"What do you want?" the woman asked.
Feeling scared, the young girl rubbed her hurt nose and fidgeted with her dress.
"My mom says you shouldn't leave your house today. She had a bad dream about you, that you were in an accident," she said.
The woman furrowed her eyebrows, unsure of what to make of it. She had an important business appointment, but she knew better than to doubt Adaora's dreams. She went inside and returned with two fat tubers of yam, smoked fish, and some foodstuffs. She offered them to the young girl, who politely refused.
"You already know my mom doesn't like being paid for her dreams. Thank you, Aunt Lora. I'll be on my way now," the girl said.
"Alright. Please thank your mother for me!" Aunt Lora shouted after the girl, who was already gone.
Adaora has the special ability to see both the future and the past through her dreams. She uses this gift to assist her family, loved ones, and neighbors. Whenever she has a bad dream, she prays and pleads that it doesn't come true in real life. And when she has a good dream, she dances with joy, prays, and affirms it.
However, as time goes on, she starts to feel bitter about her life and her gift.
"I don't like the bad dreams. They make me sad," she says.
"Can't I be happy for the rest of my life, just like others?" She will repeatedly ask.
She prays against bad dreams and wishes for only good dreams, but she continues to experience both. So she seeks help from the dream catcher, Adenke, and her wish is granted.
"I will filter your dreams, my daughter. I am Adenke! Dreamcatcher is a generational gift in my family. There's no dream I cannot handle. My fathers were famous, and so am I, and so will my son," Adenke assures her.
"Thank you, Adenke. May you live long," says Adaora, with a beaming face full of joy.
She was so excited about the changes in her dreams, but her happiness didn't last long. As promised, her dreams were filtered, and she could only experience the good ones. But as a messenger of God, she was meant to see both the good and the bad, and intercede for the latter to prevent them from happening. She realized she had lost the ability to protect her loved ones. She couldn't see Lucifer's plans against her family anymore, and couldn't dream and pray against sickness, accidents, or even death. All she could see was the bright side of life.
Adaora was deeply troubled, especially after losing her husband in a car accident. She knew she could have had a clue about it, prayed against it, and made sure he didn't go to work that day.
Her daughter had asked her after the funeral if God didn't show her about Dad's accident. She lied to her that God didn't and she feels guilty about it.
"I have to get it back," she said to herself. And with that, she set off to Adenke's hut.
After exchanging greetings, she explained to Adenke the reason for her visit.
Adenke looked at the woman standing before him, taking in her tall, hourglass figure. Her eyes resembled the sea, and her fair complexion gave her a serene appearance, like a gentle morning breeze. For a moment, he wondered why she lacked peace. People like her should be happy, but sometimes they fail to see the good things within themselves.
"Humans should learn to appreciate," he muttered to himself.
Clearing his throat, he motioned for Adaora to take a seat opposite him.
"Life is like a coin, with two sides: the bad and the good," he began.
"Both sides are important. The bad side makes us stronger, and the good side helps us appreciate the beauty of life even more." Adaora nodded in agreement.
"Everything has its opposite: joy-sorrow, life-death, war-peace, and many more. We can't control when they happen, but we can take precautions or even prevent them if we could see them through dreams," Adenke explained.
"I used to see them, Adenke. Lucifer's plans were always revealed in my dreams. Future pain, planned accidents, untimely death, and even barrenness. I did my best to prevent those things from happening to the people I cared about," Adaora said amidst tears, her voice filled with regrets.
“I want them back, Adenke. Please!”.
Adenke let out a scoff and turned towards her, forcing a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I didn't mention it before, Adaora, but as dreamcatchers, we can't reverse what we do. We don't possess that ability," Adenke explained.
Adaora turned dumb, stunned by the revelation
She fell to her knee.
"Please, Adenke, you have to do something." she pleads.
"Adaora, I wish I could help, but your essence is lost, and I can't retrieve it. It's not because I don't want to, but because I'm limited in what I can do," Adenke replied.
Reality sank in quickly for Adaora. Her knees weakened, her face paled, and she trembled all over.
"Could this be a dream?" she whispered to herself, hoping for an escape from the harsh truth.
She was the protector of her extended family, but now she had lost the ability to intercede for them.
"How can I live like this? I'm so selfish and ungrateful," she muttered, struggling to stand. She picked up her umbrella and turned to Adenke.
"Thank you, Adenke. I know you would have helped if you could," she said, and Adenke nodded, his gaze fixed on his toes. He could feel her pain and wished she wouldn't harm herself with guilt.
"Adaora," he called.
She stopped and turned to him, her eyes filled with emptiness.
"I believe you can recover it," Adenke said. Adaora raised her eyebrows, and her eyes flickered.
"I mean, you are truly remorseful about what you've done. Pray to God, and you'll recover your gift," he advised.
A tear rolled down her cheek as she bowed to Adenke. Then, she turned towards the exit, pausing for a few moments to absorb Adenke's advice before stepping out of the hut.