At whatever stage you are, thank God and look up.

This Dream To Remember by

Esther Friday ©️2023

 All Rights Reserved under International Copyright Laws. No portion of this publication must be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including reviews, and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

 

Table of Contents

Table of contents.                                                                                                   4

Introduction                                                                                                                   5

 

Chapter 1:

A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING.                                                                                        6

Chapter 2:

WHO I WANT TO BE.                                                                                                 12

Chapter 3:

HARSH REALITY.                                                                                                        19

 

Introduction.

 

As humans, we all have our days, whether rich or poor, successful or not.

Whether we have climbed the ladder and have been there, or just starting the process of climbing the ladder.

We all have our days of happiness and then of sadness, loneliness and dejections.

This fictional work of art is a result of one of those ‘dark’ days.

For a moment, I was thrown into a down mood, but was able to overcome it because suddenly the future that I wanted flashed in my mind’s eyes. 

The future I am slowly building.

 As if to try the method, another greater situation than the first happened, this time around it wasn’t easy.

It took time, but with discipline of the mind and constant thought of the future, I was able to forge ahead and then, the birth of this novel. 

It is a tried and proven method that I pray works for you, as you read and have the grace to understand.

 

CHAPTER 1

A BEAUTIFUL BEGINNING

“Hey! Wake up, lazy woman.” The macho voice she was too familiar with broke into her sweet sleep.

Irene smiled, snuggling closer to her pillow. “Leave me alone.” She muttered in a sleepy morning voice. She felt him hugging her from behind and his lips pressing on her cheek in a morning kiss.

“You know the kids are resuming school today.” He whispered in between the kisses. She groaned and stretched on the wide Queen Bed.

“I know, I know.” He said soothingly, rubbing her back in gentle circles.

Yesterday was a very hectic day, she had taken a day off from work so she could do the running around that both the house and the kids needed.

“Time?” She muttered, suppressing a yawn.

“4:00 a.m. 

“It’s still early, babe.” She made to lie down back but he would have none of it.

“We have to pray.” He whispered again in her ears. He knew what she was about to do when he saw her shoulder rising. “Don’t sigh, Irene.” She held her breath as he went on. “Prayer shouldn’t be seen as a work or disturbance.”

Giving up her struggle, she opened her eyes and turned around to look at him.

“I wasn’t…”

He cut her off with a kiss and she couldn’t resist drawing closer to him and kissing him back. Theophilus pulled away laughing, he knew what his wife was going to say and do next.

“What have I told you about my morning breath?” She asked with feigned anger, running into the bathroom.

He smiled. “Is it your mouth?” He could hear her gargle from the open bathroom, trying to get rid of her morning breath.

“You are a dirty man.” She spat out one last time and stepped out of the bathroom.

He smiled, “Dirty wife of a dirty man.” She laughed. “But you like it, don’t you?” He started.

She shook her head smiling, she wasn’t going to admit that to him.

“Come over here.” He commanded and she obeyed, walking into his open arms.

“How was your night? Does your body hurt?”

“No, I’m okay.” She said, her face against his neck, inhaling his scent. “Good morning, my king.”

He hugged her tighter. “A special morning to you too, my queen.” He pulled her back and took her hand in his. With intense admiration, he looked at his fair woman.

There on the bed, she knelt down and did her normal morning routine.

“Theophilus Tor Sekav, you are a blessed man. The Lord favours you in all you do. Your path is straight and your life long. Kings are coming to your rising and you rise higher and higher, excelling above all in Jesus’ name.”

“Amen.” They both responded.

“Whatever on earth am I going to do without you?” He asked, with so much love and affection in his brown eyes.

She knew her husband loved her, but she didn’t want him to see her as his God, or everything so she smiled and whispered, “A whole lot.”

He rolled his eyes.

“Let’s go wake the kids.”

“Yeah.”

He got down from the bed and helped her down. Together, they walked into their children’s room.

“Get up!” Irene called, clapping her palms together while Theophilus went to the beds to wake them up.

“Wake up, Iyua.” Theophilus said, gently shaking his sleeping daughter.

“Daddy, please wait a few more minutes.” Iyua muttered, turning her back to her father.

 Irene knew her daughter, she was a lazy young woman. “No!” It was firm and final. 

Iyua heard her mom refuse before her dad could consent to her. Still yawning and stretching, she sat up. Theophilus gave her a small smile and went over to his son’s bed.

