Life was tough during my school days. I was going to have exams, my brother’s school fees were not paid, and I had to keep up the act that everything was okay.
I was writing in my exercise book, but I was not really noting. I was thinking about what we would eat and how little money I still had. Tolu looked at me and said,
“Amara, you always look so serious. It’s only exams, not a war.”
I finally looked at her, gave her a weak smile, and said, “Tolu, you would know better if you had gone halfway in my shoes.”
She chuckled and told me I was being funny. I really wasn't.
I had to run home after teaching. My little brother, Chike, was there at the entrance, smiling as if he hadn't seen me for a long time. I let down my bag and took a seat. He moved his head and whispered,
“Sis, are you tired?”
I smiled, pulled him close, and rubbed his hair.
“No, baby. Your sister is strong.”
No, I wasn't. I had to force myself to study marketing at 10 pm despite my desire to sleep.
Though they saw my happy face both on campus and via the internet and assumed I was a lucky person, the nights when I sobbed silently or the times when I didn't eat because I wanted to share my little food with Chike, they couldn't see.
As a next thing, an email was sent to me that I really can not forget in a hurry. It was letting me know that a company from Lagos, after reading my articles online, is seeking me to fill a junior marketing assistant vacancy. Whoa! If that post was able to change everything, it would be mainly for a future that I would love to share with Chike plus an increase in my salary.
At 9 am on Monday, I was supposed to be present at the interview. I ironed my best blouse, polished my worn-out shoes and practiced my answers till really late at night.
Monday morning didn't turn out well. There was no electricity overnight, and my phone didn't get charged. I woke up to the sun shining on my face. My phone showed 8:00 a.m. I felt very uncomfortable. The company was located a hour away.
Without wasting time with my dressing, I kissed Chike and ran to the bus stop. The first bus was already full when I arrived. I saw it driving off, feeling that my whole future had gone with it.
The traffic was awful. I got there at 10:05 a.m. The receptionist shot a pity look at me.
“I’m sorry,” she said. “The interviews closed at nine-thirty.”
“Oh, my God, why? Why is it that nothing works out right?” I murmured. A man wearing a neatly ironed shirt and a tie walked past me, then turned around. He came over to me.
“Her words really impacted me. I thanked her and went out to find a bench.”
"Why, God, why?" I moaned. He leaned over to me, asking if he could help me.
“You look like you lost something important,” he said kindly.
I managed a laugh. “Just missed something I really needed.”
He sat down a little way off. “Sometimes missing one thing takes you to the right thing,” he said.
I shook my head. “That’s easy to say when it’s not you.”
He smiled. “I’ve been there. Life reroutes us more than we know.”
We talked for a while. I told him about school, my brother, and my dreams. He just listened. When I stood to leave, he handed me a card.
“My name’s Mr. Adebayo,” he said. “I run a small marketing agency. Come by tomorrow if you can. Let’s talk.”
The next day, I went. His office was small but full of energy. We spoke for an hour no formal questions, just a real talk.
By the end, he said, “I can’t offer much yet, but I’d like to bring you on part-time. Let’s see how it goes.”
I accepted.
Months went by. The part-time job turned into a full-time one. Mr. Adebayo showed me things that I had not learned even at school. He had faith in me. My writing skills got better, my confidence increased and, after a long time, I felt that the future was mine to choose. One night, when Chike and I were having dinner, he smiled.
"Sis, you seem to be so happy all the time," he told me.
I chuckled, messed up his hair and answered, "Perhaps life is actually giving me back the smile."
Reflecting on it, I am sure it was more than luck. However, it was God's unmerited favor, perseverance, and the peculiar way that life works-how a door that is closed means there is a better one waiting for you.
I was managing a major project for an important client one year later. After the meeting, I passed that park and sat on the bench. I said a little prayer of gratitude.
Now I tell my story to friends when they moan over lost opportunities. I tell them about the bus that I missed, the shut door, and the stranger who gave me a chance.
Because sometimes, what feels like the end is really life saying, “Wait I have something better for you.”
And whenever I see a bus drive away, I smile. Because I know the missed ones can still take you exactly where you’re meant to go.
