A Short Story

One sunny Monday, I got home to a house completely devoid of all my family members save my thirteen years old cousin. I was back from one of many trips to the bank. As one who dreads traveling long distances --all thanks to Lagos traffic-- I only had my heart fixed on a nice breakfast and some sleep. You could imagine my joy at seeing the house almost empty. Unknowingly, a list of things to purchase and set right awaited me.

After the running around, I eventually sat down to breakfast at 1:17pm (West African Time - WAT). I wanted to go straight to bed o sugbon, whatsapp had other plans for me. All the unrealized messages you've been spamming me with got the upper hand. And I replied you until my phone and power banks went off.

I slept on the floor of the living room after setting three alarms for 4:00pm; 4:05pm; and 4:10pm respectively. I wanted to stand up after thirty minutes of sleep at 4pm so as to have ample time for my chores. But I did not trust myself to wake up at the first ring. So I did the needful yeah?

Fast forward to when I finally began to enjoy my sleep, my mother had to return from wherever she went to. I was still sprawled on the floor. All the dos she listed, undone. People of God, this was where the trouble started o. I wanted to stand up and quickly save my head from her scolding but my body refused.

Permit me to backtrack so you can understand this gist. Few minutes earlier, Mummy called and asked that I reheat the soup in the freezer. PHCN has been playing suwe with our feelings here and it'll hurt to let that soup spoil due to my negligence. I said 'yes ma' and went back to sleep. My alarm chose to ring at that time but trust me to put it off. I had two more rings to go so why not get more sleep?

Let's go back to the point where I wanted to wake up but my body defied my brain. It was not funny. My mother had drove in, parked the car and was getting stuffs out from the boot while I struggled to pull myself up.

Have you ever experienced something like it? You known in your head that you should get up instantly but your body was proving stubborn? If you have experinced this, you will understand the point I'm coming from. For those of you who haven't, imagine being  a rat; imagine being caught in that mouse-trap-glue-board; imagine you struggling to escape; imagine the glue sticking to all parts of your hairy body; imagine knowing that when the morning comes, the owner of the house will take you out and beat you dead (that's if you've not died from struggling all night. Not 'you' per se, it's just an illustration eh?)

There. You have it. That was exactly how I felt. I tried raising my leg, no response; my hands, error; my head nko? At least I'd be able to look out and see how close I am to being scolded but my members said no. At some point, I was even thinking 'she'll only talk and I'll stand up. She can't kill me. Can she?" I kept trying to wake my sleeping self. Before I knew it, my mother was at the door. I had successfully raised my head to rest on the settee closest to me though I was still  in sleep mode. The moment my mother opened the front door, I miraculously woke up.

I woke up to shock (s). I realized first, to my utmost delight, that my mother was not back home. Then it occurred to me that I was actually in a trance. You know that kind where you're asleep but partially conscious of what's going on around you? Eh en, that was it. Thirdly, I saw that time in my trance was faster than real life WAT. The clock read 4:20pm but in reality, it was barely five minutes after 4. That means the trance lasted for 4minutes, 30 seconds approximately. Nobody told me before I went to the freezer, brought out the soup and began the needful.

While I got to work on my chores, it dawned on me that this trance was a mere reflection of my life these past weeks. You see, I've been wanting to write for this blog; catch up with my Bible-in-one-year reading plan; complete all abandoned sewing projects in my room; prepare and participate in online classes;read my books; reply all messages on whatsapp; take up personal writing challenges and you know, make every waking hour count.

Alas! Like Faith-in-a-trance who keeps struggling to wake up and escape scoldings, I keep struggling to set things right and escape the question of 'thou unprofitable servant, what did you do with all the talents I blessed you with?' Chai. And as my body kept on sleeping, I keep stuffing myself with Francine Rivers books, looking for flimsy excuses to shirk both online and offline duties.

It took God a trance to renew a right spirit within me. Perhaps, this story is what it takes to revive you for the journey ahead. If a vision or revelation is what your case needs, amen. It does not take God anything to purge you.
Nevertheless, it won't hurt if you get up and doing this moment. Will it? Awake from your slumber omo iya mi!


Selah,
The Distinguished.
6:10pm; 20th July,2020.