OPINION: My Church Bus | By Femi Ladapo

Long ago when I was just a little lad, my big Sister and I had an idea of a pass time during the holidays. My parents tried to dissuade us. My father would insist holidays are for resting. We started a lobby through my mother.

Asked what we wanted to do, we said we wanted to trade. They laughed us to scorn. After some days, they called us again to explain our business plan.

Very simple; we would buy whatever fruit was in season from Apata market, break the bulk and sell in retail. We were asked our marketing plan. Simple too; two big trays and hawking.My parents agreed on two conditions; No crossing the major road or railway and all trading must close by noon. So we started hawking.

We were expected to get tired in a few days but the excitement kept us on. My sister and I would go different directions and come home at twelve. We would count how much we had made, remove and save the profit. My mom was our auditor.

Lest I forget, my sister always sold out but me …? Thanks to some yeye football games at Kuole field in Odo Ona. You might wonder what my hawking business had to do with a Church Bus.

During a particular holiday, bananas were in season. The trend was the usual. My sister sold much more than I did. Then one day, I hadn’t spent a minute at the junction when a big church bus going to Abeokuta stopped. The bus was filled with people. Before you can say ‘Jack Robinson’ my bananas were sold out. I happily went home with my tray, feeling like a hero. My sister didn’t sell much that day. No matter our sales, the business was 50:50. It was a Saturday, so I was allowed to go play football.

Basking in the euphoria of the sales boost I spent the following week waiting for Saturday to come.

On that Saturday, I packed double my usual stock. Off I went to the junction to wait for MY Big Church Bus. At a quarter to twelve, the bus still hadn’t come. I stood there sweating, fighting back tears of disappointment. The load had suddenly become too heavy.

When my sister got home and didn’t see me, she came to fetch me. She took my load (God bless her soul. She was the best sister there ever was) and I followed her home in tears.We got home and my Great Mom encouraged me and even gave me a bottle of Fanta.

Then told me, ‘Son, your Church Bus came once, don’t expect that it will always come back your way again’. All the money we made selling bananas did not last but the lesson of the CHURCH BUS has stayed.

You may have an opportunity, a chance, when Fortune suddenly smiled on you. There are times when fate suddenly becomes your ally. When your Church Bus suddenly comes down the road. There was nothing I did differently that morning. My Church Bus just came.

Do not believe you can always walk to the road and the Church Bus will come. The opportunity you have that put you where you are today, without much ado, may never come your way again. Like my big tray load that second Saturday, what you got so easy may not be achieved even with greater effort.

Secondly, if I had scoffed my sister when my Church Bus came, she would have carried my heavy load when my Church Bus didn’t come. When fortune smiles at you, be good to people who stood by you when you were under the bar. You may need them to carry your load when your Church Bus doesn’t come.

I dedicate this story to the memory of the two greatest women I ever knew, My Mother and My Sister.

 

Femi Ladapo, writes from Ibadan, Oyo state