Elias's Diary

17^th July: Precious collapsed in the middle of the night and was rushed to the hospital

18^th July: The Doctor told me that her condition is beyond medical comprehension and urgent C-section is the only way to save the baby.

19^th July: Precious is cut open and our baby is saved but she did not make it

22^nd July: Met Pastor Davis today but the church has no money to support me

30^th July: Precious is laid to rest

1^st September: Baby Precy leaves the incubator

2^nd September: Baby Precy comes home after two months in the incubator

You see, I am a full time Dad, a Dad who reads on the best way to care for a two months old baby over the internet, I found solace in a website www.babycentre.com

Taking care of Precy is my priority and I refused to give her to anyone, I learned how to bath a baby, how to feed her, change her pampers, tend her and sing her to sleep over the internet, I go to Mothers and ask for one thing or the other, I have no steady job and cannot take Precy to the construction site. The problem is not just work but the fact that Precy drinks formula, If one can borrow a breast, guess so many people would have loaned me theirs but I have to fight both good and bad to make sure that her food is available.

Why is baby food so expensive?

This question became my daily bread, you see they say that you can only know your friend when you are in trouble, so many people pitied me but never had enough to give and the little I got from those who cared helped me provide her food then a time came when I began to ration her food.

Is it proper to ration a baby’s food?

-She is not feeding well the Doctor told me upon seeing her and her weight is not normal, 1kg at five months. You have to do something if you don’t want to lose her too.

What should I do; rob the bank?

The only place to find help was in the church, so I went to see Pastor Davis. I explained my predicament which is not unknown to him, you see, he was the one who wed me and Precious, he also conducted her funeral sermon.

-It is hard on me Pastor, please I need the church to support me, if it is only her food then I am okay

-Brother Elias, the church has always supported you, we pray for you everyday

-I know Pastor but what I need now is not just prayers but money so that I can provide her needs, she consumes two tins per week

- The church don’t even have money to go on with the new church facility, we are praying earnestly that God see us through all the problems facing us

- Pastor, if you call on the congregation and ask them to donate for Precy, they will

- Listen Brother Elias, the fact remains that God gives those who give him, the more you sow, the more you reap so what I will advise you to do right away is to sow a seed

-Which seed should I sow?

- Brother Elias, put hand into your pocket and squeeze out something for God, this is what pleases God, when you give even your last, remember the widow, she gave her all and you know what happened afterward

-Pastor did you smoke this morning?

-What?

-You must be stupid, I don’t have money for my baby’s milk and you are asking me to give offering, you must be joking

-Brother Elias, you must have faith, there is nothing impossible for God

-Then ask him to provide baby formula for me right now after all he came down with fire and consumed Elisha’s sacrifice, it is high time you people stop deceiving us, the church is suppose to stand for everyone and you said that there is no money to feed a hungry baby yet want me to give the only money on me for her tin of food; fuck you pastor.

24^th December: I saw the strange cartons at my door step

First I passed them and rushed to the store to buy her food but could not get a tin because I was short of a dollar, I begged the store keeper but he wouldn’t give no credit then I angrily walked out knowing very well that Precy will starve to death that day, as I walked closer to the cartons, I noticed an envelope gummed on one of the fifty cartons so I opened it and remained still for two hours.

Dear Elias,

I know that this will be a big surprise but I was there at the hospital the day your wife died, I also lost my wife and son that same day, a son not as lucky as your daughter, I got your address from the hospital record and knowing what you are going through, I decided to let you know that God knows your plight. The cartons are her food and I believe they will last until she is about a year old and inside one of the cartons, you will find a cheque of Twenty thousand dollars, please spend the money wisely. Do not care to ask about me or to know who I am because I am jetting out of the country to start a new beginning somewhere else. I wish you all the best and please any time you pray do pray for me.

Your Brother in- Christ

From that moment on, I realized that God doesn’t answer only prayers, he wipes tears and is always present, believe me, he doesn’t care when you need it, all that matters to him is his own time and at that appointed time, he shows his face. I struggled with all my strength to keep myself and Precy together then the very minute I considered it over, he showed me his face and I realized that he has been my strength.

I hate to give to the Church these days instead I walk to the orphanage and give everything there, I am now putting on a building to house the homeless, I think that it the best way to show God that I appreciate. I might be stupid to you but you are not in my shoes and will never be but thank you for reading my story.

Five years later.

19^th July: Precy’s fifth birthday, she spoke about the need to help people in need

20^th July: She asked me to give all the gift to the orphans.