It was the year Barack Obama was running for President of the United States of America and even though I was neither a Democrat nor an American, I caught the fever.
As an avid follower of history, politics and The Godfather trilogy, I couldn’t help wondering how the power play would go, and if it was even remotely possible for Obama to end up in the White House.
2008 was also the first time I visited the United States of America.
Although I was there on vacation, I couldn’t keep my Obamamania to myself.
Coincidentally, I happened to spend my holiday in Chicago with my brother, his wife and my niece. And truth be told, there couldn’t have been a better place to be that year than Illinois.
While I spent most of my summer days on guided tours of museums, downtown attractions and Lake Michigan, I nursed a deep-seated desire to see Obama; to shake his hands, to confirm if he was real and not just a political simulation created to give an inclusive view of politics in the free world.
Then light broke!
Thrilled to be spending summer in Illinois, in the heat of the most sensational political campaign in the history of mankind, one of my brother’s friends offered to take me on a ride to most parts where the tour buses didn’t ply and my first destination of choice was Obama’s house in Springfield.
I saw it!
And like a groupie, I was hoping to catch a glimpse of this miracle in motion walk out of his house and wave to me. Even though this was long before the age of selfies, I took more pictures than I needed to prove that I was there.
After what seemed like forever, we left but deep inside me, I was disappointed that I’d come so close to meeting the soon-to-become most powerful man, yet no evidence.
Needless to say, I spent the rest of my vacation enjoying the beautiful summer, chilling with family, feeding fat on fries and secretly sulking that Obama hadn’t honoured my visit, albeit without an appointment.
As the end of my visit inched closer, I stumbled on Sefi Atta’s debut novel ‘Everything good will come’ in my sister-in-law’s collection. It was such an amazing filler for days I didn’t have the energy to tour. I found pleasure in the pages of the strong African narrative laced with original Lagos humour. But as much as I loved the plot, it was the book’s title that really captured my fancy.
Everything good will come.
And as outrageous as my expectations were, I was disappointed that I’d been so close to seeing the Senator from Springfield yet he proved elusive.
I returned to Nigeria afterwards and the years rolled by.
Obama won the election and I thought my dream had died.
Then sometime in 2015, I got an email notifying me that I’d been selected as one of 500 Mandela Washington Fellow on the aegis of the Young African Leaders Initiative and one of the highlights of the Fellowship was that we would meet President Barack Obama in Washington DC.
As much as I was excited, what intrigued me most was how the tables turned so quickly from the first time when I was in his country trying so desperately to see him to this time, when I was in my country, going about my business, without even trying to make it happen, and the President of the United States of America sent for me.
In that instant, I remembered Sefi Atta’s book and it all came back to me – everything good will come.
And it did.
Grateful to God for the opportunity to have met Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders 2015 Mandela Washington Fellows Mandela Washington Fellowship – University of Nevada, Reno VZ Innovention Carina A BlackDave Croasdell Irin MannanLyndi Cooper-Schroeder Lauren Klein Hillary Schieve Suzanne Morgan Williams Greg Mosier Craig Lew Amanda Bratzler Krysta Bea Jackson Josh Nickerson Idris Ozoya II Patricia Bobek Abbi Holtom Whitaker Brianna Soloski Matthew Dada Matthew McIver Kui Faith Martin Ayanda Ndlovu Ethiopia Wondimu Neliswa Fente Fransisca Masika Miriam Kyas Tinoe Frampton Gambahaya Bibi Saifon Lilian K. Wambua Sylvia Makario Boss Calvin Soh Rasheeda Mandeeya Yehuza Mpho Majenge Andrew Chikomba Mimi Dougan Adeniyi Philip Ayoola Adjoua S. Aouro Ekanza T Manston Flomo Bakang Sumi Palai Lisema Masheane Haruna Fatawa Ndahi Cosmos Shaduka Christian Cool Ngalula Ruddy Kielo Lingela Rachel Elise Greiner Tunji Olugbodi Yvette Beegee and so many more.
You are the good things that came into my life and you couldn’t have picked a better time to come.
I am grateful our paths crossed.
