them handed over to me a glass of red wine.
I was just numbed, trying to figure out what was happening. My elder sister was present, and some of our close friends and a few relatives.
Happy Birthday to you, they all chorus. Funmi stepped forward to whisper into my ear, It is your last birthday before your relocation. Your sister and I thought we should make it special for you, we hope you love our surprise. I felt butterflies all over my tummy and I couldn't find the right words to express how I was feeling. All I could say was, this is just incredible, thank you and love your guys
Tears rolled down my cheeks, I couldn't believe they would go all the way out just to make my special day a memorable one.
My sister signaled the DJ who had his fingers ready on his equipment all this while, and so The Surprise Birthday party began.