Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: Precious (11/14/24)
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TITLE: MORE PRECIOUS THAN GOLD | Previous Challenge Entry
By Evelyn Alexander
11/20/24 -
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As he was walking toward his future, Tola was thinking about the scene Maami had explained to him as he grew older. Maami, he thought, while thinking of the midwife who became like a beloved grandmother to him. What would I have done without you?!
His mother never did accept him—not even trying to hide how his misshapen mouth and teeth repulses her. Shaking off the dark feeling of rejection, he began thinking of Maami again. She had taken him under her wing and lovingly accepted him when his mother would not … and even gave him his name, “Tola”. He smiled while thinking he has yet to tire of hearing the story how it happened.
Since his father took off when he was born, all his mother could think of was her sadness. She then announced his name was to be, “Sorrel”, an English name, not Nigerian. She had learned about it from a missionary who had been passing through their village. It means, “sad”, and insinuates “grief” and “sorrow.” Feelings she couldn’t escape since the day he was born and his father had abandoned them both. But Maami wouldn’t hear of it! She rebuked and scolded his mother. “Don’t you dare burden your son with a name like that! I see promise in him. He is a special, precious gift from God. I can feel it!” she confidently proclaimed. “You’re right, it is sad … but the sadness is you refuse to see it too. That is your own fault … not this precious baby’s, with his whole God-given purpose and life ahead of Him.”
Thanks to Maami’s dogged determination, he thankfully wears a Nigerian name that means, “More precious than gold.” He couldn’t quite see how it suited him, but Maami could. Tola smiled at the thought.
Glancing at the sun, he quickened his steps. He needed to focus on getting to the clinic so he could get checked in. He had decided to face his fear of the unknown, and the expected pain following tomorrow’s surgery they had warned him about.
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His heart was racing … Tola hesitantly moved toward the wall mirror in his cousin’s home. They had covered it almost two weeks ago at his request. He was thankful they didn’t live far from the clinic where surgeons repaired his cleft lip, so he was able to be with people he knew and felt comfortable with as he recuperated. When he first arrived, his face was so swollen they didn’t recognize him. And he hadn’t been able to face the thought of seeing himself in the mirror either, looking even uglier than he already was. But thankfully his face no longer felt swollen, and his upper lip and nose wasn’t nearly as painful to the touch as they once were. Yes … the time had come to uncover the mirror.
His hand started shaking as he reached for the cloth. His heart was beating hard and his mind raced with thoughts of all the things he had to be thankful for. They all seemed to be dumped into his racing mind at once—starting with Maami and the light she has been since he was born. And others along the way of his now 16 years, who were bright spots among the darkness of mockery and rejection by others—then recently learning of the people he would never meet, who had so graciously given the money needed to fix his face, and later his mouth—for free! They were all precious bright spots in his life.
He suddenly felt at peace, and was ready for whatever lies ahead, and jerked the cloth down.
Tola felt an unexpected pressure rising in his chest as he held his breath. All he could do was stare. Thoughts numb, he burst into tears with a level of joy he had never known existed. A beautiful face he had never seen before was locked onto his. He couldn’t contain the sudden rush of jumbled thoughts of how his life had been changed. At last he believed!
Little did he know this truly was the day he was beginning the future Maami had always believed God had destined him to have, by the meaning of his name.
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