Dream come true

The summer sun peeped through the venetian blinds. A gentle breeze stirred quietly. There was serenity outside. The atmosphere seemed scented.

I smiled as I visualized myself in a different country, a brand new world!

As the furious Lagos sun burned me, I walked faster ,sweating profusely. I had shopping to do, and had risen early, hoping to get a head start before the heat got unbearable.

I had gotten up early even though I was on leave …I wanted to sort out my to-do list before the heat became unbearable. Best laid plans. Living in that my  dingy bed-sit in the flat share in the high rise block in high density area (I never called it a slum because I did not want to admit that my life had not lived up to my expectations), the morning queue to use the conveniences  set my best laid plans back by an hour. My apartment block (if I could flatteringly call it that) was an early-70′s style building which had been designed to be let for single occupancy but  there was flagrant abuse of this caused by the sheer clamour for ‘decent’ accommodation exploited by the unscrupulous landlords and estate agents who for a “mess of porridge” had turned the blind eye while the abuse continued.

I boarded a ‘molue’ to the Island and got off around the top of Marina. My destination was Balogun. I was ruminating over what my life had become and my tight budget when I got bumped by an “Okada” rider. “Madam, abeg make you dey look where you dey go, no be only you get wahala!

I awoke from my daydream. My pace hastened as I approached the market, careful to adhere to my shopping list and keep my valuables out of sight, I hurried along briskly. An area-boy approached shouting ‘more blessing ma’…I chuckled.

This was not the life I had planned to live when I left university.With the support of my extended family and sheer determination, I had struggled to put myself through college and get a degree. Though I had a “good job,” I found that good was a relative term. Ends barely met after paying my bills.Bills for services that were so inefficient it was a miracle when they worked. At 29, I thought I would be happily married with 2.5 children. Nothing was going as planned. I had just found out Dotun was two-timing me and had no intention of making me his wife. At work there was talk of rationalisation and I was panicking as I had just fallen short of my marketing targets. Something had to give. I had to seek greener pastures.

I  had applied to emigrate to Canada. Things were progressing slowly but surely through the bureaucratic hoops. I was in with a good chance. I dreamed and hoped and prayed to relocate to Canada. Any day now I would know the outcome.

I got home that afternoon exhausted. I was hoping to catch up with my sister for lunch,if not that she was treating, nothing would have enticed me into the sweltering furnace.

A knock on my door startled me.

I shouted “Who’s that?”

“Mail delivery ma”

I opened the door and saw a UPS man. Hurriedly, I signed for the mail.

My heart was pounding. With shaking hands I tore open the packaging! What could it be? Good news or bad?

That was all a lifetime ago. I now live in Canada. Life here is so different from home and the old life I used to live. My apartment is downtown, close to the beach. I enjoy the mild weather in British Columbia, and when I say I have a good job, it is still quite relative, but I am no longer living from hand to mouth.  It is a whole new world out here. Look at me now!