18/02/2025
Chidinma was an industrious undergraduate. Her father, the Late Mr. Addy Nweke took ill when she was in her final year in the University. Despite his poor health condition, Mr. Addy still managed sending her final house rent in order to retain her accommodation pending on her graduating from the University.
Due to necessary expenses on his medication, Mr. Addy was unable to send her extra money for upkeeps as he usually does every month. He therefore, encouraged her to go on managing what she had and promised to send her some money immediately he receives the next pension.
Based on her father’s promise, Chidinma delayed payment of her house rent pending when she received the funds promised to her by her Dad. As time goes on though, she spent the available funds for her upkeep and having nothing left dipped into her house rent funds hoping to replace it immediately her father sends the pocket money promised to her after recovering from the sickness.
But this was not to be as the Will of God might have it, Chief Addy was called to glory without being able to fulfill his promises. He passed on leaving his family in the loving care of the Lord Jesus Christ Whom he had faithfully proclaimed to all and sundry.
As a result of his passing away, Chidinma began to suffer lack as He was no longer available to provide for her daily upkeep. The Landlord was at her neck for the house rent since it was long overdue. She could barely feed due to the situation at hand, her family members, relations and friends tried their best but all their efforts put together could not equal her father’s love and care.
Despite her financial challenges, Chidinma did not forget the promise she made to her loving father, to make him proud morally and academically.
One day, Chidinma was in the lecture hall of the Education department when her phone started ringing. She took the call from an unknown number and responded politely to the person who happened to be a male caller. When the caller hung up the call, he sent a text message to Chidinma in gratitude to her polite manner of speech. Chidinma replied his text cordially.
That way, the Caller who later introduced himself as Godwin who was drawn to Chidinma due to her Charisma started a chat with Chidinma. He expressed his feelings to her in such manner, his texts were mostly romantic and adoring. Chidinma could not ignore any but would promptly reply with suitable choice of words.
From Chidinma’s replies to his text messages, Godwin discovered and put it to her that she is a wonderful Writer who had a bright future ahead of her. As a test of her writing ability, he asked her to write a story on the topic ‘where there is a will, there must be a way’. Chidinma declined to that because she was writing her research project and did not think she could spare any moment of her time for writing stories.
As if he knew Chidinma’s financial challenges, Godwin persuaded her to write, with the assurance that a publisher could buy the book at the cost of thirty thousand naira (N30000:00) only, if she was unable to publish it at its completion. At the mention of thirty thousand naira commission she could get for doing what She actually loves, Chidinma happily and gratefully welcomed the idea; because that was exactly the amount of money she owed her landlord as at that time for house rent.
Chidinma began to write. She would always be indoor writing and would find it so difficult to spare some time to eat whatever she had. Her target was the thirty thousand naira commission she would get after completing the work so as to meet up with her present need. At that time nothing was more important to her than to pay her house rent.
Just as Mr. Addy has assured his children, God helped Chidinma in mysterious ways. One day Chidinma went to the cybercafé for her research project and returned late. She was famished and had only garri in the house as food, no soup. As she entered her room, she said to herself, “How I wish Solomon would give me soup while I give him garri.” Solomon was another friendly tenant in the same building. After some time, there was a knock on the iron door. Chidinma was still standing backing the door as she wallowed in thought of what to eat that night. The knock sounded the second time; she turned as the unlocked door was pushed open following her reply, “Yes?” and beheld Solomon. He was carrying a plate of hot garri and okro soup. With a smile on his face, he handed it over to her without saying much. She received it utterly astounded at the wondrous works of God. That was her first experience of how the Spirit of God works.
Godwin advised her to try as much as possible in keeping her audience in suspense as she wrote. With this advice and the targeted commission in mind, Chidinma did not only graduate with flying colors but also completed the novel she titled "DREAM INFLUENCE"