“To the sitting room, Iyua.” Irene ordered once again as she picked up their bibles from beside their pillows.

Theophilus and his son walked into the sitting room to see the women already waiting for them.

“Big bro is so confused.” Iyua pointed as she caught sight of Michael who was looking at everywhere and everything at once.

“Good morning, mummy. But I am tired.” His face was squeezed and his lips pouted.

“But you did nothing throughout yesterday, you spent a month at home resting.” Irene countered.

“Prayer shouldn’t be seen as a work or disturbance, Micheal.” Iyua giggled, quoting her dad.

“Yes, son. Now lead us in praise and worship.”

They all went down on their knees as Micheal did as was instructed.

 By 5:30 am, they were done with the morning devotion and Irene instructed her kids who were 10 and 12 years of age, to go take their baths while she prepared their breakfast. Micheal was older and would be rounding up his primary school year with the term that was just resuming.

 By 7, the kids were at the table having their breakfast.

 “What is taking you so long?” Theophilus was asking as he entered Irene’s well-decorated room. She loved her space and had the room all to herself with Theophilus constantly sneaking into it from time to time.

He found her in front of the mirror, battling with her hair.

“Why did you come back? Are you not having breakfast?” She answered, panting. She loved braiding her hair, but she was bad at styling it. It frustrated her so much that she rarely did braids. She preferred to go around with her natural hair, even though that was also hard for her to pack.

He ignored her question, going over to her. Softly, he slapped her hand away where she was fighting with her strands of hair and gently started to slip them one after the other into his big palm.

Irene smiled and watched him do the job effortlessly.

“Why didn’t you call me?” He asked with the bold rubber ring held in between his teeth. 

“I didn’t want to disturb your meal.”

Expertly, he tied her hair at the back of her head with the black band and paused to admire his work.

She turned around and pecked his cheek, “What would I do without you?”

He kissed the top of her nose and replied in sarcasm. “A whole lot.”

She shook her head with a small smile on her face. “Go have breakfast or you will be late for work.”

Her husband was a growing lawyer, he had just left the firm he was working with and decided to start his own, so he was still trying to get his footing.

“I am the boss…”

“I don’t want that mentality in my house.” She cut him off sternly, looking for the shoe she wanted in the shoe rack.

“Yes, ma.” She didn’t look back at him, but she could bet that he had mock-saluted her.

“Go have breakfast, you will help me drop the kids off today.” She informed him, turning to look at him with a pleading smile on her face.

“I see”. He nodded.

“I’m sorry, I know I should have told you sooner.”

“It is no big deal.” He shrugged, already finding his way to the door.

From the room, Irene could hear her husband and kids with their little banter and she caught herself smiling into the mirror even without meaning to.

 

CHAPTER 2 

WHO I WANT TO BE.

 “It is a beautiful Monday morning and I know that you are all rushing, especially with the school run. Yeah!” She spoke into the microphone. “It is school time again and we are all excited. Especially the parents.” She laughed lightly, swivelling on her seat.

“I can tell you your joys, seriously. Drop the kids, run to the nearest spa and cool off the whole steam from the holiday. That is if you are the stay-at-home mom type.” Her voice was dripping with pure excitement. She was so excited to be back on the job she had missed so much after taking a day off.

“I know you are so happy about the welcome change, you can finally have time for yourself and all! Kudos to you mamas.” She high-fived into the air.

“And you know who is talking, don’t you? It is your favourite person on the mic, Irene Sekav bringing your favourite talk show; The home. And. This. Is. Wave FM!” She counted, hitting her table in a drum roll. 

“I know you are cooling off already with that pedicure or body massage and you are so elated for sending the kids away, after such a loooong time.” She drawled, putting so much energy in her speech especially as she could very well relate. “One month is a long time if you ask me.” 

“I know you are happy about sending them away, but you haven’t thought of the other part, have you?” She slowed down now, leaning closer to the microphone. 

“Where we need to start running again at two or four to go pick them up and run to an eatery if you are getting a snack for them, or run straight home to prepare food, playtime, relaxing time and assignments time.

“I know you are not thinking about all that part for now, because your present joy is overshadowing that, but a month into the routine, you will not be all that excited, running around anymore and there is going to be this ‘thing’ building up.” She could feel the stress already even though it was yet to come.

“This complaint, this stress, this tiredness.” She numbered off her fingers. “But remember what the Bible says; do all things without murmurings and dispute.” She sing-sang the Bible verse, finally wrapping up. 

