When Mr Uduak receives an unexpected bonus windfall, all he can think of is buying a car. He isn't moved by the fact that he would spend virtually all his savings to achieve this...

He would love and dote upon this car... but for a short span of time. Why will this be so? What will change?

Follow it here...in "My First Car!"

Fictionally adapted from a TRUE LIFE OCCURENCE.

I loved my baby, I really did. Only a few would believe such extent of love existed, but it did. At least, it did in my case.

You must be thinking of a baby with one of these lovely names - Michelle, Tonia, Princess, or if male, Micheal, Tony, Prince and what have you; but it was none of the above. My baby wasn't even human. My baby was my Toyota Camry.

While my friends were getting their cars, flashy latest cars, I was putting finishing touches to my personal house. I had been on it for six years, moving in with my family at the third year, just after plastering the walls of the interior. After another two years of prudent management of resources, I had finally completed the exterior finishing of the house. There was still a fence to be erected, but that was a project for a latter date.

I would arrive work in the Staff bus, and watch with some envy as my colleagues cruised in, in their nice cars. I knew their sources of income weren't as legitimate as mine, I knew that some of them indulged in shady deals, but I envied them still. If only I could own a car like Chuka's, I would think in my heart as the latter drove in; or Stella's, when she emerged from her Lexus, her trouser suit all crispy. I would watch as she catwalked towards us, throwing a theatrical hello at us, while that condescending smile played on her lips. Then she would kneel beside her desk and say her prayers, thanking God for the smooth ride from her home to the workplace. I would overhear words like 'perfectly working air-conditioner', 'amazing combustion system' and what have you. Such was the attention I paid to those car owners, or such was the height of their showiness that I couldn't help being affected.

I also couldn't help being affected by their hypocritical gestures of lift offers.

"Can I give you a lift, Mr Uduak?"

As if they weren't aware of the availability of the Staff bus for same purpose. I would return their smiles, which I knew were fake, and reply.

"That's so kind of you. There are some things I need to thrash out with Mr Bamgboye while going home in the Staff bus."

"Oh, thought you would have a more enjoyable ride in my car. My air-conditioner blows too much for a single passenger; thought you would love to share. And I just got this classics musical collection I thought you would love."

Were they deaf? Were they stupid? The Staff bus' air-conditioner was perfectly working too, and we enjoyed its radio which blared forth clear signals on FM. And who did they think they were showing off for? Too much for a single passenger indeed! The whiteman didn't provide regulators for such amenities for nothing.

"Thanks for the offer," I would reply, "you're way too kind."

But I was affected. While they owned no houses of theirs, I couldn't carry my house to the office. Only a few of my colleagues even knew I owned a house. Some, who knew where I lived couldn't be certain I owned the house. This was Lagos; one could live in a skyscraper all alone once he could afford the rent. I was affected.

Jumping into the Staff bus alongside those junior members of staff didn't appear ideal; especially not when most of those at my level drove in their own cars. I had to own a car, a car to cherish, a car to love, a car to be proud of!

The quest was concieved, the dream was formed. Unlike others, I was averse to corruption; their paths to easy cash weren't mine therefore. I had built my house by conscientious planning and saving. It had initially been another dream. Like the story of a man who was said to have gotten his car by purchasing the parts in bits, sometimes adding only nuts to his vehicle almagamating pool, I had first purchased the roofing sheets even before laying the foundation. A friend, an architect, had designed the house plan. Though not as comprehensive as it should have been, it was enough to secure the necessary authorizations from the Local government. Some bags of cement joined the budding pool next and, as soon as we had enough to get by, we proceeded with the laying of the foundation. The work stalled for a considerable period after this as I got a block moulder to mould the estimated number of blocks required for the building plan. This estimate later turned out grossly insufficient. Nothing was ever in abundance, but the house gradually took shape. After three years of adding brick on brick, the house was finally ready for habitation, though uncompleted. I wasted no time in moving in with my family, MY hut is better than HIS mansion. Now, it was a different dream, the dream of buying a car. I determined to thread same path: that of conscientious planning and saving.


Continues...

Flakkydagirl:
My First Car! Fascinating..... I'm glued..... Thanks for the invite......

Twale

Taking my seat jejely..

Flakkydagirl:

My First Car!
Fascinating.....
I'm glued.....
Thanks for the invite......

You're welcome. Thanks for heeding my call...

Divepen1:

Twale

I see you. Thou art welcome, sir.

joanee20:
Taking my seat jejely..

Thanks for following. You're welcome.

Next update will be tomorrow morning; I just hope my phone battery can hold. These are very bad times to be using a blackberry.

Divepen1:
Twale

Here comes the boss.

Flakkydagirl:
Here comes the boss.

