I didn’t think much about promises until I almost broke one that mattered.
It started on a random Tuesday evening when my phone buzzed while I was still at work, It was my younger brother Jay
“Are you still coming this weekend?” he asked the moment I picked up.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the unfinished work on my laptop “Yeah, of course, Why are you asking like that?”
He paused “You have said that before.”
That one hit me small, but it hit me.
See, I had been promising to visit home for months,there was always something , work, traffic, money, stress, And each time, I would say, “Next weekend, I promise” It started sounding like background noise, even to me.
“I will be there,” I said again, softer this time. “I promise.”
After the call ended, I just sat there for a while, It’s funny how easily we say that word, promise like it is light, like it does not carry weight, but for someone on the other side, it might mean everything.
Saturday came faster than I expected, And just like clockwork, something tried to ruin it.
My boss called that morning “I need you to handle something urgent,” he said, “It shouldn’t take long.”
I almost laughed “It shouldn’t take long” is usually code for “your whole day is gone.”
I looked at my packed bag by the door, then at my phone, Jay had already sent me a message : Don’t forget today o.
I sighed “Sir, I won’t be available today,” I said, surprising even myself.
There was a short silence "Alright,” he replied finally “We will handle it on Monday.”
I hung up and just stood there for a second, It felt small, but also… big, like I had chosen something I usually don’t choose.
The journey home was long, as expected, traffic, heat, the usual Nigerian package, by the time I got there, it was already evening.
As I walked into the compound, Jay came out first.
“You actually came,” he said, half shocked, half excited.
I laughed, Wow.... So this is how low my reputation has become?”
He folded her arms “You don’t keep promises, that is your brand now.”
“Ouch,” I said, placing my bag down, “But I am here now.”
He looked at me for a moment, then smiled “Yeah, You are.”
Later that night, we sat outside like we used to when things were simpler ,no pressure, no rush, Just conversation.
“Mum was starting to think you were avoiding us,” he said.
“I wasn’t,” I replied quickly, then I paused “Okay… maybe a little, life has just been a lot.”
He nodded “I get that, but you didn’t have to keep saying ‘I promise’ every time.”
That one was honest.
No anger, just truth.
“I didn’t realize it mattered that much,” I admitted.
“It does,” he said. “Not just the coming. The promise itself.”
There was silence after that, the kind that makes you think deeper than you planned to.
“I will do better,” I said quietly.
He looked at me, “Don’t say it if you don’t mean it.”
I smiled a little “Fair.”
The next morning, I woke up earlier than usual, not because I had something urgent to do, but because I just… wanted to be present, we helped Mum around the house, talked, laughed, even argued over small things like old times.
At some point, Jay nudged me “You see? the world didn’t end because you showed up.”
“Shocking,” I said. “Very shocking.”
But deep down, I knew something had shifted.
Keeping that one promise didn’t magically fix everything, but it reminded me of something simple promises are not about big words or dramatic moments, they are about showing up, especially when it’s inconvenient.
Before I left, Jay walked me to the gate.
“So… next time?” he asked.
I adjusted my bag “I will come when I can.”
He raised an eyebrow.
I laughed. “No promises.”
He smiled “Good, just show up.”
And for the first time in a long while, I understood that sometimes, it’s not the promise people are holding onto.
It’s you.
