Chasing Greatness :A Journey Of Hope

chapter 29: miracle

I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling and letting my thoughts wander to the excitement of resumption on Monday. I had so many plans for the new term, but everything came crashing down when my mom called me to take a call. It was Gift on the line. I took the phone, wondering what was wrong.

"Afar, Mimi," she whispered in a sad voice.

"Gift, what is it?" I asked, already sensing something was off.

There was a pause before she spoke again. "Ruth’s mom has died."

I froze, unable to believe what I was hearing. "What? But I thought she was getting better! "Me too," Gift replied. "She only complained of stomach pain, and… she didn’t survive."

I couldn't stop the tears from falling. Ruth's mom was one of the kindest people I had met, and although I had only seen her twice, she left a strong impression. I felt my heart break, not just for her loss but for Ruth, who always spoke so fondly of her mother.

“I’ll call you back,” I told Gift and quickly hung up. I dialed Ruth's number immediately. It rang a few times, and just when I thought she wouldn't answer, I heard her voice.

"Hello," she said, her voice trembling.

"Hello, Ruth," I said softly. "How are you? I just heard what happened."

She didn’t say anything at first, but then I heard her sobbing. "My mom is dead, Mimi. She's gone."

Her words crushed me. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I struggled to respond. "I’m so sorry, Ruth. I don’t even know what to say. I… I’ll come to see you now."

She couldn’t say much after that, so I hung up and called Gift back. "Gift, I’m going to Ruth’s place now."

"Alright, I’ll meet you there," she said.

I quickly left the house. By the time I arrived at Ruth’s home, there was already a large crowd gathered. People were sitting in groups, some crying, others consoling Ruth’s family. The air was heavy with grief.

I pushed through and found Ruth sitting in a corner with her aunt and a few other women. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and she looked like she hadn't slept. Gift and Laura were already there, sitting beside her.

I walked up to her and hugged her tightly. “I’m so sorry, Ruth,” I whispered, unable to hold back my tears.

She clung to me, crying even harder. "Mimi, she’s gone. My mom is gone. What will I do now?"

Her words broke my heart all over again. “Ruth, I can’t imagine how you feel right now, but you’re not alone. We’re here for you, okay? And we’ll get through this together.”

She nodded weakly but didn’t say anything.

Her aunt, who was sitting close by, added, “Her twin brother has been informed. He’ll be coming tomorrow.”

I nodded. Ruth had always talked about her twin brother. He was in Lagos, staying with another relative, while Ruth stayed here with her mom. They were very close, and I could only imagine how hard this news would hit him.

“Ruth, your brother will be here soon,” Laura said, trying to comfort her. “You’ll have each other.”

Ruth wiped her tears and whispered, “It’s just us now. What are we going to do without her? She was everything.”

Her aunt tried to hold back her own tears but eventually broke down. “God knows best,” she said softly. “We’ll take care of you both. Don’t worry.”

We all sat quietly for a moment, each lost in our thoughts. Then Gift broke the silence. “Ruth, you’re one of the strongest people I know. I know it doesn’t feel like it now, but you’ll get through this. And we’ll be with you every step of the way.”

Ruth managed a small nod and whispered, “Thank you.”

The atmosphere was heavy with sorrow, but I could see the love and support from everyone around. I stayed with Ruth as long as I could, holding her hand and listening to her talk about her mom. When it was time to leave, I hugged her again and promised to check on her the next day.

That night, I lay in bed replaying everything in my mind. Ruth’s tears, her aunt’s words, the crowd gathered at her house—it all felt surreal. Life had changed for her in an instant, and I could only pray that she would find the strength to keep moving forward.