Do angels really exist? And I’m not talking about heavenly hosts and all that, I mean right here on earth with us. Angels are disguised as regular people and because of that, we have no idea they’re actually celestial beings. They could be the passenger on the bus or the kind traders in the market. Hell, they could even be a fellow customer at the bar.
However, one thing they’ll always have in common is the fact that they’re always strangers but they get to touch your life in a way you’d never forget. No matter how brief the encounter is, no matter what it was, these angels simply swoop into your life for about five minutes. This is not something that has happened to everyone, so it’ll be understandable if not everyone can relate to it.
Have you ever encountered a stranger who did something for you that you really needed at that point in time, and you know that there’s no way on earth the stranger would have known what you were going through, but they somehow managed to come up with the perfect solution?
I’ve found myself in such situations from time to time and it can be astounding. For instance, the time I met an elderly man on a bus back in Lagos. He was an overtly friendly dude and since we sat side by side at the BRT, he kept talking to me. Somehow, the talk went from simple and casual to really deep, and soon, he was teaching me from his wealth of experience and how making certain decisions in life brought him to the very spot he was at.
This was during the period when I had just started earning from my writing, right after my ND and I got a good ghostwriting gig. I was already considering moving out of my parent's house and staying on my own so I could focus on my job. But then, I was still having double minds about it because I knew I wasn’t going to be in Lagos for more than a couple of years since I would be returning to school for HND. However, I couldn’t imagine spending those few years with family and I wanted to be on my own.
The day I met the man, he told me about how he had been too independent as a youth. He had also been in a hurry to leave home but the reality that hit him when he did, shaped the rest of his life. Because that freedom that comes with living alone comes at a great cost. Eventually, there are some things that will happen naturally, like living on your own. So, there’s no need to rush the process. Money that could have been saved and used to build his business was used to pay rent and buy furniture and foodstuff. Whereas, he could have used only a fraction of that to assist his family if they lived under the same roof.
His words touched me a great deal, it was as if he had seen a part of himself in me and decided to stop me from taking the same path he did. And thanks to the conversation, I decided not to move out. This was a great decision because I was able to save up enough money to return to school well ahead of time and get everything I needed without having to worry about money.
If I had gotten my own place in Lagos back then, returning to school would have taken me at least two extra years. Till today, I always remember that man’s words. I tried to get his number, but he didn’t give it to me. I can’t really remember why though. It sounds like a simple chance encounter, but to me, that man was an angel who knew the dilemma I was going through and decided to help me out.
I had a similar experience during my ND days as well, back when I just got admission into my school. I think I already blogged about the story before, but I’ll refresh your memories. It was during my screening period right after I got admission into my school. I made a terrible mistake and thinking I had more money than I did, I overspent, losing even my transport money. Desperate, I took my ATM to the POS stand and tried to get money and I was able to get 1k which was enough to get me home.
But then, the thing was there was no money in the account. And I knew it. It was actually a strategy. When the POS machine said insufficient balance, I would tell the lady there my plight and she would give me some money. That’s how desperate I was. It was getting dark and I knew no one at all in the school environment, so I was willing to beg whoever I needed to get home.
However, to my shock, the transaction went through on her first try. It was wrong of me but I had no choice, I took the money and thanked her before heading home. I wondered what had happened because I was sure that there was no money in the account. I wondered if she had made a mistake, I knew if that was the case, the lady would be in trouble with her boss and I decided to return the money the next day.
The next day, I took enough money from my Dad and went to school. But the lady was nowhere to be found! The shop was still there, but it was a different lady manning the machine. I asked about the lady that had been there the previous day but it was as if I was just looking for trouble. The current lady there told me that she was the only one and she never allowed anyone to handle her POS machine. And I was certain it wasn’t her because even today, I have the lady’s face engraved in my mind.
Till today, I still don’t know what happened. Did that angel see the “insufficient balance” and give me the money anyway? Did she make a mistake? Was it even a mistake? Was she an angel?
Anyway, I’m still racking my brain around it. And till tomorrow, every time I walk past that shop, I’ll look there in search of that lady. I’ve never seen her again! Years later, I’m still searching for her.
I know that this sounds crazy, but I have a number of encounters that I can swear are pretty angelic. Strangers just swoop in and say or do the right thing to you without knowing what you’re actually going through. In fiction, it would be called a plot hole. But in real life, some will call it Grace. You can’t explain it.
I don’t know what next I’d encounter an angel, but so far my belief in them remains unshaken. They’re as real as you and I. And they know everything.
The thing is, you too can be an angel. You don’t have to be nice only to the people you know, even the total strangers on the road. You’d never know what a simple word or help might change. Maybe one of you reading this has been an angel to a stranger without even knowing it. Maybe you’ve also been helped by an angel and you put it down as a normal thing.
So, if you’re an angel and you’re reading this, I just want to say thank you for everything you do. Keep on being a light to those fortunate enough to be around you.
Much love!!
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