ALERO ...An Amusing Reminder of Real Love!!
So my mundane life got pretty interesting this evening and finally I got a chance to be alone with the woman of my dreams, Alero. However, things didn’t quite pan out the way I had painted them.
I am currently a junior level executive (aka ordinary officer) in one of the leading Financial Institutions in the country. My boss heads the IT support unit. He’s a great guy, he just works us to death. He believes in people integration and staff development, so he lets us younger staff have a feel of the power play that takes place among the “ogas” in the organization from time to time. Without sounding immodest (and forget whatever Toye says), I’m his favourite; I submit my reports on time, I follow up on all issues brought to our attention till they are resolved, I go out of my way to ensure that issues directly affecting our mandate are sorted out. Ok, enough of the self-selling, bottom line is, the boss likes my work ethic and productivity. So when he has to go for meetings and stuff he usually asks that I tag along; sorta like his way of teaching me the ropes. It was on one of these occasions that I met her. 5ft 4 Borno beauty, dark skin that shimmered like smooth chocolate, she had a Gabrielle Union frame and her voice bore a tiny tinge of the Hausa accent, but this had been mixed with an American-ish accent which was spoken with ease. Some “beefing” female colleagues said she was just forming but their spite of her was obvious so I paid them no mind. But then, I doubt there was any wrong she could do in my eyes. On the day I first saw her, it was at a meeting of all department heads and unit heads. It was a briefing really, a UAT (user acceptance test) of a new Human Resource application the company had just acquired. I spotted her shortly after I walked in. She was surrounded by a group of much taller men and their ogling was quite obvious. I considered this pathetic, I mean, if you’re going to ogle, do it from a distance and don’t be so apparent. She held them spellbound, like every word she uttered was laced in magic strings of gold. Her pen dropped as she fiddled with it. Come and see how grown-up men dived to floor jostling to be the first to retrieve it for her. I couldn’t laugh. I didn’t really blame them though. There was something about her, an aura. Chai! I sound obsessed ba? Whatever! The babe is fine and although she knew it, it wasn’t like she threw it in people’s faces. The UAT went well, I think, I can’t be too sure cos all through the session, she was my fixation. I watched her everyone movement, her facial reactions, the way she held her pen and I was quite impressed at the contributions she made. When she did, the room went silent and you could see the awe in several eyes. At the end of the session, refreshments were served. I stood scoping her from a distance, taking nibbles at my sausage. I guess I was being pathetic too cos someone caught my staring eyes. “You like her, eih?” I looked to my right and behold it was the boss. I stuttered two errs before I recovered with a lame “who sir?” He just laughed and ignored my act. “That’s Alero Abubakar, Head of System Integration”. I didn’t know what her name was till he mentioned it but it wasn’t the first time I had heard it. I had read several mails and reports emanating from her and considered whoever this Alero person was, quite brilliant. My love for her went up several notches. A woman who is not only pleasant to the eyes but also possesses a sharp mind is every man’s dream. I left the meeting determined to find out all I could about her. I googled, “hacked” into the company’s database and asked questions. After a few weeks I had become quite familiar with Alero Abubakar, but I will not bore you with her biodata. I sha found out she was a little older than me and was still single. I schemed ehn. ‘Painted different scenarios of how our paths could cross. She was a floor above mine and I used to fake reasons to go to her floor hoping to catch a glimpse of her. The closest we had come to a conversation was one evening at the car park.
I had closed late and was about to get into my car when she walked into the park, phone held to her right ear, having a conversation in Hausa. I just stood there transfixed, hand on the door handle and watched like an idiot. She ended the call and looked around like she was searching for someone. She muttered something and I heard the word driver. Like clockwork I went, “oh good evening, your driver is under the canopy over there” and pointed in the direction I referred to. She gave me a “who are you and who asked you look?” but said thank you and walked towards the canopy. I realized my goof and quickly got in the car and zoomed off. Stupid boy.
