Be as happy as you can, because it helps you to be healthy and have a jolly good life.
Last Friday was a bloody day on Bonny Island as many militants and few civilians were killed as the Nigerian Armed Forces clashed with the militants from the Bight of Bonny to the shores. Two of the civilians were women killed by stray bullets. I was inside the GTB on Bonny Island and the staff received an emergency directive to close immediately. So other customers were not allowed to come inside the banking hall. The lady attending to me was a buxom and pretty young woman in a pantsuit, but she was looking unhappy. She must be in a bad mood. She snapped at a customer who was a very young man who looked like a teenager. I spoke out aloud that she would do better if she treated customers gladly. The customers were innocent of the volatile environment or whatever made her unhappy. The young man smiled and she snapped that she was not in any mood for his cordial and friendly manners. I was shocked by her hostile attitude, but I was concerned too. Many thoughts filled my mind. I was wondering what could be her troubles.
You know that song, Nobody knows the troubles I see, Nobody knows my troubles?
She was not rude to me. Thank God for my grey hair. A young woman dare not disrespect an elder in an African society. Besides, I was looking nice that morning. She looked at me politely as she attended to me.
I was regarding her and looked at her small brown eyes and fingers. I really took time to look at her. She was cool.
I hope no guy upset her or was it the rainy day?
I wanted to do something to make her happy, but I decided to mind my business.
I left to return to where I was staying as jeeps of fully armed Nigerian soldiers were heading to the Bonny seaside where others were battling the never-say-die militants.
I heard the echo of a gunshot in front of the bank.
As I was looking for a taxi-cab, bus or motorbike to take me away from the danger zone, a white jeep stopped for me.
It was a good Christian author and he is also working for the Nigeria LNG Bonny. I thanked God as I entered his jeep and greeted him and a young man in the back seat of the jeep.
"How are you sir?"
"I am fine. I read your posts."
I was glad he reads them.
He said he was coming from his church.
"Your church? The Redeemed Christian Church of God?"
"No. I have started my own church."
"Started your own church? I would rather say you are planting a new church. I hope you have the blessings of the General Overseer?"
"It is not a branch of the Redeemed Christian Church of God. The RCCG Pastor of the Bonny Province gave me his blessings."
I nodded and he told me the name of the new church.
He said he was going to the Nigeria LNG Jetty to pick his family.
I prayed that they would not be caught in the bloody conflict in the Bonny Channel.
There were stern looking Nigerian soldiers at the Nigeria LNG Roundabout and others standing battle ready on the major road leading to the jetty and LNG plant.
As I was going into the Nigeria LNG Residential Areas, I saw a Nigerian Army jeep and an ambulance speeding into the main estate.
It was a bloody and stormy Friday.
It was the topic of discussion over the weekend.
I returned to the GTB bank this Monday morning and when I saw the young female banker who was looking angry and unhappy last Friday, she was looking all right, but not bright. She attended to me politely and when I completed my transaction, I cheerfully gave her a glossy copy of The Language of True Love, hoping she would like it. She accepted it and thanked me with a shy smile. I left her to continue with her work, because she was attending to two customers at her desk and two more were sitting nearby waiting for their turn. Her hands were full today, because the weather was fine and no bad news of attacking militants. Making her smile was a delight to sight.
I was already out of the bank when she came to me to thank me again for the gift of the love book.
"Where can others get the book, because I want to keep my own copy to myself?"
"Your security officer bought a copy last Friday and I told him where to get more copies."
I watched her as she quickly returned to her office with a bounce in her steps.
I thanked God she was happy and I hope she would be happier.
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