Happy but why ...

How does it happen that sometimes we wake up happy even though the night before then was rough; nothing exciting in any shape or form, but alas we wake and for some inexplicable reasons, we are happy in the morning. Yes I know psalm 30:5, but what have you done to deserve it. Nehemiah 8:10b. But in similar same light, how come you go to bed rich and fulfilled but rise feeling empty?
Well he woke up today, after a low 'last night', and against all expectations feels like a million Euros. He tries his best to remind himself of at least 6 million reasons why there is nothing to be excited about but the feelings are stronger than his efforts. With all the reservations in the perfectly overturned world of grand pessimism, he left the house hoping that perhaps there are some material gains awaiting him this day (although, one good thing about pessimism as they say is that 'you expect the worst, so as to get the best surprises').
Today is 20th March 2011, meaning it is exactly 27 years since his mother's water broke on her way to the forest and this bundle of joy came forth. ‘Mama Ibeji’ must have lost count of the months or perhaps she is just that strong a woman, because, why else would she contemplate firewood fetching since the moment she gets the news of the pregnancy. Typical African woman. He came as a twin, Kehinde was not as lucky, she was only around for 58 minutes. Against all odds, Taye survived, without baby multivitamins, needle induced vaccinations, baby formulas or strollers; all that there were were breath in his small nostrils, sunshine on his tender skin, an unmerited favours all around him. Like the human heart that never contemplated holidaying until death, all Taye knew was work, work and work. Even sleep must have been work, because the mats were not the greatest around and bugs abound.
Against all odds, Taye dagba, he became a man of 27 years of age, all had not seemed well before today, but 1 Thess 5:18. Facing his 27th birthday brought no particular enthusiasm as it was bound to be like the twenty six before it. On his way to work, on the perilous okadas of Lagos mega city, he was hit by a half-asleep danfo driver, God on his side; it was only a minor bruise. That cost him an extra 6 minutes he couldn’t afford. Too scared from the experience of the fall and to make up for the time wasted, he decided to hail a cab because; he already has two warnings for late coming. Traffic is not an excuse, he has been told by oga no nonsense. That cost him another 800 Naira he could hardly afford. What is 800 compared to the pain and strain of joblessness in Lagos (a place where even the jobful are moaning). On getting to work, the janitor had not yet come. 800 Naira wasted; well that means no breakfast, lunch break and dinner, doubtful.
Work today was particularly laborious and pain staking, new stock came in to the plastic warehouse against expectation hence not all the casual labourers were not around. ‘Taye join them, you don’t have to be told’; said oga David, the supervisor; ‘hunger and sweaty toil just don’t mix’ preoccupied the mind of ore wa, of all day, must it be today, I am a top class student of chemical engineering, why am I doing it. It is true that it is not always what you know that matters in life but who you know. Taye’s life is a good example of this. He puts his supervisor (who happens to be the chairman’s towns man and brother to chairman’s 4th wife) through on the basic rudiments of ‘PVC cling film’ manufacturing processes. ‘Oga supervisor’ holds an OND in physical education from a polytechnic that has gone moribund in the North. In all of this, Taye still couldn’t help smiling and laughing out loud incessantly for reasons he had no ideas of. Fela’s hit ‘suffering and smiling’ track comes to mind and this just brings more laugh; laughter, not at anything, but himself. Yeye rolling, shuffering and shmilling, yeye rolling.
Oba onise ara ni Olorun, God works in wonders. The call came when it was least expected, the line was a little faint but ore wa knows it’s an international call and who knows, it might be important. It was Sam Reeds from Loughborough University UK. Taye’s proposal on the preservation of perishable food with ultra violet rays has been given due considerations after 27 months and an EU fund of 2 Million GB pounds has just been granted to the Applied Chemistry Research Institute of the university. No other person comes to mind but the man that wrote the original proposal that corroborated the basis for the grant. A copy of the letter has been sent to your email box, congratulations. Taye, we are looking forward to having you as a PhD candidate as applied and co researcher on this hugely significant project soon as possible, call Carol, my Secretary on +441.... Should you need any more information. The visa papers are been compiled and we will be very grateful if you accept this invitation soonest. Kind regards, Prof S. Reeds
The journey back home was sweet, the traffic was still there but for some reasons, it was much more bearable, he has not eaten all day, but that was the last thing on his mind. He still is the ‘boy boy’ of the office but only for a short time, he still has no money to his name, but maybe it is true that some days you wake feeling happy without reason, such mornings, ojumo ire is what we all should look forward to. The result might not necessarily be a huge cash gift but a lost hope might be rekindled on a quiet phone line.