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The project aims at looking beyond the smiles of the next person, to see what’s really beneath, what’s really going on? How people really need help and won’t bother saying anything about it but would rather cover it up with a façade of strength, with a smile.
It’s time to look beneath the smile and lend a helping hand. People are going through real things, these are their stories.

We hope that you’d be kind enough to leave a comment. Your feedback is important to us.

Today’s story was sent in by one of our readers who has asked to stay Anonymous.

This is his story.

Please Read.

The ‘Beneath the Smile’ Project.

Beneath my smile?

I have so many stories to tell, but I’ll just tell you what I can. I was born with a ‘diamond spoon’ (you know what I mean) My naming ceremony covered 2 streets of Yaba where I lived, my dad was the first owner of a car in that district also. My sister and I had our personal cars and bodyguards for school, as a primary school kid i took 200 Naira  to school everyday (You know what that could buy at that time?) All I’m saying here is that my family was wealthy that it had a negative effect on us. This wealth lasted from my birth till let’s say year 2004…between that time my dad was a drunk, was never there for the family, under the influence of alcohol he beat my mum time after time. I started to hate him, but then he’ll bribe me with money.

When I reached the ‘age of accountability’ I started to pray to God to take away this wealth from my family…but instead my dad’s salary went up to 1.5mil per month as at year 2000. Finally God answered my prayers when I was in secondary school, we were broke and I even had to leave boarding school to be a day student for 1 year to save some money for my already born younger ones. This whole decline in wealth brought my family together and since then we’ve been the best family alive. My dad is even my best pal and he and my mum still show themselves love..Things became all good and we were reaching that status again.

I entered CU in 2008 and my dad still had his job then but his 1.5mil salary was cut down by 1.35million….I felt guilty for this but our pastor said it was “jazz” in his office and from the village (they’ve taken a lot of blame for many people’s demise lol) I still carried that burden in my heart, but thank God for my mom’s business, in 2009 my dad resigned but i was still comfortable in school till the enemies struck BIG TIME…the family I trusted most (my maternal aunt’s) was out to deal with my mom because of a dispute among all the siblings (aunts and uncles). She accused my mum of something very heavy and in one week my mum fell sick and ‘died’…she was confirmed dead by the doctors. I cried my heart, eyes, lungs, everything I cried them out but we kept on praying and with the help of the anointing oil she was back after 2 days… the hate for my aunt turned me into a beast! I was ready to kill her, but my mum calmed me down.

Then in my 300level, something else came up, my dad and I were robbed @ gunpoint, of me and my siblings school fees..close to a million cash! That year was not our year financially and that killed me inside. My mum cried and dad’s silence was more pain than tears and then my aunt came up again and blamed the misfortune on my mum. I woke up the next morning and my dad was totally down with my mum unconscious in his hands…I didn’t even cry I just took a knife and the car keys and I was heading straight to my aunt’s house but my dad managed to get me back and we all prayed and the anointing oil again came to our rescue and she’s alive and well 😀

This is a ‘beneath the smile’ project but In school, people always bashed me for having a straight face all the time (a straight face was as good as a smile for me in my condition), some said I was proud because I didn’t talk to people (what possibly can I be proud of), only a few knew I was shy. I had/have serious hatred in me and had a few friends. It is/was really hard to love but I mean it, when i say it…take note 😉

I still have hatred for that family buried in me somewhere. I don’t show it though and..guilt (that i reduced my family status). I just need prayers to curb that hatred and also for peace between the 2 families.

In all this, I want u guys to learn a few things
*money doesn’t necessarily bring joy
*be careful what you ask God for
*pray for your parents always…they actually go through a lot.

Thanks for reading and God bless 🙂

• • •

Don’t just read, say a prayer.

A PENNY FOR YOUR THOUGHTS?

N.B. The project goes on with Tomorrow’s ’Her Story, 28’ by an Anonymous Writer

You can still send in your own true stories to obafuntay@gmail.com

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