IT STARTS AT HOME

She refused all enticement to make her stop crying. First her mum gave her crackers biscuits and she turned her face and cried all the more. Her mum brought out Caprisone and she hit it off her hand and it landed on the floor. 

It was during homily so there was a frantic effort to get her to shut her mouth. Partly because the congregation wanted to hear the preaching and some needed a conducive atmosphere to top up on their morning sleep. 

So the mum signaled to her caregiver to come and carry her off. When the maid drew near, the little child held tenaciously to her mother. Soft-hearted woman who I sometimes buy recharge cards on credit from, she waved the maid away and thought probably her little baby will pause her cry. But she continued.

Then other mothers, single-but-searching ladies, engaged, single-but-not-searching ladies began to offer hands of help.

The first woman took her from the mum and offered her cheese balls. And her reaction of Messi-like; she gave the cheese ball a left-footed kick, so hard the woman couldn't stop it from hitting the target- the ground. Her cry took a pitch higher. 

One woman who was known for sitting at a particular spot in the 7:00 am mass every Sunday with her four quiet kids decided to try her luck. Personally I believed the woman could tame her cries. Her four kids are known for their adult-like maturity during Eucharistic celebrations. So she grabbed her and offered her a sip of an already opened sachet water. The crying baby extended her hands like she wanted peace before pressing the sachet hard. Hard enough to spill and sprinkle its contents on the woman's four kids baptizing them and on the woman to ensure she was born again. 

So many hands and offers of groundnut, chin chin, water, sweet and chewing gum, yet this little girl was not to be deceived into submission. The distraction was getting louder when the maid took the bull by the horn and carried her out from the church. All the while, the mum kept smiling.  Before I could concentrate on the homily the priest had concluded.

So I decided to believe that the little girl and her attitude was God speaking to us in a very special way: 

1. That parents should train their children to be strong and determined in their quest 

2. That we should not be easily swayed by the material things of the world: SAY NO TO CUCUMBER STYLE OF SUCCESS.

The little girl exhibited a strong attitude of disdain for material things of the world. When she grows up, I pity the young guys who will try to woo her by their material possessions.  

Photo credit: joe robinson official website