Errand in ordinary parlance means a short trip taken to attend to some business often for another person. It also means an oral message given to a person for him or her to carry out an instruction. Running errands simply means the actions taken to fulfill the given instruction/message.

In our contemporary African society, we mostly make use of the second definition above which is, an errand is an oral message or instruction given to a person for him to accomplish it.

In our daily activities, we run errands for our superiors at all levels/places, such as home, work, schools, church, and so on. These errands are accomplished by people(to whom the instructions are given) which may include children, junior staff, students, and members. At this point, I will be more emphatic on children running errands for their parents.

Traditionally, children are meant to obey their parents by keenly following the instructions given to them by their parents. Using myself as an example, I am the second but the first female child in my family. I run errands for my both parents, my elder sibling, and elder relatives at home. Some of the errands may include going to the market, following them somewhere(a trip for a specific event or purpose), delivering something to a friend or, watching kids, helping in my aunt's shop, and so on.

IMPORTANCE OF RUNNING ERRANDS FOR OTHERS

Generally, running errands for people is important in the following ways;

• OBEDIENCE: running errands contributes to one of our duties as children which is the "duty to obey".

•RESPECT: It also shows a form of respect and regard for your superiors when you complete a task given to you.

•SAVE TIME: running errands for superiors greatly helps them by saving their time for something else. For example, my dad was busy at work and I rendered help to him to save his time so he can have more time at his work.

• GIFTS: Sometimes, running errands perfectly for people earns gifts for you😁. This is quite silly but it's so true, parents buy gifts for their kids, Bosses give their junior staff awesome bonuses at work and so many others.

Well, running errands can be really stressful sometimes especially when it disturbs personal time but at least in end, we can learn, obey and earn gifts/blessings🤗. We should always endeavour to fulfill every task or instruction given to us by anyone whom we respect and value no matter how stressful it is or will be.

Photo credit: Andrew Neel (Geulgram).

On a rainy Sunday (this last Sunday, 18th Sept 2022) afternoon around 2:30 pm, I was in the kitchen washing the dishes when I received a call from an unknown number. I picked the call thinking maybe the call was from a known person (because I easily recognize my close friends by their voices no matter how many numbers they have). " Hello! " I said, and the man spoke in Igbo. I told him that I'm not Igbo and I don't understand the language.

The man then started speaking in pidgin like an aged man and our conversation continued in this👇

Caller: you no dey hear Igbo bah?

Me: yes

Caller: wenti you do pesin wey him vex carry your picture come my shrine?

(Uhhh😕, I paused awhile acting like I didn't get what he said)

Caller: you dey hear me?

Me: you say?

Caller: (annoyed) you dey ask me, you say?. I say wenti you do pesin wey make him carry your picture come my shrine?

Me: Oga! I no offend anybody ooo!! So if pesin carry my picture go your shrine me, I no Sabi.

Caller: Na my wife say make I call you as we see your picture for my shrine we wan save your life. So who you offend?

Me: Nobody Sir. Please Sir who you be and where you dey?

(In a different tone, he said)

Caller: wenti go happened be say you go call me back because I no get airtime

Me: oga! I don't have card ooo

Caller: oya go buy recharge card because na serious matter.

Me: I don't have money to buy card ooo

Caller: Toh, when you call me back, I go tell you wenti dey happen for your life (and then he ends the call).

In the next few minutes, I was so dazed. I asked myself what just happened here? but I was all alone so I called my younger brother and I told him what happened. He laughed saying “ pesin wan use you make money for this Sunday afternoon like this oo”. Then it dawned on me that IT'S ANOTHER YAHOO STRATEGY "😯😯😯😯😯.

After my kid bro said so I got the whole thing figured out. The caller ended the call in that manner so that out of curiosity, fear(of lost of my life), and desperation, I will call him back and by then, he will now feed on my fear to get what he wants from me which all ends on money 🤷. Just like Nigerian films, they will say bring like 20k so that we can do sacrifice and stop the juju from affecting you. 

Well, I wasn't scared with the fake information I got from the call so there was no way I would have called him back for any reason. 

Let me tell you guys something when you know your place in Christ, lies like these can't move you or spark any form of fear in you. I know my precious life is not in the hands of any ordinary person out there 🤚💯because he/she is not the giver of my life. The giver of my life, God almighty, has given me His infinite life in abundance (John 10:10). I don't lack life so I can't fall for cheap threats or tricks. I say this with all Godfidence in me💯. 

The man did not plan well oo. It was on Sunday that he call me to shine…kaiii God!!!!😆😆😆. Let me not talk plenty.

Well, that's how the call went and my take on the matter too. Here is another strategy from them ooo🤷, Incase they call you too, don't fall for it, please.

Thanks for reading to the end.

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