Standing very close to my window towards the east side of my bedroom, I grabbed the window bind so tight and shivered in fear. I had heard footsteps around the uncompleted three bedroom apartment which was close by as I stayed alone at the boy quarters.
I thought of reaching for my mobile phone to call someone, just to call anybody at all to come to my rescue.
I couldn’t leave my room and if I screamed nobody would hear me. The scariest of thoughts flooded my mind within seconds; what if the footsteps I heard were that of robber? what if I get raped? why did my siblings relocate to a different country without me? I felt all alone and rejected, like it was the end of my world.
I was barely 20years old at the time and my older siblings lived with their families in different countries, I was the only one in Nigeria with my mum who also lived and did business in a different state while I lived in Lagos state, schooling and supervising our new building which was under construction.
My fear deepened with all these thoughts and reaching for my phone took all the courage I had left in the world. I dialed the very first name on my call log, it barely rang twice when my mum picked and I could only whisper and speaking under my breath. My mum on hearing me, let out one of the most annoying laughters; this woman just mixed my fear with confusion because who laughs when her daughter, her very last child is in danger.
Then she spoke calmly, calling out in her usual manner “Ogie (king)…relax, you are safe and there is no one in the compound, it is just on of these your imaginations, turn on the light in the house and go to bed …….”
Her words felt like a wave of the sea that just swept away my fear and I could feel the peace for one more night.
MY MUM AND I
This was my ordeal and her way of driving my fears every night for almost a month.
MY MUM
My beautiful mum has been my super woman ever since I lost my dad. And she thought me to control my imaginations and how to beat fear.
Thank you, mama, I love you.
