A Tale of Two Love Birds

"Enitan, my sweet love....my one and only...”

Josh couldn't get past that one line no matter how hard he tried. How in the world was he going to get ready in time for tomorrow?

He stared at the bin in front of him, with more confusion in his mind. The shredded sheets with wasted ink filled up the container and left no room for more.

Enitan....Enitan...how in the world was he going to express the feelings that dwelt deep inside his heart like a soulful melody within that he never wanted to end.

Beep went his mobile. 'Not now! I'm trying to concentrate.' He thought to himself.

He ignored it and tried penning down some key words. Another sound soon filled the room, this time it was his office line. He couldn't afford to ignore this.

"Hello!"

"Josh what have you been doing all day? How come the Jackson file is not yet on my desk?” Asked his boss impatiently.

"Sir, I'm working on it."

"I must have it before the end of the day!" Click went the sound of the phone on the other end.

He had a lot of work on his desk...this writing was not going to work right now.

His mobile beeped again. This time he saw it was Mama calling. 'What could she want o!' He decided to pick the call.

"Mama, kedu!"

"Odinma my son. I hope work is fine."

"Mama, what is happening? You know that I'm at work."

"Yes, I know. But I need your help my son. The container I was expecting with my goods has landed and the money to clear it is much more than I expected. I need to get it done today because some customers’ goods are there and they want it by tomorrow. "

"Mama, I can't leave the office, I'm already swamped with work at the moment.”

"I'm not asking you to leave work; just send me some of the money to balance what I have."

"Ok mama, how much."

"It's just ..."

Mama's words blocked Josh's ears. How was he going to sort this out today of all days?

______________________________________________________________________________

"Mama how would you ask me for such a sum at this last minute?"

"My son it's just 500,000 Naira. Besides I will give you something when I'm able to sell the goods."

"But mama, I don't carry that kind of money on me. Or have you forgotten that we have all gone cashless."

"No o. You will never be cashless in Jesus Name. "

"Yes I know mama. I mean I will have to go to the bank to effect that transfer to you. I can't trust anyone in this office and I have so much on my desk to do."

"I don't have anyone else to call now. You know your sister has forgotten me ever since she followed that oyinbo man to Germany. Now I don't have anyone else. If only your father was alive..."

Josh knew he had to stop her before she started sobbing again. That was the usual reaction once he complained about her pestering him.

"It's Ok mama. I'll handle it!"

"Thank you my son. You know how to make an old woman smile."

"No problem mama. Let me try to take care of things here."

He ended the call and made a loud sigh. 'All of this… today!!!’  But it was true, mama had no one else to ask for help and he couldn't afford to get a query at work because he failed to complete a task. Well today, he had to put on his superman costume and perform wonders. He tried to look at the file and see if he could do something before heading to the bank... He made another sigh, it was going to take all day!

Josh glanced quickly at his watch. It was already 3.30 pm. He had to dash to the bank quickly and hope he won't be spotted by his boss. First, he thought it best to check his account balance. As he scrolled to the last text alert, he kept hoping to God that today was going to work out.

'Chimo!' Josh screamed

_________________________________________________________________________________

His account balance was just a little over 500,000 Naira. And he had promised mama.... 'Chei!’ Josh exclaimed.

What would be left for him to handle tomorrow or to survive after that until payday? And there was Enitan to still think about, yet he couldn't even find time to do that. Ah! The troubles of a man with responsibilities.

After thinking deeply for 10 minutes, he decided to sneak out of the office. His James Bond skills were sure to get him out of this prison unnoticed. With his set of skilful moves, he got out and headed straight for the bank. He was there before 4.00 pm. He made the transfer to Mama and hoped some miracle would happen before tomorrow.

He was back to the office soon and dug his head into his office work. A thought of Enitan breezed by but he quickly dismissed it. He needed to concentrate fully, if he was going to complete this assignment on time.

********************

Enitan brushed her hair as she sang along to her favourite love song. Josh had been her angel this past year. She recalled how they met; so randomly, yet so divinely ordained. Since then, it had been such an amazing journey. Sure, there were times when he drove her crazy but that split second of madness which was always followed by an apology was nothing compared to the love and understanding he showered her with. She couldn't wait to see what he had in store for tomorrow. He always went all out to make her feel special and she knew tomorrow won't be different. After all, it was Valentine's Day and their one year anniversary. She had gotten some gifts but was looking for something to make it extra special. Her phone soon beeped. She quickly reached for it in case it was Josh pinging to say hello.

"A BC? Mschew!" How she hated them!