“This is why I am here for you, to help you go through all these with no murmurings and disputes. This is your show ‘the home’ and we are taking care of your home. 

“New to the channel? This is Wave FM. And hey, don’t be discouraged. We are not only talking to the stay-at-home moms, but also you, who are working-class moms, and you too, single ladies or the one about to get married, great tips are coming that would help you run your home and not feel frustrated when you finally get married.

“So, wherever you are, continue with what you are doing and relax. For today, we will start with the holidays. How did the holiday go? How did you spend it with your kids? Husband? And family?

“You know the number to call, but if you don’t, this is it: 09023657811, call us now and… Okay, we have our first caller for today.”

She answered the call. 

“Hello?” A lazy voice spoke from the other end of the phone.

“Hello. Good morning and welcome to Wave FM, and this is your show; the home. Do tell us your name and where you are calling from.”

“Good morning, Irene. Thank you for hosting this, I really love your show.”

“Thank you, ma.” She said with a grateful smile.

“You are welcome, darling. I am Mrs Adams, I am calling from a spa room here on the mainland.”

 “A spa?” Irene asked, laughing. “The first one to get away.” 

“Yes oo.” Mrs Adams agreed, laughing along with her. 

“Wow! That is nice. So tell us about your holiday with your kids and family. But first, I want to hear how you started today. Was it with a little romance with your husband? Prayers and then the others? Or…?” She rocked her body in gesticulation, thinking about her husband and how her own day began.

Mrs Adams laughed, “Romance ke? It was straight to work ooo, getting the kids ready for school and all.”

“Okay, tell us how it went.” Irene replied, putting down where she was going to start with her corrections.

*** 

Theophilus walked into the house to hear his kids’ voices. Both of them were talking at the same time, obviously excited about whatever they were talking about. Soft gospel music was playing from the stereo in the sitting room on a low volume, while the family enjoyed their time in the kitchen.

“Am I missing anything?” He asked, returning from the room where he had gone to change.

“Welcome Daddy.” Iyua squealed, going to hug him. 

He scooped her into his hands. “How was school today?” 

“It was fine, I have a new classmate.” She said excitedly. 

“Allow daddy to rest first, Iyua.”

“Yes, mummy.” Theophilus put her down as she sulked and returned to her seat.

“You will tell me about it after dinner.” He whispered to her and she nodded happily.

Theophilus talked with his son for a bit before going over to his wife. She was at the sink washing fresh Ugu leaves in a bowl.

 “How was your day?” He asked, giving her a light peck from behind.

 “Wonderful as usual. How was yours?”

“Turned down another client.” He sighed, resting on the counter beside her.

She stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him. “I am so sorry, honey.” He didn’t need to tell her more, his face said it all.

“It’s nothing.” He shook his head.

Irene went quiet for a while. She knew he was hurting but she didn’t quite know how to comfort him. Her husband wanted to be a big-shot lawyer, but it was looking like he wasn’t ever going to become that.

He has turned down a lot of clients, not because he wanted to or didn’t need the money, but because he just couldn’t handle their cases. No, he was an expert lawyer of course so his fear was not losing the cases. They were just against his principles and his God.

They were the big bad men in society, and he couldn’t defend men who took out killing and raping others like it meant nothing.

Irene could hardly tell how she and her family were still alive and living happily when those men had disclosed their dirty deeds to her husband; they were supposed to be coming after them since her husband knew their dirty secrets.

She knew God was protecting them, but she didn’t like the thought of being haunted or the feelings she had.

“What do you want me to help you do?” He asked, seeing how her countenance had changed.

“Nothing, dear. Go and relax…”

“What are you cooking, by the way?” He cut her off, walked to the pot and saw the rice boiling in it. “What are you cooking, babe?” He asked again, looking from the pot of rice to the vegetables she was now chopping.

“White rice with vegetable sauce.” She replied without as much as a glance at him.

Sighing, Theophilus held her shoulders and turned her around to look at him.

“I am okay.” He assured her. “ I love what I do.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he stopped her.

“I know you have been praying to God about the nature of my job. I appreciate your love and concern but until God puts it in my heart to change what I do, I am not going anywhere.”

 She saw the finality in his eyes. She wanted to argue but didn’t want to hurt him.

“I know you are not going to support me…”

“Of course I support you!” She shouted, wondering why he would think such a thing. “Till when the Lord puts it in your heart, you have my unending support.” Irene told him softly.

