The week starting Monday 23 September and ended on 28 September 2024 was quite a busy week that started almost disastrously.
Our plane couldn’t land in Calabar because of bad weather and returned to Abuja after a couple of unsuccessful attempts to land. It almost landed on the grass at a point because of terrible visibility.
About 25 minutes to Abuja, however, we entered turbulent weather. The pilot was practically fighting with weather and the latter appeared succeeding.
There was so much panic on board. Some were already weeping, others were speaking in tongues. I put on a gospel song and was singing along, all in a bid to not notice the apparent danger. At a point however, I almost lost hope too. I doubt if I had ever been so afraid in my entire life.
Look at me that had always said that I wasn’t afraid of death but that I would just want to die quickly and suddenly without the torture of sickness, I changed my mind instantaneously. I began to see myself trapped inside a burning crash landed plane with over 100 others in great agony. It wasn’t a pleasant prospect.
And then suddenly, there was sunlight. I saw it first as I sat beside the window and announced to the young man and lady beside me that the storm was over. The man expressed obvious relief too but it was premature.
Suddenly, the storm returned. This time more ferociously. The pilot attempted to fly above it but everything was void. It was how Genesis described the earth in the beginning: without form or shape. This time, the turbulence was much worse than the former. There was much screaming. It was bad.
One funny thing was me thinking how my colleagues in newsrooms would discuss how Sanya ended. How would they react and would I feature in the headlines the following day?
But the owner of the universe took control. The plane eventually landed at Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
It was then I remembered the story of Jesus Christ when he ordered “peace be still” as he was travelling in the boat with his disciples.
It also came to my mind how Jonah was thrown into the river while trying to run away from his assignment in Nineveh and the sailors began to throw all the luggage into the river and eventually even got rid of Jonah himself. Storms of life.
As I removed my phone from aeroplane mode, I called my wife. She had been very worried. Normally, I inform her whenever my plane is about to take off and she would be watching the clock to call me once I am seen online.
This past Monday however, she didn’t see me online after two hours and had become worried. “What happened, I have been calling you”, was her first statement but when I said “we just landed in Abuja, she became confused.
I explained the situation. She insisted on coming to pick me up despite the rain and that it was getting late in the day. I must say that she is normally a woman of prayers but last Monday was extraordinary.
And then message came during the night for me to be back at the airport by 7am Tuesday, she wasn’t comfortable at all.
Then again, the small craft that was taking eight of us also had difficulty taking off again. It made several attempts at gaining speed on the runway without success.
She will read about this Tuesday morning episode here. I did not tell her. Eventually, it took off and we got to Calabar without further incident.
Overall, it was a busy and tedious week, from Abuja to Calabar and then by road though Cross River, Abia, Imo, Bayelsa, Rivers all by road and back to my town by air. God took absolute control. I was also not put to shame concerning my assignment. It was a fulfilling week indeed. Glory be to God, I am back home.