She was about to discard it when something caught her eye. This might as well be the special thing she had been looking for.

_________________________________________________________________________________

Josh was exhausted when he got home. There was no way his brain could conceive anything anymore. He still had some change. Maybe he'll just take her to a restaurant after work and give her the dress he got for her last month. He'll explain everything to her, after all she could be very understanding. He had always prayed for a woman that would understand him for who he is and accept the fact that he had responsibilities. As far as he was concerned, God had answered that prayer. So far so good, Enitan proved to be just that and more. That's why he always wanted to make her feel special with every opportunity he had.

He looked at some pictures of her before going to bed and tried to go through some unread messages. There was one that stood out. Why didn't he think of this before instead of trying to be Superman, Batman and Luther Vandross, all in one? He quickly drafted a message. He knew it was quite late but he hoped his order would still be taken against tomorrow.

****************

Enitan woke up feeling great and expectant. Josh had already called her at 12.01 am to say how much he loved her. She had taken the week off from work to rest. So she had nothing to do but wait till she met with Josh later that night. First, she made sure she sent an email to her sweetheart, along with an attachment that would speak volumes.

****************

Josh was lucky to get a reservation at their favourite place because of his frequent customer status, and some promises to his boy there.

His day wasn't going too bad. His boss was in a good mood and even commended his work yesterday. There was not too much stress at the office because everyone was smiling at their screens and phones. It seemed that love was truly in the air. Mama was able to clear the goods and kept calling to say thanks. Just one more thing was left to make it all complete.

'Beep' went his phone. Josh rushed for it and gave a wide smile as he quickly rushed through his mail box. He spotted a mail from Enitan but decided to settle this first. His order had been processed on time, how fantastic! He promptly downloaded it and went straight to Enitan's Facebook page. After all, there was nothing like a public display of affection to warm a girl's heart.

After the deed was done, Josh scrolled to Enitan's mail.

"Wow, I can't believe it!"

His mobile rang out loud. He recognised that ring tone immediately.

"Hello honey."

"Babie, I saw your post on my Facebook wall. Thank you so much. Those words spoke straight to my heart. I love you so much."

"I love you too honey."

"I can't believe it, we used... "

"…the same people." Josh finished her sentence. "Yes I wanted to say the same thing. I guess our thinking is somehow synchronised now."

"At least we got to say what we really wanted to say"

"Yes we did. I loved yours too...I love you"

"Can't wait to see you tonight"

"Me too"

They blew each other kisses and ended the call with smiles still beaming on their faces. There was love, but more than that there was contentment, joy and peace. As they both looked forward to their rendezvous that night, they remembered to send a message to the people who made this possible.

"Thank you Peach Expressions, let's do this again soon"

The end!

©Lola Agbaje-Williams ©LAW Afolabi, February 2015| All Rights Reserved

MY DOMINION STORY

Photo: sosn.org

I am standing here today

With a story to tell

The manner by which I got here

I know it too well

I wasn’t always like this

I never believed in myself

I gave up very easily

And always cowered in my shelf

I was deceived into believing

That I wasn’t in control

I let my circumstances dictate

What I do and how far I go

But as time went on, I began to realise

Who I was really made to be

No longer bound by the chains that held me

Indeed I have been set free

Freedom to do what, you may ask

Freedom, I answer, to bear fruits that will last

No longer being dominated by men who abuse me

But rising up with courage to walk in dominion and authority

I speak into existence

Things that weren’t there before

I loose in heaven and earth an abundance

That is too large to store

I raise godly seed that are arrows

In God’s powerful hands

Indeed, I and my entire family

We are for signs and wonders

No longer shall we be deceived

By the lying serpent

No longer shall we walk in ignorance

Or as fear’s servants

We are fruitful, we multiply

And subdue all the earth

We are influential and prosperous

With unbeatable strength

We are filled with words of wisdom

And act as consultants for kings

We are the head and never tail

Yes, the best in everything

We are rulers and teachers

Lawyers and preachers

We are doctors and nurses

Accountants, the greatest bosses

In all that we do

We influence and add value

Proclaiming God’s favour

In every way and each avenue

With all this experience of dominion

We remember to remain humble

As worthy vessels for the master’s use

This way, we’ll never stumble

You too can walk this walk of dominion with me

And live the life that God intended

As you do so, may God’s grace carry you

Until the last day when we are perfected

© October 2014 by Lola Agbaje-Williams

The Weekend Bite Online...June Recap

Hello friends, it's my pleasure to bring you the June Recap of The Weekend Bite Online. June was a month of learning for us with great feedback from the twitter family. If you missed it, this recap is especially for you.