He looked deep into her eyes and held her close to himself. “Thank you so much.”

She nodded. 

He looked around and found the kitchen empty of his children. He laughed.

“Your kids don’t want to see us all warm and cosy.” Irene laughed, happy about the burden that had lessened in her heart.

“Iyua, Micheal, come back here, let’s cook this rice jor. I am very hungry.”

They ran in.

“Woman of the house, what are we doing?” Theophilus asked his wife in his forced authoritative voice and Irene smiled, shaking her head.

“Micheal, peel the onions. Iyua, blend the crayfish for me. Man of the house, wash the meat and fish, season and boil.”

“Yes ma.” The trio replied, saluting like soldiers with their hands to the side of their heads.

Irene held her laughter, “I will time you all, no delay. Your time starts now!” She announced, clapping her hand.

Instantly, they ran around looking for what they needed, she stood aside, arms folded, a smile on her face as she watched them run around. It was a lovely sight to look upon, she was so proud of her family.

 

CHAPTER 3

HARSH REALITY.

Irene’s brows furrowed together with a wide grin on her face. She could see the images floating in her mind’s eye, and she smiled wider, holding onto each of them with such tender care and pride.

“Why she dey smile?” The first voice hit her in her sleep but she closed her eyes tighter, willing herself to continue sleeping.

“You no go leave am now.”

Irene’s smile turned into a laugh. She chuckled at first, scaring her siblings, then she laughed out loud, obviously enjoying herself and whatever it was she was seeing.

A painful slap on her lap woke her up. She sat up scratching her eyes as she looked around confused.

Where was she? She asked herself, her eyes taking in her environment.

Where was the house? Her beautiful house, with the P.O.P. ceilings and tiles on the floor. The big sitting room with a glass centre table and a flower vase on it?

She knew she had seen a gate. The compound was wide, and the path to their front door was lined with flowers on both sides. The house was a flat, cute and portable, she had her room to herself. Everything she needed was there, her husband, her beautiful kids.

Irene looked around once again. Where was her husband and the kids? What she was seeing and where she was was a totally different thing altogether.

Her eyes fell on Abraham, her brother. Brother? She has a brother? Lying beside him, staring at her strangely was her younger sister Vanessa.

 Irene ran her eyes around and came in contact with her immediate environment. The house she was living in, the rundown one-room, the sickly paint on the wall that was already fading and peeling away gave her the answer to her questions.

 Her parents’ bunk bed was pushed against the wall, the poorly made plastered floor that kept breaking was a great nuisance. Their little fridge that was constantly bad, and the wooden centre table was already uprooted from its place and pushed to a corner, so her siblings could put their bed at the centre of the one room and have enough space to stretch out their limbs.

 This ‘bed’ was two pieces of wrapper laid on the bad floor. She looked at the couch that had a very visible hole at the centre, it was already pushed to another corner, also for her siblings’ sake, she was on the only good couch they had left. 

 Her eyes moved around again and saw her wares, waiting for another day to walk around the city again.

 Realization dawned on her. Everything was a stabbing truth. She wasn’t one famous radio talk show host named Mrs Irene Theophilus Sekav. She was Irene Tor; a nineteen-year-old, living with her family which consisted of her dad, mom, sister and brother.

 She was not in any Lagos city but in Benue. She wasn’t living in a fine house but in an infested one-room in the slums of the city.

 Irene couldn’t help it, her eyes stung with tears, and she felt sick to her knees. Sick to her very essence.

 It was all a dream. Fake. A far-away unreality. Nothing more.

 She remembered everything now; it was his fault. While returning from hawking her goods the day before, she had bumped into her crush. He was a handsome guy from the next street.

 They didn’t really know each other, she had met him a few times while going to school. They had walked the same street together to school. He was either ahead of her, or she was ahead of him. They had never spoken to each other, but she had a crush on him, just from the few times they shared the street.

 When she saw him she didn’t know how she felt, but she wasn’t happy and had put up a bold face. But deep down she was ashamed of herself and how bad life had treated her.

 When he walked past, tears pricked her eyes.

 She had nothing. She wasn’t rich or on the same level as him. He attended a private school and lived in a good house, while she attended a government school and lived in the slums. He was handsome and she wasn’t beautiful, to say the least.

 It was too painful.

 She had returned home and fell on her ‘bed’, ignoring everyone, and had cried silently. She moaned and pitied herself and her family.

