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How I spent my last holiday and my goals for 2020

Service year progressed so fast and I was yet to check a whole lot on my to-do list especially the part of visiting new places and trying out fun stuff. The forthcoming holidays seemed like the perfect opportunity to realise these. If only I knew what was about to hit me. My boss at the office who has time and again proven to be an accomplished sadist issued a memo stating that corps members in the organisation do not have her permission to travel for the holidays until the 23rd of December as she intends to issue the clearance forms which was to be used for January biometrics on that day and also mandated us to report back on the 6th of January. This inconsiderate act of hers, not minding there are those who would be travelling long distance further intensified my dislike towards her.

I was filled with so much vexation as I sat in the bus enroute home on the 24th. Feeling bad that I could have been home earlier to enjoy mommy's delicacies which I have missed for so long as well as catch up on gists from my sisters as e dey hot. There I was on the eve of Christmas, missing out on the preparations and fun stuff happening at home, cramped in some overloaded bus. Obviously pissed at the universe and the nice gentleman sitting beside me who had just refused to mind his business and let me brood in peace.

I have met a good number of "never give ups " but Dave, as he told me is his name was certainly "one of his kind". This young man no gree ooh, he kept going on about how I needed to cheer up and get in the jolly mood of Christmas, how I wasn't supposed to allow present circumstances ruin my happiness and the most heartwarming of his "unsought sermons" was that "I could've had life treat me worse but it never came to that". This one struck me hard, coming from a stranger who did not have the slightest inkling about what was eating me up. Truly the past months that year had been challenging but I never had it worse. I gave a genuine smile for the first time in days and resolved to be more cheery.

The family was so excited to have me home at long last. Everyone was complaining on how much weight I had lost and trust mommy to be the head of that committee. She literally fed me a full month's meal that night alone. Dad wanted us to visit the village the next day which was Christmas and knowing my old man well enough, he just wanted to push his luck at showing off his Angels in human form. But that was a decision we all had beforehand That there would be no going to the village to suffer from boredom and possible depression, no thanks to the terrible network coverage and the fact that we would be confined indoors since we did not like going out whenever we visited that part of the country. Dad was forced to travel alone anyways while the rest of us remained in town. We attended the ever joyful Christmas service that morning, returned home to a well prepared meal and by evening we decided to sit out and catch up on individual experiences. The shocker that greeted us at the first eatery we entered cannot be narrated ooh so I'll just continue with my gist. We tried five other places but with the crowd and shoving right from the door, one would think the market location was changed. My brother managed to get in at the fifth place, got us plates of ice cream and snacks and we made our way back home, we cannot come and kill ourselves ontop Christmas outing abeg.

Dave called me on the 27th, he had promised me a surprise treat. He requested that I be up and ready as early as 7am but I thought he must've been joking. My phone rang by 6:30am, he was in front of my gate. I ran out to confirm, it was true. Hurriedly had a bath, dressed up and went out to meet him. I asked where we was headed and he simply said " to visit a new place and try out a new thing". That's how this young man took me all the way to PH city, made me try out swimming both of which were first time experiences and hosted me to a really amazing treat. He dropped me off at home by past 10pm and mommy almost had my head on a stake but I jokingly told her "shebi she wanted me to settle down soon...na so e dey start naa".

Most of my siblings returned to base before the new year so it was just mommy, kiddo and I left at home. Dave also travelled to his village for the new year so I basically spent that day and subsequent days indoors. The joy of being with family had overwhelmed every other plan I had and this was enough to make me fulfilled.

I usually don't make resolutions for the new year and haven't been strategic enough to keep up with goals. But with my service year coming to an end in barely two months, I'm becoming scared of the challenges life will bring my way. Among the goals I couldn't check in my service year to-do list as a result of laziness and procrastination was having a target savings, taking a professional course, sending out applications for jobs and scholarship programs. I however plan to do better and follow through on these goals, this year 2020.

Heemcelph:

A simple attestation would do just fine.

OK, thank you so much.

Please I need clarification on the certificate of medical fitness. Must it be such that contains the result of all the tests carried out or just a simple attestation to the fitness of the bearer.
Someone who knows should please enlighten me.