GOD ANSWERED UNOMA'S PRAYER
"Buy pure water, cold pure water, bottle water," Unoma shouted as she hawked in the streets that day. Suddenly she saw some secondary school students in neat and clean white and red uniforms on the other side of the road. Tears came to her eyes as she knew that she would have been like them if not for the death 💔 😔 💯 of her parents.
'Oh my God why am I suffering like this?' Unoma thought as she remembered the type of treatment she was receiving from her aunt.
In her condition, she didn't hear the sound of a fast vehicle coming behind her. The driver horned but Unoma was too lost in thought to hear it. The last thing Unoma heard was a screech of tyres as she tried to run to safety but it was too late. The car hit her and the basin of pure water fell on the ground.
"Oh my God, I've killed her," said the driver of the vehicle. That was the last thing Unoma heard before she became unconscious.
"Where am I? What am I doing here?" Unoma asked as she woke up and saw herself in a ward in a hospital. A kind looking nurse smiled at her and patted her hand to reassure her. Then Unoma remembered that she was selling sachets of water before she was hit by a car.
"My basin of water, aunty will kill me, where is my basin of water?" She said crying and trying to get up from the bed to look for it.
"It's okay, my dear, relax and concentrate on getting well, your basin of water had been replaced," the nurse said calming Unoma. Later the man that hit Unoma came in. His name was Nnamdi Nwokedi. He read Social Works and Social Welfare in the United States. He had come back to Nigeria and started trying as much as he could to help the suffering masses he saw everywhere around him.
Mr Nnamdi had established a non governmental organisation that helped the disabled, the displaced, prostitutes and people from very poor families. His organisation called CARES got help from overseas philanthropists who donated huge amounts of money to support the project.
On hearing Unoma's life history, Mr Nnamdi knew that she was one of those people for whom CARES was set up.
'God moves in mysterious ways and he has allowed me to meet another person to help,' thought Mr Nnamdi, as he wiped away the tears that came to his eyes 👀 on hearing Unoma's story.
Meanwhile, Aunty Ijeoma waited and waited for Unoma to come back but she did not see her. She did not make any attempt to look for her, rather, she continued watching films.
Later when it was around 8:00pm. She became a little worried about Unoma's absence. Instead of thinking whether Unoma had an accident or was kidnapper or had suffered something worse, she felt that Unoma had run away with her money.
"The stupid idiot, the monkey thinks that she can run away with my money just like that. In fact, let me get her, I'll squeeze life out of her, I'll..."
"Mama Chioma! Mama Chioma! Is Unoma back?" One of her neighbours called Mrs Ijezie asked her.
"The animal is not yet back, she thinks she can run away with my money. I will show her that..." Aunty Ijeoma was complaining.
"Please Mama Chioma I heard that a girl selling pure water was knocked down by a vehicle along Ogui Road. Go and check to see if it is Unoma," Mrs Ijezie her.
"Hmmm by this time of the night?" Aunty Ijeoma protested.
"Ehen, why not, if it is your own child will you not make an effort to find her?" Mrs Ijezie asked her. She was not happy with the way Aunty Ijeoma was unconcerned about Unoma's disappearance.
Aunty Ijeoma knew that she would be seen as very wicked if she didn't do anything to find Unoma. She therefore asked Mrs Ijezie where the accident occurred.
"Let me find her, at least I will not be accused of using her to do money ritual." She thought as she ran into her room to collect her handbag.
At this time, her husband came back and she told him about Unoma's disappearance.
"Have you reported to the police?" Her husband asked.
"No, I was waiting for you to come back," Aunty Ijeoma lied.
"Waiting for me? What if something happens to her, what will we tell her people?"
"Eehem, Mrs Ijezie told me that an accident occurred along Ogui Road. Let's check there before going to the police to report."
They went to Ogui Road that night but could not get information as to the hospital the accident victim was taken to. They decided to go home and Continue their Investigation the following day.
Around 6:30 a.m. the following day, Mr Nnamdi and some officials of CARES came to Aunty Ijeoma's house. She and her husband were told about Unoma's accident.
They were blamed for sending Unoma to the streets in search of money. They were told that CARES would take care of Unoma's needs since they failed in their responsibilities.
Mr Nnamdi informed them that Unoma would be sponsored up to the university level to read any course of her choice.
"A child's basic education should not be neglected because of pursuit of money. My organisation is getting the backup of government to stop child abuse in any form, one of which is denying a child basic education and turning him or her into a hawker. Very soon government will give us the right to arrest any child seen hawking on the streets during school hours until his or her parents or guardians come forward to give reasonable explanation why he or she is not in school," Mr Nnamdi said.
Aunty Ijeoma and her husband hung their heads in shame.