In the first week, we stated with #Action.

Photo: Mindflash

#Action signifies doing something or putting something into practice. Many times, many of us get the vision, decision and planning parts right, but only a few of us successfully execute these plans. It's much easier to say what we want to be, but there is a big step between imagining something and achieving it. This step is called Action. 

#Action thus requires getting up and doing something; being a doer not just a dreamer. There must be an interplay of hard work and dedication. The road may be rough, putting continuous effort may be stressful, but if we must become and if we must achieve, then we must by all means act!

No matter how tasking it may be, grow from being a talker into a doer because the world belongs to doers and doers never lose! Embark on #Action today!

In the second week, we continued with #Opportunism.

#Opportunism is the act of making use of opportunities and circumstances as they arise. This requires an ever positive attitude, not one which is easily influenced by temporary setbacks. 

Photo: Superfunnyimages

#Opportunism sees opportunities instead of problems; turning them around to suit current needs. While everyone is busy grumbling about the nature and gravity of a problem, an opportunist simply rises to the occasion to take advantage of the situation.

#Opportunism also adapts to change and successfully derives benefit from such unwanted or unexpected change. This is based on a constant preparation of the mind-set for the unexpected and a firm decision never to be thrown aback by same; rather to work with whatever comes one's way.  No option or circumstance should be seen as too little or too insignificant, instead try pursuing such options with an open mind. Concentrating on the challenges or limitations that abound around you won't get you anywhere, instead make up your mind to TRY and to BELIEVE in yourself no matter what, looking forward to your desired end.

You may never know how successful you can be until you try #Opportunism . It is definitely one of the keys to a successful and happy life.

In the third week, we moved on to consider #Purpose.

#Purpose is simply the reason for existence, the very essence for our being!  There has to be something that drives us, something which under any circumstances, we would naturally do! These things originate from within and are a clear definition of who we are & what we were made to do. 

Photo: Lifehack

A life lived without discovering #Purpose is meaningless, because without a destination or sense of direction, success cannot be measured. Instead, years can be wasted by  chasing after shadows; no accomplishments nor improvements. A purposeless life never gains any true satisfaction from within because  it ventures into things it was never made to do. Imagine a chair believing itself to be a musical instrument or a bird thinking it is a snake; all purposes clearly different, what a misadventure  that would be. The chair thinking its purpose was to play music instead of providing comfort for sitting; or the bird trying to crawl on the ground, trees and walls, instead of soaring high above in the skies, to the admiration of men. What a misadventure indeed!

All things are made for different purposes; addressing a particular need and filling a particular gap. Don't waste your time being someone you're not. Discover your #Purpose and embrace it! Only then will you find fulfilment.  Do what you must: soul searching, meditating, praying, seeking counsel, studying, whatever it takes to discover and define this purpose.

When you discover it, run with it; there's nothing better than living a  #Purpose driven life.

In the fourth week, we wrapped it up with #Focus.

Photo: AliExpress

#Focus can be described as a state of having and maintaining clear vision and gaze on a particular object. In the pursuit of purpose, #Focus is important to help us overcome distractions we may face on our path! We are often confronted by events or occurrences which aim to make us give up on our goals and dreams. 

Without #Focus, we could easily get carried away/ thrown off balance by such unpleasant events or even people along our way. However, we must realise the temporary nature of such occurrences and focus on the permanent nature of our intended accomplishments.

#Focus simply helps us find a balance in the midst of the turbulence and positions us to forge ahead to achieve our goals. In the depth of our minds we can have a note to ourselves, pasted up on the wall, reminding us to always stay focused. Next time there is a temptation to give up, take offence or get frustrated, each of us must ask ourselves: Why am I here? What do I seek to achieve? Once we can answer #Focus 's question, we'll realise that every other thing or person doesn't count. Rather, #Focus has set us back on course. All that matters is what we need to achieve, and so we channel all our energy towards that.

 Maintain #Focus today, it's crucial to ensuring your success! 

 That's a wrap folks, hope you enjoyed the run through! 

• Embark on #Action, ensure #Opportunism, Pursue #Purpose and maintain #Focus

All the best putting these into practice!...success is yours!

Cheers!

L.A.W © July 2014 by Lola Agbaje-Williams

For #ExcerptsFromTheWeekendBite : Follow Lola on Twitter: @lolawilliams02

 

The Weekend Bite Online...May Recap

Hello there, welcome to another month. Wow, almost half of the year is gone! Hope you're getting ahead with your goals and plans. If not, it's not too late to reassess them, evaluate your progress and re-strategize.

