A Turn of Fate

Tunde hurried down the stairs, almost tripping in his haste, "God abeg let today be good," he muttered to himself, as a way to shake off the negative thoughts he was having about his interview this morning. He has done so many interviews and has even lost count of the numbers, but he still hasn't landed a job.

Hitting your left foot and almost falling face flat was considered a bad omen, as if something bad was going to happen during the day; the reason Tunde had to affirm positively to himself.

He held his file bag firmly to his chest; his well-ironed shirt and trousers seemed to have had more meetings with the pressing iron than they needed, as iron marks were now visible on them.

The trademark yellow Lagos bus stopped in front of him, a conductor yelling out its destination, which was the same as Tunde's destination, so he hurriedly joined the other passengers struggling with each other to take a seat before the bus filled up, the usual Lagosian way.

They were a few minutes on transit when his phone began to ring. "Hello, brother Tunde, please rush and come, mama just fainted," Bisi spoke on the other end, amidst sobs, her voice trembling with worry.

Tunde's heart sank. "What happened to her"? he tried to ask, but the call got disconnected. He tried calling again, feeling his shirt get wet from sweat even though the morning was cold. He couldn't concentrate on his journey anymore and felt anxiety build up, she said she was fine when we spoke last night, Tunde thought

He knew his mum to always be the hero mum, always sacrificing her self to make sure her children had the best she can offer, after their father left them to go marry a younger wife, she vowed never to allow her children to suffer, and had to take on multiple jobs to take care of Tunde and his sister.

He did his best and even graduated with a first class in biochemistry. It was the happiest day for him and his mum, but after 7 years, he couldn't secure a good job, nor could he take care of his mum and sister; he was still a burden to them. Tunde felt his heart knot in anger and sadness.

" Don't worry, mum, I will take care of you and you won't have to do all these hard jobs anymore," he had promised his mum as a fresh graduate.

Constantly being a burden made him leave the house to his friends' place, hoping to return when he secures a job.

The bus ride seemed to drag on forever, but eventually, Tunde arrived at his destination. He hurriedly alighted, mistakenly stepping on the conductor's feet, who in turn threw several curse words his way, but Tunde was too worried to be concerned and just mumbled a quick sorry. Instead of going the way of the company he had come here for, checking his wristwatch, he was on time, he looked ahead, seeing the company's logo sculptured magnificently on the tall building. He took a U-turn and boarded a bike he would usually not take because of the risk and cost, straight to the address of the hospital his sister had texted him.

Arriving at the hospital, he met with a doctor, who told him how his mum's health had deteriorated due to years of hard work and self-neglect, but she would be fine with the right medical attention, which he had taken care of. "She would also need to rest more now," he added.

Tunde was shocked. How was it possible that a doctor he didn't know could waive his mum's medical bills?

Then the doctor went ahead to explain how he knew his mum when he was just a young medical student; she was a young mum then with her little son, whom he guessed was this Tunde sitting in front of him. She was very kind to him then and would go out of her way to give him food and money. He was an orphan and just fortunate to secure a scholarship that covered only his tuition fees. He went on to ask how he was doing, and Tunde explained his current condition of unemployment and how bad he feels not being able to take care of his aged mum.

Right then and there, Doctor Emeka made a few calls to some of his friends, and Tunde was offered a job in one of the biggest companies in Nigeria, without even the need for an interview. That fateful day, his life and that of his family experienced a change; he imagined how several years of suffering had just taken a new turn

As the doctor spoke, Tunde felt a sense of wonder and gratitude. He couldn't believe that his mother had touched so many lives and that her kindness had come full circle. The doctor's words brought tears to his eyes, and he felt a sense of pride and admiration for his mother.

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