As usual, I woke up today not knowing it was a new month until my brother casually said, “Happy New Month.”
I was still rubbing sleep from my eyes and mumbled, “Same to you.”
It didn’t register in my head that it was April 1st.
April fool’s day!
One should pay attention to these things you know.
But, I wasn’t prepared, so I let my guard down.
When my friend, Agei, called me at 7 am-ish today, I thought maybe he just rolled out of bed. Turns out it was the network that was bad so I couldn’t hear him.
Finally he said, “I’ll call you back….brsssssh brsshh…my mom…brsssh brsshh….okay?
I said okay and the call ended. I summarized it as, he had to pick up a call from his mum.
******
I was doing crunches and regretting every decision I made to eat double portions of breakfast. In my defense, I was hungry.
I moved to leg raises and just when my abdominal muscles couldn’t stand my assault on them any longer, my phone rang. Agie called back.
“Some of us are trying to stay fit,” I panted into the phone. I was still trying to catch my breath.
“Did you hear what I said?” Angie asked.
“What did you say?” I quipped.
“I told you I’d call you back. Mum was rushed to the hospital this morning.” His voice was low as he informed me.
If I had remembered that it was April fools day, I would have been prepared for a prank. Angie can be as immature as me when it comes to things like that.
Because I wasn’t expecting a prank, I believed him.
Can you imagine?
I stopped abusing my body in the name of exercising and focused on comforting my friend.
As it turned out, not remembering that it was April fool’s day was what saved my friendship this morning.
I didn’t say something stupid like, “You’re lying.”
His mom was in the hospital. It wasn’t a prank. Agei couldn’t be with her because he had to go to work.
He needed somebody to talk to. And I’m glad I didn’t dismiss him because it was April fools day.
My first entry for April’s writing challenge. As I said, it will be journaling, and I’mexcited that I get to start this journey.
#Day 1 of My Journal Series.
- Left BehindThe abandoned church stood like a man awaiting trial.
- How To Live Like A HeroAnd the pressure keeps growing and growing and growing until you feel like you are moments away from exploding.
- The Story of How I Met Mo-IsuThe apparition introduced himself as Mo.
- Saturdays Are For WeddingsIt is an unspoken rule that Saturdays are for weddings in Nigeria.
- On How To Tell Stories Of HopeI didn’t think it was possible after all the time I spent wandering and searching for anybody who could understand me, or even see me.
Waking Dreams Unmasked 