Chislow had never been a religious person. To him, it was a kind of social activity that many people indulged in occasionally. He was too ‘cream’ a guy to take of his valuable time and indulge in such an activity. Men, he had other things to do! As far as he was concerned, he was too busy a man for that. To him, having so many people praying on a Sunday to ONE God, put too much pressure on heaven. Prayer to heaven must be like calls placed through a particular phone company, too many calls at one time could jam the network. So, he decided that he was one of those sensible ones who would not contribute to the jamming of the heavenly ‘network.’
Knowing the mindset of our notorious hero, it might come somewhat as a surprise to many, that round about the time Chislow was doing his registration in Unilag he ended up coming to Church.
It was sometime around the time when our country celebrates its independence. Chislow had always enjoyed watching the annual Independence Day celebrations on television. He enjoyed watching the arrival of the president. The motorcade, the horses, the military processions were fascinating to him. He loved watching the president step out of his car; he loved the way everybody made a fuss over him. Each time he watched it, he always imagined himself at the pinnacle of power. Yes! Chislow as the President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed Forces, wow! That felt good. He could imagine himself walking through the midst of his security operatives and watching how they guarded him like an egg that must not be touched even by air. He loved the thrill of it. He loved to dream and dream along as he watched the ceremony on the television. One day, yes, one day … Then his father’s voice pierced through his ears. He scrambled upstairs to answer his father’s summons.
To him, it was a major infringement on his fundamental human rights that his father would interrupt his day dreaming in front of the television. No! Not when he, Chislow, the president and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic was about to preside over such a very important national ceremony where all cameras, radio stations and eyes were focused on him! In the very middle of his dreams, his father interrupted without apology, without even caring that he had disrupted such a great national ceremony. Chislow didn’t like any interference with his day dreams. It was truly an infringement of his fundamental rights. He just couldn’t wait to be grown up and leave home for his own place, where he will be free to do exactly what he wanted to do, how he wanted to do it, when he wanted to do it.
It was in this foul mood that Chislow went across the street to the news paper stand to purchase the paper his daddy wanted. He was annoyed with their regular vendor who didn’t show up, causing his daddy to send him out while Tara, his sister sat down to watch the ceremony she did not like, making fun of the very ceremony he loved so much. He was about to stretch out his hand for the paper he had just paid for when he saw her – the girl of his dreams. He was stunned. The paper that the vendor had placed into his hands slipped to the ground unnoticed.
She was tall, she was slim, she was dark in complexioned, she had long hair flowing down her back. She had a smile that made his heart skip like a calf in a playful mood. He was bound, he was magnetized instantly. She was the greatest piece of art work he had ever seen. God indeed must be a master artist or designer! If it took 6 days to create the heavens and the earth, it must have taken at least half a day to create a person like her!
He did not know when or how he crossed the street to meet her. He stood in front of her, speechless. It was on that day that he made the two greatest discoveries on the face of the earth; the first was the girl and the second was that – his tongue was missing! He couldn’t find it! It was at that moment that she turned to look at him.
“Hi. God bless you my brother. Are you a believer?”
The best he could do was to nod his head. He still hadn’t found his tongue.
“I want to invite you to a Youth Praise All Night Jamz at the Rave Of The Hour Power House, this evening by 7 PM. Will be able to make it?” She asked. Chislow opened his mouth, only air came out. He tried again. His tongue was still missing.
“Brother, are you dump? Do you have a problem with your tongue? God can heal you at the Youth Praise All Night Jamz, she said.
Chislow shook his head like a confused ostrich. Then the miracle occurred, he found his tongue. “No, I am not,” then a light bulb lit some where in his head. It was a brilliant idea. Praise the Lord Sister! He screamed. He got down on his knees and kept on shouting. In a voice that sounded like it was full of emotion, Chislow told her that yes, he was dumb but that ‘something’ led him to her, as he could feel a power coming from her. The long and short of his story was that he was now healed. She looked at him with wonder and amazement. She screamed and gave him the hug of his life. For him, the hug compensated for the misery of having his Independence Day dream session interrupted by his father. Chislow accepted to come to the programme.
That was a choice that many years later, he will remember, for with that choice, he complicated his life. He had deceived a girl and as a result of that, he was going for a religious activity. It was a day he will remember later, all the days of his life.

Share on Facebook