God knows who's whyning who

Flakkydagirl:
Here comes the boss.

God knows who's whyning who.

Sorry for the delay; twas due to circumstances beyond my control. Here we go.

Cc: glowingscenes

My wife had been overburdened with most of the domestic expenses while I concentrated on the building and I thought it insensitive to involve her in this. Borrowing was out of it; I hated indebtedness, any form it appeared, and had advised others several times on this. There had to be a way out and I was going to find it.

After three months of setting aside every spare kobo, three months in which my wife wondered at my tightfistedness, an outlet showed up. I was one of the three members of staff selected for a UN sponsored, one week conference on employment generation strategies. I might never have been considered had my academic and professional qualifications not ensured that I was most suited to the required specifications for participants, other longer-legged colleagues would have filled up the slots. Though held in the country, the UN opted to pay our allowances in American dollars. When I was informed of the figure, I knew the long wait for a car was over. I had never searched the internet the manner I did the night after the close of the conference. I wasn't checking for mails, I wasn't checking for news, I was checking the catalogues of available cars in the leading distribution outlets in Lagos. It had to be a Toyota brand and I loved the Camry LE model. The car specifications and cost were quite what I wanted. I could barely contain my joy as the plane took off from the Abuja International Airport for Lagos. The flight tickets had also been provided by the UN.

We were in Lagos less than an hour later, and after another forty minutes, I alighted from a cab just before the entrance to my compound. It was a Sunday morning and there was still enough time to make our church's first service. My wife and two kids were about setting off for church when I entered the house. Against the former's advice to rest, I got my bible and joined the train. Luckily for us, a cab going in our direction came by just as we got to the roadside. I smiled as I jumped into this; in my mind's eye, I could picture our kids reclining with satisfaction on the back seat of my Toyota Camry while my wife smiled at me as she hooked the seatbelt for the passenger's seat. Yours sincerely would be at the wheels, of course. It was only a matter of time, maybe a few hours before I got my OWN car.


Continues...

Following boss

Thanks for the invite just saw it

I'm sure this is gonna be great as always

Ride on

kingphilip:
Following boss

Thanks for the invite just saw it

I'm sure this is gonna be great as always

Ride on

Thanks for answering my call as always. May the ride be smooth in Jesus' name. Update in a snap.

...before I got my OWN car.

"You either choose obedience or you choose disobedience," the pastor was soon preaching. "Many have choosen the latter. This is regrettable..."

I smiled confidently and nodded at this. I knew where he was headed: Adultery - thank God I had never uncovered another's wife since marriage, Fornication - thank God I had done away with that vice long ago, Stealing - thank God my last act of theft was a pencil while still in the Primary school, Lying - if there was one vice I utterly detested, it was the act of lying... My smile became wider, Pastor George was definitely talking to others, not me.

"Can we claim to have been faithful?" Pastor George asked rhetorically, "have we been faithful with our tithes?"

Oh no! This was a bad day and time for this. Not when some good amount in dollars was sitting pretty in my account; not now when my money had been tightly budgeted. I reassured myself that the sermon wasn't for me.

"Many have invited the devourer into their affairs by unfaithfulness in tithing. They have shortchanged themselves by purchasing property for robbers. They have gathered resources only to squander same, they have been penny-wise and pound-foolish! Praise God!"

My lips moved but no halleluyah came forth. The service was becoming boring, I was beginning to tire out fast. I shouldn't have forced my coming in the first place. I felt better, though, when the sermon was brought to a close. For once, I seriously debated the truth in the pastor's words. And then I rationalized: Tithing could apply to my monthly salary, but the allowances accrued from the conference didn't fall under this category. Though a windfall, it was just a mere bonus, running expenses that should have actually been expended in the course of the conference. With this thought, my drained strength returned; with this thought, we returned home at the close of service.

My wife received news of my wish for a personal car with mixed feelings. While she was excitedly interested in the first instant, I detected some reservation creep upon her face a moment after. She knew my bank balance couldn't fund such a luxury yet. It meant some part of the burden would be shifted to her, a responsibility(then of the house) she was only beginning to recover from. My only justification for such imposition was the fact that I had set up the shop for her in the first place. Then, I announced that the money for the purchase was already available. Her countenance switched instantly.

"Please, don't joke with me, dear," she said, "manna no longer falls from heaven."

"Well, it did, in my case..." I explained the details to her; how surprised I had been myself when I got the information.

"This is really God at work," she beamed, "all glory to his name."

I couldn't agree less, but was taken aback by her next statement.

"First thing is to give him back his ten percent, so the devourer's fangs would be off the remaining ninety."

