The Right Name

            You know that bank that does this ad about them having an ATM on the moon? Yeah, that one! I had an episode with them. 

On a Saturday evening, on my way from a conference, I went to use the ATM at one of their branches in Ibadan. The traffic at the branch was almost non-existent. I inserted my ATM card into the machine and I noticed it couldn't retract the card. I tried removing it with my keys but the card went further inside. Then, security man came to see what the drama was all about and told me to wait for the ATM operating officer. As we were contemplating what to do, another girl waltzed to the machine and same happened. 

The officer was able to retrieve the other girl’s card but said my card had gone beyond his reach and could be retrieved only when the ATM engineers came to ‘dismantle’ the machine. I had to sit in the security guy’s office and we chatted for a while waiting. I was then told me to come on Tuesday. All this happened in a space of one hour, thirty minutes.

On Friday morning, I went back to the branch and noticed that security guard controlling the traffic at the entrance to the bank hall. I proceeded to customer service to collect my card- this was where trouble started- I was told to go to upstairs to the ATM collection point. On getting there, there was a long queue, I wasn’t even sure they dealt with my kind of problem here, so I decided to jump the queue just to explain to the guy at the desk my problem and go re-join the queue, he told me to go to the inquiry section downstairs. Of course, there was a queue there too.

Another twenty minutes...

The lady at the desk told me to go back upstairs and referred me to a guy wearing a striped shirt upstairs. She insisted I meet him even after I said I was just coming from upstairs. I remembered he was the same person who referred me to her earlier on. I went to another office and I still couldn’t find help.

Another ten minutes…

Like in the movies, where you seem to be in the center of nowhere, alone and all the events suddenly rushes at you like a flash, that was how I felt; alone in a full banking hall but no one to help. 

I wondered what my request should be that would get them to give me the right response. Should it be: 

• “Please, since my ATM card cannot be retrieved, can you kindly dissect or blow up the machine, so I can collect it?” 
• Or “Hi, can you kindly give me a new ATM card that will work immediately I receive it?” 
• Or should I simply just speak Aramaic?

I remained calm and right there, it occurred to me – The security!. But really! Of all people, these ogas should help me, now.

Before, I tried to explain to him my dilemma; he just said “I remember you”.(Thank God I was nice) I thought he wouldn't since I was dressed all corporate the other day and I was dressed rather casual today. All the guy did was to give me one name- THE RIGHT NAME- and my problem was solved.

 The machine was finally ‘dissected'. My ATM was not lonely. I pity all the people who probably had the same issue I had, and had to abandon their cards because they were tossed here and there and didn't know who to go to.

The lesson from my story can be applied to our lives; the solution to our problems might just be that we do not have the right word. In an exam, the distance between you getting distinction and not getting one; might be one name/word. In your project defence, that job interview, your sales pitch at work, your relationship, or even marriage.

Or maybe you have been chasing the wind in your life there is a name, the RIGHT NAME to call on. He was given a name above every other name- JESUS. He is very real.

I had a revelation when I was younger.

I was in a distress one day and I kept crying out “Jesus” several times and just then a HUGE, very tall person in white bright clothes appeared and said to me in the most quiet-slightly annoyed-deeply concerned voice “I have heard you”. I was shocked because it was so commonly used as an exclamation and I almost didn't connect it to the name of an actual person!

When you have access to the right name, your circle running ends just like mine did that day, and you walk away smiling ATM card and cash in hand. LOL

Sorwie, this is a long fun post, abi? {big hug}...