After purchasing a property in Jacksonville, Nyomi Jackson made the decision to trick her mother, Wanda Fields, and her younger sister, Nia, into believing they were checking into an Airbnb rental instead of her new residence.
In a video that Jackson posted to TikTok, which has received over 3 million views and over half a million likes, Fields can be seen becoming emotional as she learns that the house is actually her daughter’s.
Jackson told Good Morning America, “What many of you see in the video is my mom. She’s coming in from Virginia, where she currently resides, as well as my younger sister Nia, to come spend some time at what they think is an Airbnb with the rest of our family, in celebration of my mom’s birthday. But what she doesn’t know … is that I [had] actually moved into the house within the last three previous weeks.”
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Jackson and her two sisters were raised independently by their mother in a one-bedroom apartment in New York City, so purchasing a home was an important milestone for her.
Jackson recalled how she was able to hide the purchase from her mother, whom she calls her “biggest superhero,” saying, “It was important for me, despite the fact that I have been working on it for a year, that we all come to a singular place and we all revel in the fact that here’s this house. So, I was very quiet. I would take calls in my closet. … My mom would call and I’d go into a small area so she couldn’t hear the echo. I just needed them to realize the full vision all at once. And so… based on my mom’s reaction, I think I did a pretty good job.”
Fields confirmed Jackson’s words, stating, “She never said anything, and I had to come home and look at the pictures and see, ‘Can I see any secret in her face in these pictures?'” So I was so excited.”
She admitted that she sometimes just goes back and watches the video again, which makes her happy. Fields stated that watching how everyone from all over the world appreciated Jackson made her proud. According to Jackson, the house she bought is proof of what’s possible if you keep trying.
“One of the things [my mom] has continuously imparted to me as well as my sisters is, ‘When you have a vision, move toward it, move toward it relentlessly. And I knew I had a vision of my family being in my house.”
“For my mom to see me purchase my first house and do something really incredible, I think it speaks volumes to what’s possible. If you have a vision, you stick to it and you make it happen.”