I made no response. These talks about a devourer were becoming extremely annoying. I had been faithful all along in my tithing, why would anyone suggest a little defaulting could suddenly invite THE DEVOURER? And why were such messages coming up from different sources on the same day? Well, my pastor had also preached it before that giants always arose to hinder when one was on the verge of a breakthrough. Maybe, unknown to him and my wife, they were the giants in this case. I reminded my wife that I was yet to rest after my trip and turned on the bed to face the wall. She, who had been lying beside me, arose and left the bedroom.

Continues...

Let's discuss: what would you have done, in Mr Uduak's shoes?

I will pay my tithe o...More money will come for me to complete the remaining 90%.. If God did it for me, what will hinder him from doing the same again(money). If the car gets stolen, won't I call on that same God?

[url][/url] your tithe should come first. if not, even ibori will not elp u.

joanee20:
I will pay my tithe o...More money will come for me to complete the remaining 90%.. If God did it for me, what will hinder him from doing the same again(money). If the car gets stolen, won't I call on that same God?

Nice one! Really nice.

Beautiful story.

Two days later, my new car arrived. It was such a beauty to behold. Silvery, sparkling and majestic, I couldn't think of anyone in my cadre at the office whose car beat mine. I could see the pride in my wife's eyes, the pride of being wife to the owner of a brandnew Toyota Camry; I could see the excitement in my kids, their dad now owned a car. My neighbours were pleasantly surprised, I could detect the envy in some as they congratulated me on my new acquisition. There was one of them whose gaze, I thought, frequented the car overtly. The longing in his eyes was apparent, the desire unmistaken. He owned two cars himself, but it was obvious that the combined value of both didn't amount to mine. How great I felt!

Aligned with the feeling of greatness was an unwavering desire not to dent my new acquisition in any way. And the sermon on the devourers was still at the back of my mind. What if I drove it to work and had an accident on the way? What if a colleague mistakenly rammed into my car where I parked it? What if some unruly kids amongst those school children who walked past our office premises everyday decided to make my car body a board for their inscriptions? I thought of many ways the DEVOURER could manifest and decided to take measures. I warned my kids to, at all times, ensure a distance of two feet in the least between them and the car as they played around the compound; I also decided not to drive the car anywhere until Sunday when, on my wife's advice, I would drive it to church for dedication.

Every morning I would wake up and, after morning devotion, go to the car. After ensuring it was was washed squeaky clean, I would go wash myself. After a light breakfast, I would set forth to the pickup point in time to catch the Staff bus. Later in the day, after work, I would clean up the car again and sit in the verandah, admiring its gleaming beauty. This routine continued daily. Not even the thought that some neighbours might have begun to doubt my sanity deterred me at this. The car was my all; I had spent a little over ninety percent of my savings and all to purchase it and effect the necessary documentations. Managing this would have been impossible had I tithed on the conference allowance. I could sit in verandah and be lost in its beauty for over an hour. Not even my wife's complaints could change this. Not even her complaints could dampen my love for my new baby.

Finally Sunday came, the day the car was supposed to be dedicated. I could feel the jitters run down my spine as I washed the car that morning, jitters of boundless excitement. I was going to be driving it for the first time since its purchase, I was going to be having a feel of its calm power for the first time. All went according to plan as we glided to church. The car was in perfect shape, balanced and powerful. Just as I had pictured, my kids couldn't remain on one spot as they jumped around on the back seat; my wife's smile was of pure bliss. But, unknown to her, I hadn't informed the pastor about the dedication, I had decided to shelve it till the next Sunday when the revelation would have lost some excitement. I thought, that way, there would be no reference to the conference again and its un-tithed proceeds.


Continues...

Sometimes we do some manipulation in the name of calculation trying all our best to cause some people to understand things differently not knowing we are putting ourselves in a very dangerous situation that might land us into damning consequences..

He should have given his tenth part and that wouldn't have made him not to achieve his dream of riding a car but it'll bring about sustained little delay which can actually be handled..

Nice one Ohi boss..

...
I didn't inform my wife about this decision until the close of the Sunday School.

"What? Why not this week?"

"Pastor asked if next week will be okay and I agreed," I lied. It didn't matter that we were in church. I was going to inform the pastor once service closed. "Maybe he has a function to attend to after today's service."

"It's alright," my wife said and I nodded in agreement.

During the short interval between the end of the Sunday School and commencement of the main service, I made a dash outside just to catch a glimpse of my majestic car, standing out in the midst of others, silvery and sparkling. My wife eyed me as I returned to sit beside her, but said nothing. I wasn't sure if she was aware of my mission.

