Happy Valentine's Day

Who is your Valentine?

By Enuma Chigbo

Today is Valentine’s Day. There’s been a lot of hype about Valentine’s Day for as long as I can remember, especially in Lagos. I loved it, at least part of it, but what I found amusing most times was the business aspect of it all. It was a moneymaking day for most. Nothing wrong with that but it made me re think about the true essence of the day. Theodora (not her real name) was one of the people who gained immensely from Valentine’s Day. Sitting in her exquisite shop back then, I watched hordes of men; especially men who were explicitly cheating on their spouses spend lavishly on their more often than not miserable wives. The whole scenario left me quite nauseous, and that’s putting it mildly.

            Today is Valentine’s Day.  I guess I should be one of the numerous ladies waiting to be surprised by a bouquet of flowers, some expensive gift or even a sumptuous dinner in a 5-star hotel or restaurant, but on the contrary, I desired none of those. Jesus would be my Valentine. Why was that? I just survived another gory attack in the wee hours of that morning.

It happened at 2.45 a.m. I couldn’t sleep. This had been a recurrent pattern ever since I returned to Nigeria. Most times I would get up and pray but I didn’t on that day. Perhaps I was too lazy or perhaps my laziness emanated from the fact that I was flat broke – again. Perhaps I was too depressed to pray because someone had graciously referred me to a top-notch advertising guru who said he’d see me at 10 a.m. that day and I hadn’t the means to get there. I went to bed the previous night poor in spirit. Never mind that I was elated when I sang praises to God in church…in Christ City... That’s another story on its own and perhaps one day, I will tell you how I got there, but you know, since I thrive on storytelling, you’ll get to know in my usual roundabout fashion.

            Back to the wee hours of the morning on Valentine’s Day; I tossed and turned. Finally I may have gone to sleep or I was in a trance. I wasn’t sure. But what I was certain of was the pressure on my back. (I was lying on my stomach.) For a split second I wondered what was going on but my thoughts didn’t last because the next thing I felt was someone trying to cut off my head with a knife, simultaneously increasing the pressure on my back. Still disoriented, my physical mind started to ask questions: Who is this? Who could be trying to cut off my head within the four walls of this room? There’s no one here but me!

            The pressure increased on both my back and neck. There was no blood oozing out of my neck, thankfully, but I was in a lot of pain. Somehow I managed maintain some level of humour during those moments of terror.

            At least whoever is behind this is having a tough time, I laughed.

            “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,” I said softly and lazily. Perhaps I was saying it to the rhythm of the knife.

Suddenly, I became aware of the gravity of what was happening. “Jesus,” I yelled, and whoever or whatever it was took off in an instant.

            After that ordeal, I lay in bed, thinking... I asked all kinds of questions: Who was trying to kill me? Could it be that same evil that seemed to put a stumbling block on my finances? I could never be afraid of such evil. After all, anyone who tried to attack me from behind must be a coward. If they possessed such phenomenal powers why could they not have turned me over and dealt with me to my face?

            That was in 2005. But this wasn’t the plan. I wasn’t meant to be in Lagos. I was living it up in Johannesburg. What went wrong? Why was I back in Lagos even broker than I was before I left? Worse still, a dear friend of mine lost a relative on that same day – February 14 2005.

It is 2009, and a lot has changed... I write from House on the Rock (HOTR) Calabar and I wonder...Valentine’s Day could mean different things to different people. For my dear friend, it will always be a reminder of the demise of her loved one. For me, it will forever be a day of love. Clearly it was love that saved me from being prematurely plummeted into my grave in 2005. How one demonstrates this love however is a different thing all together. Sadly, there will always be those who will indulge in illicit amorous activities on this day...

Anyway, happy belated Valentine’s Day everyone! How did you spend this divine day? An amazing group of men – Man to Man – the men’s fellowship at HOTR demonstrated love to a very special group – the motherless babies – people who due to various factors may never know what it is, to feel the love of a parent. All is never lost if the Big Guy up there has anything to do with it. “When my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take care of me.” (psalm27vs10) These special people were not forgotten. Indeed His love conquers all.