May was quite an interesting month on the Weekend Bite, especially for Twitter followers. Henceforth, I'll be doing a monthly recap here of what was shared for easy reference purposes.

In the first week, we started off with #Dejection. 

Photo: Wisestep

As defined, #Dejection is simply a state of sadness, unhappiness, depression, low spirits/ heaviness of heart. It can also be a state of agony, when nothing seems to change the feeling of emptiness on the inside and your demeanor and countenance are forced to reflect this sadness.

It can be can be triggered by many things such as unpleasing words/events or random things which have far reaching effects on our emotions. Sure, we all have certain things that throw us off balance or which we abhor; but the question is: should we allow the occurrence of these things (which are inevitable) to limit us?
#Dejection needs to be CONTROLLED!
Otherwise, it can affect mindset, capacity, demeanor, the entire being and can truly make the heart sick.

So how do we deal? 
For this, Resistance is key. No matter what, don't give in. Don't get pulled into Dejection's dark hole. It's a terrible place with no friends, happiness or fulfillment and instead of being drawn into that, you need to free yourself of its limitation. 
Do what you must- speak to yourself, listen to music, pray, work, keep your mind occupied; whatever it takes to ensure that you are in control! 

Don't waste your life embracing #Dejection... Discard it, overcome it!

***

In the second week, we moved on to #Motivation.

Photo: Maximillian Richter

#Motivation is simply the reason/ driving force behind our actions and everyday lives. It pushes us to go the extra mile to achieve our goals and dreams. It can be a strong force to propel us to MOVE when circumstances suggest otherwise. 

However, where there is no #Motivation, it can be a ticket to inaction, complacency and unproductivity. You need motivation, to act, to move, to do, to be; without it, nothing seems worth it.

• What's your #Motivation? What makes you do the things you do? What propels you to act; is it good or bad? 
• Check your #Motivation...ensure it's in the right place so that your actions can rightly follow. 

If you are motivated for the wrong reasons, you're likely to act for all the wrong reasons. But if you pump yourself up from within with positivity, determination and zeal, to achieve and surpass your dreams and goals, such motivation could push you to do exactly that.

If nothing or no one around you motivates you, motivate yourself and be all you can be. Indeed, you can do all that you set your mind to do with the right #Motivation...

Photo: Sugarspunmarketing

***

In the third week, we discussed #Distractions `

#Distractions can be described as things or people that distract or prevent you from concentrating on or doing something important. They take your mind away from your current focus and constitute delays in your path.

#Distractions don't always have to be bad things, they can be legitimate things that may seem justifiable. You may have good reasons for doing these things but the question is: when is the right time for them? They can also be the people closest to you or random ones you meet daily, engage in conversations with, hang out with or have to attend to.The point is that these things or people prevent you from doing what is primarily important at that particular time.

What to do...
You need to be able to identify #Distractions and cut off their influence from you and what you need to do. 
Also, prioritizing helps. What's the most important thing you need to get done at that particular time? Can this other thing or person wait till later? Once you're able to determine this, concentrate on the most important thing; because those #Distractions won't be to blame when you fail to achieve your goals, you'll have only yourself to blame!

#Distractions...identify them, disable them and get back to work!

***

In the fourth and final week, we concluded with #TIMEANDCHANCE.

#TIMEANDCHANCE is an uncodified law that governs our interactions, experiences and the

Photo: HLHL

entire course of our lives. It operates in every system and environment. Somethings just seem to click or happen at certain times.

You know you're experiencing #TIMEANDCHANCE when you can't explain your sudden good luck after a series of unfortunate events or when things suddenly seem to fit into place, or better yet, when you find yourself at the right place at the right time.

It may take long for certain things to work out and it may seem that your bad experiences, rejections or failures have overextended but you need to try your best not to be disturbed by this, rather hold on and watch out, your time will surely come. Remember,  great things take time!

There is a time and season for everything under the sun...when your season comes, everything fits! It will be visible and incontestable. You only have to ensure not to miss it when it comes, but to recognise and use it wisely. A wasted time or chance only creates more delay.

So enjoy your dance with #TIMEANDCHANCE... Your glorious moment awaits!
***
That's a wrap folks, hope you enjoyed the run through! 

• Discard #Dejection, try #Motivation, disable #Distractions and utilise #TIMEANDCHANCE

All the best putting these into practice!...success is yours!

Cheers!

L.A.W
© June 2014 by Lola Agbaje-Williams

For more #ExcerptsFromTheWeekendBite: Follow Lola on Twitter: @lolawilliams02