I danced more than many others; shouted halleluyah more than many, but listened least attentively during the sermon as I couldn't shake off thoughts of my brandnew Toyota Camry. I had to do all I could to remain seated through it all. I was first to go out at the close of service and that was where EVERYTHING went wrong. It couldn't be! My silvery Toyota Camry was parked there, glistening under the rays of the sun, beautiful and majestic? Not at all! Its space was empty, void, conspicuous proof that it had once been there. My countenance alternated between smiles of forced bravado and frowns of mounting desperation. I went to the now empty parking spot and turned around several times, wishing the car would somehow come into view in the course of my exertions - efforts in futility. I didn't care if others thought me of an unsound mind, after all whose mind would remain sound after the sudden disappearance of his brandnew car, less than a week after its purchase?

"My car is gone!" I finally screamed, "my brandnew car is gone!"

Many eyes turned in my direction. Some, who were already moving their cars, stopped and came out. I didn't mind their stares of wonderment. My wife ran out too, flanked by our kids.

"What happened, dear?" Worry was written all over her face.

"Everything has happened! My car is gone, my brandnew car has been devoured..." It had come out unconsciously, but now that I said it, it made sense. The devourer! The devourer! I was agitated and was probably making wild motions when I felt strong hands upon me. "Leave me alone!" I roared, but the grips would not relent. "We're talking about my brandnew car here! Leave me alone!" Someone hinted to the fact that such acts were only carried out in connivance with one close to the victim, but how was that any concern of mine? The car was gone! My precious baby was gone.

They thought I was going mad. Maybe, if I was more relaxed, they would release the grip. I tried the meekest tone I could muster.

"I am okay, you don't need to do this, I am only worried."

They exchanged knowing glances and nodded. My wife nodded too, but just as I felt the grips being released, I felt an adrenaline upsurge again.

"We are talking about my devoured brandnew car here! Leave my arms alone!" No sooner than I had managed to jerk one arm free when the grips were tightened again. I could hear my kids crying now, I could see the tears running down my wife's face, but I couldn't come to terms with the loss of my Toyota Camry, silvery, beautiful and majestic. These reactions only pushed me to seek my freedom more violently, prompting more effort in checking me by my captors.

***************

I turned around to behold my wife's face. A smile broke forth amidst the lines of worry.

"He's awake, sir!" She announced to someone I was yet to know.

The pastor's face came into view. He smiled too.

"It is alright, madam; God has already secured the victory." He addressed my wife and patted my forehead. "Bro Uduak, you don't know how precious your life is, or you wouldn't allow your heart to be so tied to an earthly treasure which can rot away and be stolen."

Then, I remembered my car, my precious brandnew Toyota Camry, silvery, beautiful and majestic and shut my eyes. The many questions I had meant to ask about what was going on suddenly found answers. It was well, the car was gone. The Police would never find it. I never confessed to my wife how I had rejected her advice to pay a tenth of my windfall to God, no other soul ever got wind of it.

I was back to work the next day and acted like nothing ever went amiss. Now, I was indifferent to all the showy displays of my colleagues. Somehow, their ownership of cars meant nothing to me. Against my wishes, they later got wind of the acquisition and theft of my Toyota Camry. I was indifferent to their expressions of sympathy, too. The whole car drama felt like a dream, a vastly faded one.

I got another car a year after, and my wife, after yet another year. Today, it still baffles me how I could have been so attached to that first car.


THE END

Cc: Lalasticlala

WOW!!! that was one great piece...I hope people learn from it and follow the instructions written in the bible. NOTE: what more than one person tells you or says about you it the clear truth.... thumbs up dear, you too much..God bless

Wow!
What an experience.
Isn't it funny,how we attach so much importance to vanity?Material possessions,and wordly pleasures.
Well,we live in a world where you're judged by the structure of your building,car models,and your net value.
People are insecure,their friends have this,they want to have it,their colleagues have that,they want to have it too.
Many a times forgetting that people only share their success story,glory not the pain behind it.
And tithing?
May God forgive me.Amen.
So many of us forget to give back to God from what he has blessed us with.
I really enjoyed this story,it was worth the read.
Hope to read something new very soon.
Do invite me.
Flakkydagirl.

Wow such a nice masterpiece with spectacular lessons to learn

It's always good to learn from experiences of some other persons and not that of yours because yours might never give you a second chance to relive the experiences rather others who are wise will learn and avoid

This is a lesson to everyone of us that there's nothing we have that we were not given.. So appreciation is always necessary when we get something either a windfall which we never bargained for or a planned revenue which accrues to us.. Always remember to give GOD the BEST rather than the REST

ohibenemma always a hero at short pieces.. You did marvelously well on this.. Awaiting ur next move soonest

Lalasticlala, Ishilove, seun, mynd44 over to you guys

Amazing write-up

Good read

Nice write up!