"I will be taking my leave, please," Mariyam said.
"It's okay, but I'm sorry. Trisha is at school while Chosen is asleep," Adams replied.
Mina and Adams accompanied Mariyam to her car and bid her farewell peacefully.
"Thank you. See you on Monday. Bye..." Adams and Mina waved at Mariyam as she drove off.
Mina turned to Adams and asked, "So, did you get the job?"
"Yes, I did," Adams replied.
"Wow, that's great! Congratulations, dear!" Mina exclaimed. "She's beautiful, though, and I liked her, but the way she's looking at you makes me uncomfortable. It seems like she loves you."
"Hahaha! You're funny, but I didn't notice that. She's just being friendly, dear," Adams said, dropping his hands on her shoulders and placing a kiss on her hair.
"I hope so," Mina said.
Adams' mom called, "Hello, good morning, Ma."
"Good morning! How are you?" she replied.
"We're doing well, Ma," Adams said.
"Are you guys home?" she asked.
"Yes, Ma," he replied.
"Okay, I'm on my way. Please send me the address of the house," she said.
"Okay, Ma. Until you arrive," he replied.
The call ended, and Adams informed Mina that his mom was on her way to their place. She quickly tidied up and cleaned as Adams forwarded their address to her. He helped with microwaving food for his mom and took care of some necessary tasks before her arrival.
While they were in the process, they heard a horn and knew it was Mom. They both stepped out to welcome her.
She wasn't alone. As they walked out, they saw his dad, aunts, uncles, nieces, cousins, family friends, brothers, and sisters, as well as Mina's parents, siblings, uncles, and other family members—all arriving in a convoy and parking on the street.
It was a surprise visit; they were only expecting his mom, not the whole family, and were unprepared for the surprise.
Their mouths fell open, eyes wide, eyebrows raised, jaws dropped in astonishment. They moved closer for hugs, welcoming gestures, and shared laughter before heading into the house to celebrate the moment.
Everyone brought gifts for the baby and the family.
Adams and Mina were unsure how to offer their guests anything, but the visitors came prepared with drinks, cooked food, fruit salad, fruit juices, and snacks.
It was an organized visit by Adams' mom, and it was wonderful.
Mum asked one of the guests to pray as they gathered, and they all ended the prayer with "Amen."
Adams' dad stood up to commend and appreciate Mina's mom for her efforts and supportive energy for their children during challenging times.
He said, "Humans are sent to the universe to learn about reality, understand nature, grow mentally, and comprehend different perspectives, principles, disciplines, and rules. This helps us understand the value of every single thing that exists in the universe and how everything is interconnected.
This knowledge reminds us of the Creator and the power of His authority. Everything we possess, the things we are serving, those we seek, and all that occurs in our lives are trials. We shouldn't let any liar convince us that we are cursed, because the greatest failures we encounter often serve as false alarms that blind us from seeing the blessings around us.
We often let ourselves down, easily giving up on each other while seeking perfection, but nothing exists without flaws. When we begin to understand this, then peace will start to reign in our lives.
This child is blessed, this home is blessed, this family is blessed; we are all blessed by the power that brings blessings.
Evil eyes, minds, and thoughts are not good. So, if anyone here holds any form of evil, knowingly or unknowingly, may the Almighty God cast it away and replace it with good.
I am grateful once more that you all honoured our invitations. Thank you for your support, and may God bless us all."
He took a seat, and everyone applauded.
Mina was emotional; tears streamed down her face as she began to cry. Adams' mom gave her a comforting hug.
"We all gathered to make you happy, not to make you cry or feel sad. Let's enjoy some fun!" Adams' mom said.
Trisha returned from school, and everyone cheered as she entered, making her blush and prompting laughter from the crowd.
Her maternal grandmother picked her up in welcome, and the celebration continued.
Adams' mom named the baby Abdulrahaman and gave him the native name Ohinoyi, which means "king" in the Ebira tribe of Okene, Kogi State of Nigeria.
"Thank you all for coming. This is one of the surprises in my life that I will document and remember forever.
I lost almost everything some time ago, and it was not easy for me to cope with that loss. However, it reminded me of my strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and the importance of always preparing for potential threats.
I've learned a lot, and with that privilege, I seek your forgiveness for our shortcomings during this time.
My wife and I are not in a good state of mind; we have occasionally let our guards down and made mistakes, but they were never intentional.
Mina is an introvert; she struggles with physical social connections due to her nature and finds it difficult to relate to people easily. As a result, she prefers isolation and enjoys her own company rather than socializing with others.
I have come to understand that communication can resolve many issues, but not everyone possesses strong communication skills. We need to learn about others and understand different perspectives through observation, flowing with each person's unique communication style without placing blame or hurting one another over misunderstandings and mistakes.
Learning to correct ourselves is crucial. We must prioritize taking feedback and working on ourselves. Improving our social lifestyle should always be a goal since we share a responsibility to be accountable, provide explanations, and give each other what we all need and deserve in return.
I speak on behalf of my wife for a reason—not to defend her, but because I understand that it can be challenging for her to articulate who she is. It's hard for others to grasp what they don't know or have not been taught about.
The best way to understand is by seeking knowledge or sharing it, and that's why I'm sharing this.
I want us to remain a happy family that supports each other, regardless of the situation. We cannot achieve that if we cling to flaws to use against one another.
Empathy, love, understanding, resilience, forgiveness, and support should be priorities for all of us.
Thank you all for your understanding, and thank you for gathering here once more.
I just got a new job, which I will start on Monday—I received the offer today, and it marks an unforgettable memory for me," Adams said.
Everyone celebrated and appreciated the little piece he shared, continuing to eat and chat until sunset, when they decided to go back to their respective homes.
After everyone had left, Adams was able to check his phone and saw missed calls from Mariyam. He checked his messages and found a credit alert of N500,000 naira from the company for maintenance and repairs, along with other credit alerts from family members. His account balance totalled N2,000,000, a significant increase from the previous balance of N500 naira.
He prostrated and glorified God for the blessings received on the same day.
As days passed, it was Monday morning.
He woke up, prayed alongside Mina, and then took his bath. Returning to the room, he found his clothes for the day smoothed and ironed, with breakfast waiting on the table. Mina had dressed him with care, and he looked polished and handsome.
He enjoyed his breakfast and prepared for work, and Mina handed him a bag filled with his lunch before escorting him to a cab and giving him a kiss goodbye.
At the office, he found everything clean and the air conditioning refreshing.
He went to sign for his resumption and appointment in the secretary's office and met Mariyam, who was on a business call discussing an opportunity for exporting oil from the country. Unfortunately, her response to the client was not positive.
Listening to their conversation while waiting, Adams noticed that Mariyam was derailing the discussion, which could have been beneficial for the company. He suggested she let him take over the call, but she refused and ended the conversation prematurely.
Mariyam felt it was her responsibility to handle the client, believing she knew her job better than a new employee who lacked knowledge of the conversation.
After signing the appointment documents, Adams was designated as the Communication Manager of the company. He immediately reached out to the CEO to transfer all business calls and records to his department.
The CEO complied, allowing Adams to obtain the phone number of the client Mariyam had previously spoken with. He called the client and scheduled a meeting.