Children’s day is recognized on various days in many places around the world to honor children globally and for us here in Nigeria, 27^th of May had been set aside to celebrate these bundles of Joy. But the thing is…..

1)      It was a lovely Sunday morning, we all woke up and I was even given the normal doze of my mum’s mouth lash. We got ready for church as usual, drove out and it was really a big usual quarrels happy family. Hello…what family with teenagers and adults doesn’t quarrel. That’s the fun. Then when you finally make up to mimick every other person’s show of anger, Just wow!.

Back to the ride to church, it was a silent one due to the early morning mouth lash. Everyone was having a little romance with their mobile phone (not sure my phone was very smart at that time). I raised up my head sometime to see what my mum was doing because I was expecting her to ask us what exactly we enjoyed doing with or to these phones. She just saw her own phone as a device to make and receive calls. That’s all.

I turned to see her looking at us all with so much passion in her eyes. I smiled and she smiled back at me. That smile was different but it gave me joy. We were in….

To skip long details, I was in church with my then acquaintances when a group of people rushed down to call me and the news broke, your mum collapse.

Collapse??? ….

She wasn’t sick. She was strong. I couldn’t remember any complaint from her as long as my brain could take me back. I cried, I prayed, I knelt, I begged God not to take her away from me. She was all I had, my confidant, my best friend, the ONLY one that understands every smile of mine, I could tell her any and everything, and she told every tiny little details of what she does and ever did. I wasn’t ready to lose that one person. I begged God and for a moment, I had this strong faith that my prayers were already answered. But I couldn’t smile, I was worried sick. I cried non stop.

We were still in church, praying when I was told my pastor wanted to see me. Then I had a little more faith. But he started with the consoling sermon and my world crumbled at that point. He held me close, he was talking, yes…I saw his lips move but I wasn’t hearing him, I wasn’t seeing anyone anymore. I was literally in my own pool of tears. I remembered the date, 27^th of May 2007. She had talked about making curry chicken sauce when we get back from church for us to celebrate the day. I remember she saying, “ no matter how old you three become, you all will always be my babies. And I’ll call you all on this day, one after the other, no matter where you all are to wish you “A happy children’s day”.

 I still wonder why God had to take the best mum in the world away from me on a day like this. Why ever take her away? She was all I had. Even in her absence, I still feel her around me. She is still all I have. Now I remember that last smile. It was more like a joyful, fulfilled, sad, goodbye smile. In these past 7years, I have not gotten the joy I used to get on children day. I cry it all out and I have decided to pour out my soul today. Hopefully it will help me celebrate Children day come may 27^th 2015 or I just have to wait till start having my own children.

2).   Even when I tried to smile this morning. I remembered the 200+ girls abducted by the so called Bokoharam and I wept more. This cold heated beings has deprived these children the right to enjoy what I so miss right now – spending this day with my mother. I feel for them, their mothers and I pray they will all be released soon and spend this special day with their mothers comes 2015.

 🙂 But then, I will still wish you all ( yes, you all. Because If you still have a loving mother, then you owe her a call today even if she doesn’t call you.) a very HAPPY CHILDREN’S DAY.

 Have fun! Life is too short.

And to Mrs. Ijeoma Ibe, thanks for being the first person to wish me a happy children’s day today. I love you. You have not failed to wish me a happy day on this day for the past seven years and I pray my God will keep and elevate your children for you (even I that you have taken more than a niece – a daughter). You will definitely reap the fruit of your labor.

 Just allow me cry today…