Juhanah

chapter four

CHAPTER FOUR

After the conversation, Mrs. Nevlyn took Juhanah with her.

From the first day, Juhanah moved into the house, she was treated like a daughter not a stranger, she gave her a luxurious bedroom, decorated with beautiful flowers, for the first time Juhanah slept peacefully.

She also enrolled her in one of the best schools, she paid her fees, bought textbooks, notebooks, pens and pencils.

Every morning, she prepared a healthy breakfast for Juhanah, before driving her to school.

In the afternoon, she could pick her up, help her with her assignments, and encourage her to do her best no matter what.

She took it upon herself to take care of Juhanah.She took her shopping every month,got her new drsssss, new shoes, she made sure Juhanah didn't wear any torn clothes.

Words can't describe her kindness, it was beyond description.

It didn't end there. Every weekend, she took it upon herself to pay her friend a visit. Whenever Juhanah sees her mum, she breaks down in tears, she knows she misses her mum, but she needs a bright future.

Deep down, Juhanah's Mother was excited, her eyes misted with happy tears. Juhanah's skin began to shine as bright as the sun in the sky.

She was so healthy.

“Ohh my friend, thank you very much, thank you for taking care of my daughter….”

Her friend would smile,”it's nothing, you're my friend, not just my friend, words can't describe, I'll definitely take care of Juhanah.”

On hearing that, she felt so excited.

“How's your fruit business?” She asked.

She gave her a wry smile “it's going well…”

“Alright then….. your daughter is an egghead I must compliment….”

“Ohhhh, thank you very much for the compliment, that's why I want the best for her, I believe so much in her.”

“How long do you want to continue?”

“Continue??, With what?”She asked.

“Fruit business….. you need to start up something lucrative…I'll support you, if that's what you want.”

A tear stole down her eyes, the burden she carried, the sleepless nights, and the constant fear of tomorrow felt lighter.

“Thank you, I'm grateful”

The woman stood up, walked towards her, tried to lift her up “Stand up please, it's nothing.”

“You don't know what you've done for me," she cried, ”you gave me hope, you believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself”.

Her voice cracked as she continued

“Absolutely, I have nothing else in return, no money, but gratitude and prayers. May God bless you.”

The woman gently lifted her, then gave her a warm embrace.

They held each other tightly, both weeping,it was an embrace of gratitude, hope, compassion and promises.

********

With a bountiful amount of money, she started a business.

It was a huge supermarket.

The first few weeks were not easy, she believed that it's a process.

Gradually,the business began to grow, Customers recommended the shop to friends and families.

Slowly,she expanded the supermarket, it flourished beyond expectation, shopping baskets filled quickly, and the cash register rarely had a restful moment, it now became a trusted place of the community.

The supermarket stayed open till late nights, because of the overwhelming number of customers.

Even after the doors were finally locked, the work was far from over. The staff counted the day's sales, arranged products neatly for the next morning, swept the floors, and prepared new stock. Though exhaustion showed on their faces, it was accompanied by satisfaction. The long nights were a sign that the business was thriving.

Juhanah’s Mother looked around the supermarket everyday with pride. The supermarket grew into a successful enterprise through dedication, consistency, and excellent services rendered.

Everything changed.

It was impossible to ignore, she could now afford nutritious meals, medical checkup and enough rest.

Slowly, her skin became smooth and radiant, her cheeks popped out due to good health.

Her happiness grew beyond description.

She no longer cried herself to sleep, Every morning she woke up with hope instead of fear, she then laughed more often, her smile became brighter than ever.

She knew that, it wasn't just money they made her glow, peace of mind also contributed, sleepless nights, hopelessness.

The tiny rented apartment wasn't conducive anymore, so she bought a beautiful house near her neighborhood. It was spacious, with a neat compound decorated with beautiful flowers and designs.

Her wardrobe changed, she wore elegant dresses, quality shoes and beautiful accessories.

“Indeed poverty is a monster” she does say.

One day at the supermarket, Mrs Nevlyn paid her friend a visit.

“Welcome…..” She greeted her warmly.

Juhanah on seeing Mrs Nevlyn, ran towards her happily, then hugged her “Welcome Ma'am”

Mrs Nevlyn sat on the sofa, with her legs crossed, “My friend, I'll be leaving the country in a few days……”

“Ahhh……why so fast?” She asked, with a sadful look.

On seeing the look on her Friend's face, she smiled.

“You don't have to be sad, I'll always visit you as much as I can, I came on a mission, I think it's accomplished, now I can leave”.

“Thank you, I know words aren't enough, I'm grateful….”

“You don't have to thank me all the time, what are friends for?”

“What did I do to deserve this..” she asked.

“You were there for me when everyone had an excuse, where I am now is because of you, you gave me hope, remember, when I lost my dad, my mum left me, you were there for me, this is from my heart.”........Mrs Nevlyn replied.

“ I know, but this is too much, you've done so much for me….”

“ I've not done anything, Good things pay”…. She would say.

“I know, but this is too much, when will I see you again?”

Mrs Nevlyn bursted into laughter.

“I don't know, I have appointments to catch up with, Moreover, as I said earlier, my mission is accomplished.”

At that point, she knew what kindness is, it pays back unexpectedly.

Some years ago, Mrs Nevlyn lost her dad in a plane crash, After the funeral, her mother left her, then she was ten years old, just to marry a wealthy man, she had nowhere to go, her aunts and uncles from her paternal, sent her out of the glass house her father built, she was stranded.

She quit going school for some months, slept under on the street, not until her friend saw her one-day walking helplessly on the road. She took her in, gave her food and shelter. Though her parents weren't financially stable, they did their best to make sure she was happy again.

After her secondary school education, she won a scholarship to study abroad. Indeed, it was a thing of joy, it brought hope. After some weeks, she travelled.

As she travelled, they couldn't reach out to each other again for years.

So, seeing each other again, brought so much joy.