My wide smile gradually began to fade as I watched my co-passengers all depart the airport. I panicked as I continued to wait for my friend at ARRIVALS of the Indira Gandhi airport. I could not call as my SIM was not recognized and there was no internet. I could not do anything. Worse still, English is not the dominant language in India so I knew asking for help would be difficult. Hot tears had gathered in my eyes. I was in an unknown country. An unknown continent as a matter of fact and the only contact I knew was not there to get me.The first person I spoke to did not understand a word I said. Then I met another who understood English. I explained my situation and he asked for my friend's number. He called and spoke in Hindi to her and he said he would wait with me till she came. "She's here", I screamed as I sighted her from a distance. I was so grateful to him and we both went our ways.
Fast forward to 7 days later on my way back to Nigeria. We flew from India to Turkey where we had to wait 8 hours for a connecting flight to Abuja. I was prepared. I had a book, money to pay for WIFI and my fully charged phone and earpiece for music. I also took the plane blanket🙈 and used to make a comfortable seat for myself as there are no seats except in the the dining areas. I got comfortable and then called my parents (I had bought WIFI from a shop). Pops let me know I was entitled to a free meal since it's a long wait. I rushed there sharp sharp, ate to my satisfaction and went back to my WIFI spot (you lose connection when you move more than 10 feet away from the shop). I was just about to settle in when this mummy came to me.
Mummy: Well done o. Are you a Nigerian?
Me: Yes
Mummy: Abi Yoruba ni yin? (Are you yoruba?)
Me: *smiling and pretending not to understand Yoruba*. Side note: Yoruba people like to do parapo aka gum body when they find themselves abroad. And I really wanted a quiet time besides she would discover that my Yoruba is bad and begin a lecture on mother tongue preservation. Abeg I don't like stress, let's speak English.
Mummy went on to explain how she had been stranded at the airport for 3 days. She missed her connecting flight. The airport is too large so you have to keep checking the notification boards and she probably forgot the time. Since then she was not able to reach her daughter in America whom she went to visit and her family in Lagos that had been expecting her. She had no money on her to buy WIFI. It was a no brainer. I immediately asked for her daughter's number in America and called her on WhatsApp. Oh the joy! They must have spoken for 30 minutes. They spoke in Yoruba and I understood the entire conversation but I kept a straight face😏. Apparently, mummy went to visit her daughter and the husband in America and their living condition was very bad. The husband did not have a job and the daughter's job was not great. Mummy ended up dropping everything she had for them and went to the airport with no money. Mummy kept praying for her daughter and told her not to give up that things would be better. Her daughter promised to contact Lagos so they could come pick her.
After the conversation, mummy never left my side. I kept helping her check for her flight as she was flying to Lagos which was before me. When her flight number came on, I alerted her and she made me walk her to her terminal.
As I lost sight of her, I looked up and said "God I see what you are doing!" Isn't it funny how the universe demands from us the same things it gives to us. Only 7 days earlier I was stranded and a stranger helped me and it suddenly became my turn to help another.
After God has come through for you and the time to pay it forward comes, do not hold back. Especially in terms of kindness. If we all extend a helping hand, we will have a happy jolly world.
What will you be paying forward?
Your favourite writer girl,
Love.
P.s One way you can pay kindness forward is by sponsoring ONE child in Primary school through the PROJECT ONE initiative. It costs 36,000 per year without textbooks and 44,500 per year eith textbooks. Contact me for more details.
Fast forward to 7 days later on my way back to Nigeria. We flew from India to Turkey where we had to wait 8 hours for a connecting flight to Abuja. I was prepared. I had a book, money to pay for WIFI and my fully charged phone and earpiece for music. I also took the plane blanket🙈 and used to make a comfortable seat for myself as there are no seats except in the the dining areas. I got comfortable and then called my parents (I had bought WIFI from a shop). Pops let me know I was entitled to a free meal since it's a long wait. I rushed there sharp sharp, ate to my satisfaction and went back to my WIFI spot (you lose connection when you move more than 10 feet away from the shop). I was just about to settle in when this mummy came to me.
Mummy: Well done o. Are you a Nigerian?
Me: Yes
Mummy: Abi Yoruba ni yin? (Are you yoruba?)
Me: *smiling and pretending not to understand Yoruba*. Side note: Yoruba people like to do parapo aka gum body when they find themselves abroad. And I really wanted a quiet time besides she would discover that my Yoruba is bad and begin a lecture on mother tongue preservation. Abeg I don't like stress, let's speak English.
Mummy went on to explain how she had been stranded at the airport for 3 days. She missed her connecting flight. The airport is too large so you have to keep checking the notification boards and she probably forgot the time. Since then she was not able to reach her daughter in America whom she went to visit and her family in Lagos that had been expecting her. She had no money on her to buy WIFI. It was a no brainer. I immediately asked for her daughter's number in America and called her on WhatsApp. Oh the joy! They must have spoken for 30 minutes. They spoke in Yoruba and I understood the entire conversation but I kept a straight face😏. Apparently, mummy went to visit her daughter and the husband in America and their living condition was very bad. The husband did not have a job and the daughter's job was not great. Mummy ended up dropping everything she had for them and went to the airport with no money. Mummy kept praying for her daughter and told her not to give up that things would be better. Her daughter promised to contact Lagos so they could come pick her.
After the conversation, mummy never left my side. I kept helping her check for her flight as she was flying to Lagos which was before me. When her flight number came on, I alerted her and she made me walk her to her terminal.
As I lost sight of her, I looked up and said "God I see what you are doing!" Isn't it funny how the universe demands from us the same things it gives to us. Only 7 days earlier I was stranded and a stranger helped me and it suddenly became my turn to help another.
After God has come through for you and the time to pay it forward comes, do not hold back. Especially in terms of kindness. If we all extend a helping hand, we will have a happy jolly world.
What will you be paying forward?
Your favourite writer girl,
Love.
P.s One way you can pay kindness forward is by sponsoring ONE child in Primary school through the PROJECT ONE initiative. It costs 36,000 per year without textbooks and 44,500 per year eith textbooks. Contact me for more details.
