Indeed, something negative and disappointing initially can turn into a positive outcome.
My story
When I got married to my husband, he was living in an apartment given to him by the company he works for. Every engineer was entitled to one furnished apartment, a very spacious room, while they all shared the living room and the kitchen. After our marriage, my husband told me that it was high time we packed out of the company's apartment and rented one for ourselves, at least for privacy. However, I told him not to rush since it was only him and me at the time. I wasn't ready to move out then; I just adapted to the environment and the people around me, and moving out might make me feel bored when my husband is away for work. So I suggested that we pack out when I give birth, which he accepted.
One month before my due date, we began house hunting just within the estate where the company house was located, and it didn't take long; we found a two-bedroom apartment in a very cool street that was so nice and well renovated. The house was too good to be the point of making me so desperate to pay immediately. Same with my husband; we both loved the house. We then concluded with the agent, who said that the rent costs $900 per annum, and he gave us an account number to pay with, including his 10% agent fee and agreement. We left and assured him that we would pay the next day through the bank and then bring the receipt for him. We pleaded with him not to give out the house, as we loved it and would definitely come back for it the following day. Little did we know that the next day would be an unforgettable day in my life.
In the morning of the day we were supposed to make the $900 payment, I had an emergency with my pregnancy. It was really a complicated issue that landed me in the hospital. My hospital and I spent many days in the hospital before I became stable again. Then, I had just two weeks prior to my delivery, and so we hurriedly rushed back to the house to pay and pack in, then arrange the house prior to the arrival of my first baby. Lo and behold, the agent said that he had given out the house to another tenant. The news really was disappointing, and I felt bad because there was not much time left for us to get hunting for another house. However, I accepted the whole thing and started putting eyes on other estates, which I later got, but that was after my delivery. Then, two months after the whole saga, I got the latest shock of my life. It happened that the agent we dealt with was a pure scammer. The real owner and the rightful agent of the house surfaced, and without mercy, they threw out the properties of the illegal occupants of the house. The occupants felt so embarrassed, cheated, and frustrated. The scammer's agent was nowhere to be found. He deceived them and made away with the cool $900. Now, that cheated occupant would have been me if not for the fact that I encountered a delay in payment. Now I see how my disappointing situation turned out to be a blessing in disguise. I wouldn't have only lost my money but would have been in a terrible situation with a newborn baby and my mom, who visited after I gave birth, including my husband.
Lessons learned from the experience
I couldn't pay attention to details, nor did I exercise patience enough to investigate more about the house, which would have led me into a bigger regret if not for how my disappointment turned into a blessing. Now, the situation has taught me to always be calm and do a thorough investigation, no matter how enticing an offer may look.
This is my response to the #hivelearners community contest on the topic titled Blessing in disguise.
Please note, the thumbnail was designed using canva