 She was deeply hurt and betrayed by life, she has been through so much of life and yet she wasn’t done, it was so depressing and agonizing. She had given in to the feelings yesterday and had come crashing down, broken in bits and pieces.

 She looked at the old clock hanging on the wall, it was 5:30 a.m. and her mom would be leaving for the market soon. Her dad must have left a long time ago. He had a long distance to trek before he would get to his workplace. 

 She shook her head and looked down to find her siblings still looking at her.

 “I’m okay.” She said, lying back on the couch.

 Her dream flashed in her eyes and she smiled. It was a nice and beautiful dream anyway.

 That was the life she wanted. She wanted to be a radio anchorwoman, stay in her own house, live with her own family, and know, serve and experience God in her own way. 

 She wanted that. A Christian home, a Christian family that loved God.

 God!

 “God!” She shouted and jumped down from the couch, missing her sister’s head on the floor by chance.

“Sorry.” She apologized and turned to the little clean corner in the room that she had made as her personal altar to talk to her Father.

 She knelt down.

 “Dear Lord, thank you for yesterday and today. I am sorry about yesterday, please have mercy on me. I am so sorry that I was ungrateful to you. Yes, I am not where I want to be, but I can go to school, and I can eat three square meals, although it is not every day. But not everyone has these privileges.

 “But I do and even much more, I know of people who are of a lower status than us and would give anything to have what we have. But I showed you my ungratefulness, I am sorry Lord. I don’t know how it got to this extent Daddy, but I don’t want it anymore. I don’t want to crush on anyone again. Please take this feeling away.

 “I know you have so much in store for me and sincerely I don’t want to spoil it, I don’t want to get distracted, and I don’t want to fall out of my way with you.” Tears trickled down her eyes as she clasped her palms and continued her silent prayers.

 “I am sorry for not looking ahead of what you have promised, but I had looked down at my current situation and lost faith in you. I am sorry for thinking that I am ugly when I am beautifully and wonderfully made by you.” She smiled, wiping her tears with the back of her palm.

 “Thank you for reminding me of what I want and what lies ahead. Thank you for taking away this sadness and depression. Thank you for this new burst of hope in me. Thank you for the reassurance.

 “I know Lord, yes I do, there are still a lot of mountains to climb, and I know there will be challenges too. I mean, I am not even in the university yet, and there will be challenges and obstacles coming from everywhere. I am not denying these, oh God.

 “I know it won’t be easy, I am not saying it would, but you have given me what to look up to, help my eyes and my heart to stay fixed on this vision so that I get there. Help my eyes to remain on you. Help me to overcome all the obstacles that would be coming my way. And when negative feelings and emotions overwhelm me again, please help me overcome them.

 “Thank you for this day, Abba Father. Thank you for my family, thank you for our now. I know it is better, thank you, Lord, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”

 “Shey u don vex enter bed with empty belle. Food no dey dis house oo, na you know.” Irene heard her mother’s angry voice as she concluded her prayers.

 Her mom hated it when they pulled stunts like that on her; unexplainable anger and rejecting food. It hurts her deeply, especially when she struggles so much to get the food for them.

 “Good morning, mummy.” Irene greeted as cheerfully as she could.

 Her mother didn’t reply.

 Irene smiled, shaking her head, her mom was good at holding what she called ‘petty grudges’. Not disturbed by her mother’s behaviour, she went ahead to hug her.

 “U dey try for us, mummy God bless you nyafu nyafu.”

 “Tomorrow do stubborn head, you go see yourself.” Her mom was saying, as she brought out three hundred naira from her bag and gave it to Irene. “Na for three of una.”

 Irene nodded, accepting the money. “Thank you ma.”

 Her mother left the room, nodding to her gratitude.

 Irene shared the money equally with her siblings.

 “What about you?” Vanessa asked.

 “No food for house ooo.” Abraham told her.

 “Don’t worry about me, I am okay.” She smiled at them and went back to her couch. A smile was plastered on her face as she recited Psalm 23.

 She couldn’t tell why, but whenever she recited that chapter and prayed concerning verses 1 and 6, there was always financial provision to last for the day.

 She walked over to her makeshift bed and lay on it. “Wake me up by 7 a.m. to prepare for hawking.”

 She fell on the couch and closed her eyes, a big smile on her face, praying she gets to visit her dream once again.

 

What are you thinking of?

Are you looking at your current situation or the future?

The future you have built and dreamt of? 

Look up at the future and not down at your now and get the hope and force you need to push forward while trusting God.

You can do this.