SILVER LININGS (Christian Romance)

2.

The sound from the early morning street preacher was as loud as ever before. Jane's eyes peeled open as she stared at the wall clock.

It was five thirty am already and Junior was still fast asleep. She yawned and stretched and shut her eyes momentarily trying to go back to the sleep she had been robbed off.

Ever since she had known Phoebe, Phoebe had taken the consistent step to preach every morning.

Once in a while, when they sat down to talk as neighbours and friends, she laughed and told Phoebe how her preaching had been her alarm. Phoebe had laughed.

"This your preaching na fire," Jane would tease. "Nobody will go to hell fire from this our street at all."

Phoebe would laugh again and deep down, Jane knew that it was a happy fulfilled laugh.

Jane stood up and washed her face. She woke Junoir up and began to prepare him for school.

Before she bathed him, Jane turned on the radio to listen to the early morning news. The station was on a few minutes break and Adelove's Taxi Driver was playing.

I love you taxi driver.

I need you taxi driver.

She joined in the song and danced. Junoir joined too, stamping his feet and wiggling his body. Jane laughed.

I love you oh...

I need you taxi driver.

The five year old was genuinely happy and had no worries in the world.

She watched him as he danced with a smile. He laughed because he did not know that his father lived elsewhere, miles away from them and never bothered to know what happened in his life. He danced because all his needs were provided by his mother and perhaps, he did not know his presence in his mother's life scared her potential suitors.

But his mother had vowed to stay by him no matter what. Even if she had to say goodbye to Dave and worse, even if she had stay single all her life.

Such was a mother's love. Pure and selfless.

She dried his body with a towel, applied Blue seal vaseline on his dark skin before dressing him in his blue and white school uniform.

Minutes later, when daylight was peeking through the windows. Jane showered and dressed.

Phoebe was sweeping when Jane stepped out of the house with Junoir.

"Good morning our street evangelist aka lawyer." she teased. "You are preparing so early or do you have a case?"

Phoebe was lawyer and a part-time blogger. for some times, she had not gotten any case. She immediately went back inside her house to sleep immediately after preaching but today was different.

Phoebe laughed and said. "Good morning madam Jane. I have no case today."

Jane giggled and held Junoir close, she locked the door and headed out with him. Sincerely wishing that she would have a nice day.

And she did.

****

Jane arrived a little late for work. She had trekked because she had used her transport fare to buy biscuits for Junoir. It was her last money and she sincerely hoped to receive her pay today.

Her boss was sitting on the sofa and reading news papers on the sofa when she arrived at his house to clean.

Since the Nigerian economy did not favour folks like her who did not bag a degree or a diploma, she had opted for house cleaning services and for now, it footed her bills.