The Seat Of Kindness.
If you had entered Chuks' apartment for the first time, you would probably think he had just moved in, But the funny thing is that he had been living there for almost three years.
The room was not dirt, in fact, it was always neat very neat, the only problem was that there was almost nothing inside.
A mattress lay neatly in one corner, a small plastic table held his kettle and a few plates, His clothes hung on nails driven into the wall.
As for chairs...... there wasn't even one.
Whenever visitors came around, Chuks would smile awkwardly.
"Abeg, no vex, it's the bed I have that we can sit for now"
Most people laughed about it.
"No worry, my brother, better days ahead."
Deep down, Chuks always wished he could at least afford a decent chair, It wasn't that he was lazy, life had just been happening too fast.
House rent
Feeding
Transport
Helping family back home
Every time he managed to save a little money, one emergency or another would wipe it out, so buying furniture kept getting pushed to "later."
One Sunday after service, members were standing outside the church chatting in small groups, Sister Simi walked over to him.
"Brother Chuks."
He smiled.
"Good afternoon, Sister Simi."
"How are you?"
"I'm fine o."
She looked at him for a few seconds before asking,
"Can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"You still don't have chairs in your house?"
Chuks laughed.
"Ah... who tell you?"
"You forgot I came to drop something at your place months ago."
He scratched his head.
"I haven't bought it ."
"What happen?"
"My sister, life first o."
Both of them laughed.
"I understand sha."
The conversation ended there, and Chuks didn't think much about it, The following Saturday afternoon, he was inside his room trying to fix a faulty standing fan when his phone rang.
"Hello?"
"Brother Chuks?"
"Yes."
"It's Sister Simi."
"Oh... good afternoon."
"I am close to your street."
"Okay."
"Please come outside."
He frowned.
"Why?"
"You will see."
Curious, Chuks walked outside, Immediately he stepped out, his mouth opened, A small pickup van was parked in front of his compound, Inside it was a beautiful brown two seater sofa.
He looked from the chair to Simi, Then back to the chair again.
"My sister..."
She smiled.
"It is for you."
He blinked.
"For me?"
"Yes."
"No... no... you mean..."
"I recently changed my sitting room furniture, Instead of selling this one, I thought of someone who actually needed it."
For a few seconds, Chuks couldn't even speak, He just stood there staring.
"Sister Simi..."
"Yes?"
"You mean I should carry this chair and enter my house?"
She burst into laughter.
"No, carry am go market."
Both of them laughed.
"You are serious?"
"Very serious."
The men in the compound helped carry the chair upstairs.
The moment they placed it inside his sitting room, the whole apartment looked different.
It suddenly felt like a proper home, Chuks walked around it slowly, He touched the armrest, Pressed the cushion.
Sat down
Stood up again
Sat down once more
He couldn't stop smiling.
"My God..."
Simi laughed.
"You like it?"
"Like it?"
He looked at her with wide eyes.
"My sister, I love it"
He shook his head repeatedly"You don't even understand."
"What?"
"You gave me something I have been praying for you get."
She smiled.
"Really?"
"I have wanted to buy a chair for years."
"So why didn't you?"
He laughed.
"Every time I saved money, one problem would come from somewhere."
"I understand."
He became quiet for a moment before speaking again , "You know the funny thing?"
"What?"
"I have received many gifts before."
She nodded.
"But this..."
He gently tapped the chair.
"...this is the first time someone has given me exactly what I truly needed."
Simi smiled.
"I guess God knew" Without thinking twice, Chuks stretched out his hands.
"God bless you."
"Amen."
"No, seriously." He almost shouted.
"God will bless you beyond your imagination."
She laughed "Amen."
"You have no idea what you've done."
A few days later, one of Chuks' friends came to visit, the moment he entered the apartment, he stopped.
"Omo!"
He pointed at the chair.
"You don hammer?"
Chuks laughed loudly.
"I wish."
"So where this fine chair come from?" He smiled proudly.
"Gift."
"Gift?"
"From someone with a very kind heart." His friend sat down.
"Omo... this chair soft.""I know."
That evening, after his friend left, Chuks remained seated alone in the quiet room, He looked around his apartment.
It was still the same room
The same walls
The same floor
But somehow, everything felt different, Not because he finally had a sofa.
But because someone had noticed a need he never ever complained about and they decided to meet it without being asked , that simple act of kindness stayed in his mind a long time
And It reminded him that sometimes the best gifts are not the most expensive ones that they are the ones that arrive exactly when they are needed in a way
And every single time Chuks sat on this chair, he just smiled to himself, remembering the very day Sister Simi showed him that kindness does not always come in grand gestures, sometimes
it actually comes in the form of a simple two seater chair that turned his empty apartment into a place that finally feels like home.
[image Generated with Chatgpt]