Yesterday, I told my children that we’re expecting a visitor next week. They all shouted, again?. Mummy, we’re having visitors more often these days. We had 2 just last month. Don’t you think we need some privacy? Lol, privacy indeed!
Well, I seized the opportunity to tell them the importance of hospitality and why it matters in the world we live. I gave them some biblical instances where hospitality has turned into blessings and also told them about my encounters with hospitable people. The stories I told them were mainly the reasons that propel my reciprocity whenever I’m in a position to. I decided to share one here because the person in question is in this space.
Adaobi Muotoh Okoye was my former schoolmate at Ebonyi State University, same department but a year behind. Academic activities brought us close because she was always coming to collect some reading materials from me and asking for my help to put her through some topics. With time, we became friends and remained so till we both graduated. We kept in touch and spoke once in a while.
When I finished my NYSC and got a job in Lagos, I needed to shift location from the East to Lagos and my best option was to live with my good cousin who was staying in Lagos. I got to Lagos and called him (as he was expecting me) from the motorpark but his number was not going through. I called repeatedly without luck. I didn’t have any other person to call and it was getting dark. I was young and new to Lagos and didn’t know my whereabouts. Bewildered with confusion, I started crying. Calling my parents was a hard option for me because it took everything in me to convince them about my relocation to Lagos. My Mum won’t think twice to interpret it as a sign for me to retract.
Somehow, I remembered that Ada told me she was living in Lagos with her Aunt. I was reluctant to call her because I already figured that the answer would be a No. Living with an Aunt is different from living with parents and that makes my chances slim, or so I thought. Yet I called her and to my greatest surprise, the response was positive. She told me to come over, and that she would go to her Aunt’s shop to convince her. Tears of joy ran down my cheeks as I proceeded to locate the address she sent to me. It was very far from my location so I got to her almost midnight. My cousin called me the next day but I was not in a haste to leave because I felt so much at home and was showered with love and care by Ada and her Aunt’s family. I spent a few more days with them before I left for my cousins from where I started work.
That experience was a lifetime memory for me because it was my first taste of being stranded, helpless, and in danger. It remains a vivid reminder to me that sometimes, we don’t understand the importance and value of good friends until we’re faced with a hard time and have them help us make the transition easier. It is also a testament to the fact that in carrying out a good deed, we entrust others to do the same.
My gratitude was not only about the accommodation. Some extras made the experience unique.
It was the impromptu help and hospitality without prior notice.
It was the conviction and approval of another person who didn’t know me from Adam.
It was the instant home I got, filled with love and care.
It was the risk to let me in at that time of the night, in a city as dangerous as Lagos.
It was simply an absolute act of kindness and a rare demonstration of hospitality.
Therefore, Ada, my heartfelt gratitude to you and your Aunt is forever. Your intervention that day planted me in Lagos and aborted my mission back to the East. That’s something so significant to me. May you always find help whenever you seek it and may God’s love envelope you and your family always, Amen.
Hospitality is part of humanity and If a thread of it can be woven around the world, it will be a better place. As we practice it, we must teach our children as well, to make space in their moments that will accommodate others and give them the generous love they need at a particular time. It may entail making sacrifices like giving up some privacy, comfort, space, money, and even rest, to make people feel safe and at home with us for some time. This will impact the relationships we share at the family, friends, and community levels and help foster love and harmony in the world.
✍️ Amara Ann Unachukwu
