Life And It's Unexpected Outcomes — My Experience Nurturing An Infant
I had quit my job in the last quarter of 2015 due to it's high demands and poor remuneration. I began to search for a new job but got none. I contacted members of my family and friends and told them I'm in need of a job and would appreciate any help that would be given to me in this regard. I was without a job for sometime but was optimistic about getting one soon.
In February of the following year my aunt contacted me and offered me a job. The job was for the position of a sales attendant in her store in Lagos Island. I accepted the offer after considering the benefits and incentives of the job. Moreover, I needed a source of income and had been out of work for quite some time. We made arrangements and agreed on the date that I was to resume for work. I looked forward to this opportunity with great expectations.
I resumed in March and made a commitment to myself to learn as much as I can and to do my best on the job.
Working in this position was not really challenging for me as I had some experience in this area. My mum owned a grocery store and I usually assisted her in the store after I got back from school. This experience made it easy for me to deal with customers. I was able to do my job without much supervision. I gradually settled into my new job.
My aunt is a humble and friendly person. Her nature endeared her to her customers and neighbours who also owned shops in the vicinity. It also brought about high patronage. This quality of hers made me realize the value of being genuinely nice to people.
My aunt had a friend whose shop was opposite our store. They had a special relationship and supported each other. "Aunt Taye" as we fondly call her was pregnant at the time I began working for my aunt. My relationship with her grew over time. Aunt Taye was a major retailer of noodles in our vicinity. She enjoyed high patronage from customers and as a result always placed orders for noodles from the distributors of the noodles. She did not have a sales attendant.
I noticed that whenever she received a supply of noodles she had to carry and arrange the noodles by herself. I was worried about this issue as I had the opinion that a pregnant woman should not exert herself so much. I took it upon myself to carry and arrange the noodles into her shop whenever she gets supplies of noodles. I did this with my aunt's consent and always had my aunt take my place in the store whenever I needed to assist Aunt Taye. Aunt Taye appreciated my gesture and we became close friends.
Later in April, she put to bed. She gave birth to a baby boy. The news was relayed to us by her husband. We were excited when we got the news. We congratulated him and thanked God for a successful delivery. We paid Aunt Taye a visit when she returned home from the hospital to congratulate her and see our new born baby! This development meant that she had to take a break from her business to nurture her baby. My aunt offered to help her run her business while she was away. I was unaware of the impact the birth of Aunt Taye's son who was christened David will have in our lives. Aunt Taye was away for several months and had her business run by my aunt and myself. It was quite challenging but gratifying! We were up to the task!
After several months, Aunt Taye returned to her business. She was really grateful to my aunt and I for helping her run her business while she was away. There was a new addition to her team : David. David was a cute and friendly baby who smiled a lot. Neighbour's and customers were always keen to play and carry him around. I was one of those who had this habit. He was really charming!
As time progressed, I spent more time with David and grew fond of him. He also became attached to me. I would go to his mum's shop to carry him whenever I was less busy at our store. This act made his mum happy as she had someone she could entrust her to and be relieved for some time. David and I formed a special bond during this period. Our relationship made me have an idea of the responsibilities of fatherhood.
As David grew older he became so attached to me that he would want to come over to our store whenever he and his mum arrived at her shop. This act of his made me feel good! We became almost inseparable to the extent that he accompanied me to wherever I had to go to. Most people in our neighbourhood had the impression that I was his dad. I learnt a lot about the attitudes and habits of babies from the time I spent with David.
My relationship with David and his mum made me gain goodwill from his grandma. I never knew that David's mum often tells her mum of the support my aunt and I give her, especially with David. I was surprised when I went to deliver an item for David's mum in her house. She began narrating some incidents that involved David and I in the shop. She prayed for me and thanked me for supporting her daughter and grandson. I was humbled by this encounter but was also happy that she appreciated my efforts. I also built a good relationship with her. She was generous to me and my aunt and always invited us to events hosted by her family. It made us feel like members of their family.
Our relationship became stronger as time elapsed. David grew older and was enrolled in school. His new routine meant that we got to see him after he closed from school. I sometimes reminisce on how dependent he was on us as an infant before he started school. "He is gradually becoming independent" I recall saying to myself. I was happy to have been part of those who nurtured David as an infant. My affection for him remains unchanged.
I got a job offer in a Mobile phone solutions company in Lekki. My job meant change in routine and environment. I looked forward to the new challenge and cherished the experiences I had gathered from my time working with my aunt. One of such experiences was my association with David and his family. I hope he grows up to be a responsible individual. I still maintain a good relationship with his family till date. It's a relationship that is dear to me.
Have a great day folks. Thanks for reading.
attention: photos are images of David
Nice one dear.
Thx