After that day, I made it a duty to stay off her floor and avoid opportunities where we would have to interact. I was afraid she would remember me. I didn’t want to be remembered. On this faithful abi is it fateful day, I was at my desk, working on a report the boss had asked that I put together when my tummy hummed. It was more like a whirr and I wasn’t sure what it was really. I ignored it and continued working when it whirred again and I felt a strong urge to poop. It was past four and I hadn’t left my desk all day. So I thought I might just go ahead and do the big job then head out for lunch. So I went to the gents and said a prayer before I sat on the seat, not to catch anything. I know people who swear they can never sit on any fixtures outside the comfort of their homes to do their business. I call them acrobats. I am not that flexible or skillful, so I put my faith in a higher being and hope nothing gets to me. Anyways, I took a seat and peed first. It’s a ritual, I seat, I pee, I poop. But this time, nothing happened after stage 2. I waited a little but nothing happened still. I hissed. This was what I call a “false alarm”. I hate them. I sha pulled up my pants, washed my hands and headed out to lunch. Lunch was rice, dodo and fish and twas not bad. I got back at past 5 and most people were already leaving work. There are about 10 elevators and I got on one and pressed the 16th floor button. I hummed as the elevator ascended. As the elevator got to the 7th floor, I felt a fart coming on. I didn’t imagine the elevator would be taking anyone else up and therefore not need to stop on any floor before it got to mine so I let it out. Twas a loud and “rich” fart. I smiled at my work. Suddenly, the elevator stopped on the 8th floor and I hoped it was someone who was going down. “Up or down”, the receptionist on the floor hollered. I said up and she beckoned someone who was waiting in the lobby to get in. “Oh no” I said to myself. I wished I had the night crawler’s teleportation ability when I saw who walked in. “Oh God” I said to myself. “Hello”, Alero said smiling as she got in. “Hello”, I weakly replied and stylishly positioned myself under the small fan on the elevator wall. The doors closed behind her and it was me, Alero and the foul stench from my innards. I put on my straightest face and prayed this lift rode faster. We rode in silence all the way to my floor and I quickly got off. I heard her muffle a chuckle as I walked as quickly as I could away from the elevator. But whether or not she thought the incident funny, I resolved to never take the lift alone and avoid every opportunity to encounter her. I got into the office and slumped in my seat, throwing my hands behind my head. “Chai, my life! My boss was headed home as I walked in and just before he walked out the door, he went, “Oh by the way Tony, you have been seconded to the System Integration department temporarily to work with Alero’s team on that IBF project”. My heart stopped beating. That’s right, I died.
(Culled from the Notes of Deinma-Kami-Charles (http://www.facebook.com/deinma.a.charles)
As
I read this tale, I couldn't help but remember just how much God loves us, even
in our most embarrassing moments. He takes pleasure to make us perfect and
conform to his image. With God there’s no forming or posing for He knew before
you formed in your mother’s womb and loves just the same way. I am guessing
that Moses didn't appreciate that he was a stammerer, no way did he see himself
making speeches and giving orders to men not just sheep, The woman at the well
I’m sure didn't like human interactions maybe except for business purposes, but
when she met Jesus and something in her changed – the shame, fear of name
calling just disappeared, hope was re-born and that hope can make you become an
evangelist.
That
my friend’s is what real love does to you, it doesn’t leave you the way you are
but makes you a better person; Romans 5 tell us that that this love was
commended to us that while we didn’t even have a plan for our lives Christ died
for us. He came and took all our embarrassment on his shoulders, the
embarrassment of poverty, of sickness, of shame and exchanged for his Love that
covers a multitude of sins. Real Love is joyful in every circumstance, peaceful
in times of trouble, patient to stick with you when it seems like you just
don’t want to get it, gentle to warn you of impeding dangers ahead because of
your decisions, always good even when your mind tell you it’s a bad day,
there’s always something to be thankful for. This Love believes in you and will
not let you go till you are conformed to the image of perfection then you can
learn how to control your urges in this world. (Gal 5:22-23).
So
the real question is have you found true love, because its standing right in
front of you, all you have to do is ask (Romans 10:9), and say “ Jesus, I am
tired of searching the things that can’t last, I want you to be the love of my
life, the savior of my soul and the hope of my future. I repent of all my sin
and I choose to be called yours, Amen”.
“Do
you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ’s
love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not
hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the
worst sins listed in Scripture: They kill us in cold blood because they hate
you. We’re sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one. None of this fazes us
because Jesus loves us. I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or
dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or
unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the
way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” (Roman 8: 38-39).
It’s
a always great to remember that even when the world laughs at me, It’s
comforting to know that I’m laughing
with the one who one who owns the entire world, I wonder who should be
embarrassed?
HAVE
A BLAST!!!!!
