I was raised and brought up by my grandma who was principled on so many things. She regimented our day and makes sure we did nothing outside what we should do at the scheduled time. Although I was her favorite, she doesn't spare the rod whenever I did something wrong- one peculiar characteristic of African mothers. She believed every decision she took for me was the best even though I was 20 years already. One of the things she restricted me from was the female gender, she argued I was too young to start associating with them, so she kept a guard on us.
One morning she called me into her room and sat me down. She was growing older, her bones now weak, and needed a stick to support her little strength. "Now that you've grown" she started, "I will tell you what has helped me so far". I was eager to hear, all I knew about her story was the fact that she's the only survival among the children her mother birth, and wasn't opportune to enroll in school because her parents believed it was a waste of time sending a female to school when after all she will get married and end up in the kitchen.
"I know I have been a bit strict with you and your siblings, but that was because I don't want you to make the mistakes they're making. I still regret not going to school and I don't want you to end your education halfway. If I had allowed you to follow your desires at an early age, you might have taken some unfavorable ones which would have affected your future and that's why I restricted you from having around the opposite gender". I sat silently listening to her, it was beautiful to sit and listen to her.
" God exists, don't ever doubt this. You wouldn't miss it in life if you ask Him for direction always. He has been my strength all these years with no parents and siblings to support me and I had no cause to regret. So one thing that has kept me going is prayers".
Yeah, I had seen her pray she doesn't joke with church activities. It was easy to believe her because praying was her lifestyle and she had lived as a happy woman when she was still strong.
" Finally", she added, " Don't ever play with a girl's heart, and go into a relationship only with a lady I can marry". The advice didn't end there, she kept speaking to me on some matters till this day, though she no longer can walk and has a short memory.