The Dream....

That morning was the best day of my life, finally I'm leaving home to where I'll find peace, I'm leaving this prison to freedom, I'll make most with my life out there in school.

"Ever loving father, I thank you for answering my prayers, proving some people wrong, and wiping away the tears that never seem to dry from my eyes".... I prayed the loudest for the very first time in my life.

After the devotion, everybody started calling me campus babe, university girl, big girl, so on and so forth.

I accepted any name I was called 'cause it's actually the first time I'm being called sweet names.

I looked my dad in the eye and said

" You called me a failure for failing my WAEC but God never cease to hear the cries of the simple".... He looked at me surprised but didn't say a word, mom called me to help her out in the kitchen and I did without complain.

All my life I've been praying to God for an opportunity to leave my father's house, I've been asking God for so many things, I even asked Him to take my life if need be, I prayed a relative could just come and take me with them but even when they came, dad said I was the first child and I need to learn from home and finally I'm leaving home for peace.

You would think now that I've gained admission a little respect will be added to my name for finally breaking the yoke but hell no my dad couldn't help but make everything worse.

School was resuming in few weeks, I needed to look for an accommodation close to school, I'm a girl who knows what she needs and how to get it but my dad has always proven me wrong and he did proved me wrong this time around.

"Daddy, I want to go and look for an accommodation since school will be resuming soon"... I said to my dad as he was focused on his phone, naturally if he was focused on his bible I dare not disrupt him but he was in a good mood given he was on his phone.

" That shouldn't be an issue, I'll look for an accommodation for you, just arrange your things ".... Dad said still fixated on his phone

My jaw dropped immediately, like I know what I want, how will he get me a place when he knows absolutely nothing about my whole damn life, he doesn't even know my shoe size, jean size and whatever has a size on it. Those words pierced my heart and it ached badly

" When are you going? I want to go with you".... I asked unsure if I'll get a reply

"On whose audacity are you standing to ask silly questions?"..... Dad asked as he dropped his phone on the table, stared deadly in my eyes

" I'm sorry sir"..... I quickly apologized

"Will you get out of my sight before I release evey ounce of anger on you?"..... He scolded and I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, I wept silently in my room till mom called me to the store room and asked me to prepare yam and egg sauce.

****

Life went well when I finally got to school, made a lot of friends, talked and laughed, I had nothing to worry about, I was never bored. It's barely a month, mom called and said dad had a dream about me and I have to come home that weekend.

"Ahh dream! What kind of dream could that be?"... I asked myself expecting answers fro nowhere, fast forward to when I got home.

"Call Gracefilled for me"..... Dad sent Brian to get me, I was not far from him, I was really curious to know what kind of dream he had, so I stayed closed.

" I'm already here"..... I walked in almost immediately

"Sit down"..... Dad said as he waved my siblings off from the living room. I sat down quietly and anxiously.

*Mommy?*..... Dad called my mom who was in the room pressing her phone.

*Yes sir?*.... Mom answered as she entered the sitting room. Dad gestured her to sit down, the room was silent and giving me the chills but I couldn't say a word.

*Pray for us*..... Dad said to mom and I was awed, like prayers for just dream?

Ahh that's it, I've committed a crime in his dreams and I need physical cleansing, mom led a short prayer, seems she was confused as well.

After the prayers, dad opened the Bible and I knew the only thing left was to kneel down for cleansing of sin, after a short exhortation which was actually about retracing the right track, you know Nigerian parents they don't play with forgiveness of sins. Dad finally called my name...

" Gracefilled?"..... Dad called

"Sir!"..... I replied

" Gracefilled? "..... He called again, ahh I'm dying already, the clouds of tears that have gathered on my eyes would have filled a well to the brim if it had fell peradventure.

" Sir! I'm here".... I replied

"I had a dream about you and I want you to be truthful to me, I won't hurt you not insult you, just answer my questions truthfully"..... Dad said as he stared calmly into my eyes.

The feeling was strange, I gulped and had hipcup for a few seconds, before I finally schooled my emotions and answered

" Ok sir"...

"In my dream, I saw a man who was about to help your mom, he promised to give her a cheque the next day, the next day your mom and I went to meet the man and he said, he can't give us the cheque because of Gracefilled".... Dad narrated the dream he had, I was confused but didn't say anything.

" What have you been doing in school since you left home?".... Dad asked

Ahh what have I been doing except go for classes and church?

"Nothing sir, apart from classes and church, I really have nowhere going or anything doing.".....I said truthfully, I made new friends in school but I never visited any of them, neither have they.

" Hmm, what do you think is the meaning of the dream?".... Dad asked me

"I don't know".... I replied.. How am I supposed to know? Am I Joseph the dreamer in the bible? How am I supposed to interpret your dreams for you? These questions kept burning and churning in my head but I have to remain calm.

" Hmm, it means you're stopping the blessings of this family from coming to us and you have to stop whatever sin you know you're committing in school"..... Dad said as he looked me straight in the eye

I haven't done anything wrong, can't I just be happy for once? Do you hate me that much? Why are you trying to turn my head upside down? Why can't you just let me be me for the first time in my life? Why are you trying to break me psychologically? Trying to lock me up in a cage to always think I have something to do with your failures and set backs? And well it worked, few months after that day things became hard and it was all pinned on me, Gracefilled has sinned and God is punishing the family because of her.

My mental health became unstable, that I accepted the lies that I'm bad luck, and it became manifest, everybody I meet becomes cursed the moment I enter their lives and till now I can't seem to take those lies off my head and it hurts....