Funmi is a Nigerian asylum seeker, an ex headteacher with two teenage children. She is very busy as both a community activist and a student studying for a Law degree. This account is of the successive problems that led on from having too much on her mind and forgetting her face mask.
‘Remember the assignments are due to be submitted on or before 11.59pm this Friday’.
‘Mum, mum, has your appointment been cancelled?’ it was the voice of my daughter that brought me back from dreamworld to reality. I jolted awake.
‘Oh my God, what must have happened, I thought I set the alarm to wake up at 6am’.
All the while, I had been dreaming about my assignment. I rushed to take a shower, dressed and ran to the bus stop. But on getting to the bus stop, I discovered that I had left my face mask at home. I ran home and before I could get back to the bus stop, the bus had left. Out of frustration, I walked briskly to the next street to catch a bus and lo and behold, the bus was just leaving. I was just standing, wondering what I should do and all of a sudden, the heavens opened up and, alas, showers of rain. I hadn’t checked the weather forecast before I left the house and so I wasn’t wearing my water proof jacket. I was drenched. An elderly man passed by me, looked at me in amazement wondering why I wasn’t wearing a jacket. I had to go back home to change into dry clothing and walked back to the bus stop.
I waited for some time and still the bus hadn’t come. I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t take notice of the bus in front of me. It was the horn that jolted me back to reality. ‘Oh, no’ not again, the bus driver must have thought I didn’t want to get on the bus and he had driven past me. Out of frustration, I burst into tears, not knowing what else to do. I reached for my phone to call and cancel the appointment only to discover I had left my phone at home.
I went back home, got back to bed, covered myself with a blanket and wished that day hadn’t come. Everything went wrong all because I left my face mask at home. I decided to stay indoors all through the weekend.
Sunday was Mother’s Day; my children gave me gifts and I decided to lighten my mood by becoming a ‘potato couch’ all through the day after church service.
The next day being Monday, in the morning, there was a knock at the door. We weren’t expecting anyone so I was wondering who that could be. I saw two women and one man at the door. They introduced themselves from Coop and informed me that someone selected me for being the ‘best mom and doing extraordinary things in the community’. I felt so delighted and honoured. I was presented with a gift.
That was a good way to start a new week. At least I can now forget last week’s ordeal which had started all because I left my face mask at home.