Halfway Across the World

Chapter Two- Godspeed

From the moment I read that email, my life changed irreversibly.

I don't remember calling Mama, but suddenly there she was, with Aunty Titi, hugging me, crying, thanking God. I'm too shocked to comprehend anything, so as we drive home Mama reads the email to me. Adeola Edere will be sent to a High School in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and will attend for a minimum of one school year. She has been sponsored by the board and will have food and accommodations free of charge, in combination with her free schooling.

I applied to a lot of these when I won at the Swim Club last year. Most of them were in America, and most of them didn't care to take me. Mama was the one who pushed me to do it. "In America, they will take your swimming seriously. Girls and boys get their entire college education paid for with sports." The swim meet wasn't just against teenagers; I won against adults too.

Most of the schools never got back to me, or said they were unfortunately not accepting my application, but someone in Canada had seen my application and said yes. I don't even know much about Canada. I know it's very snowy, and they love maple syrup. I've never even tasted maple syrup before.

There's a lot more information in the email, as well as a phone number to call and a consultant to email. When Aunty Titi pulls into our driveway she insists on staying to help us. There's no light, so she puts on the generator and comes in and sits with Mama, Olu and Modupe as I log on to my old laptop. It takes a while to boot, but when it does I connect to Mama's hotspot and send off an email. According to Google, it's eleven in the morning, and the website says the office opens at one, so we wait a while before calling as well. Everything passes by in a flash. Suddenly I'm on the phone with a Caucasian woman with a very high voice, who asks me to repeat everything I say a bit slower. Eventually, she gives up, and our correspondence is through email as she helps me book my flight, process my papers, and prepare for school. I'll be spending the rest of my JSS2 year in Canada, and after that, I'm invited to spend the rest of high school there as well.

It all feels so surreal. All of a sudden it's Monday. Mama tells me I don't need to go to school; that I should pray and rest and pack. I hear her singing in the kitchen as I do the latter, carefully picking through my church dresses and casual clothes and folding them to pack up. Throughout the day people come knocking. Teachers, classmates, all with congratulations. Mama accepts them graciously for me, then scolds me for not answering, but I honestly can't. It feels like they're speaking to someone other than me; like I'm just watching everything happen.

But I'm not; it's really happening to me. By Wednesday everything is booked and ready; my flights, the hotels I'll stay at during layovers. The woman from the board even wants to hire a cab for me to get to the airport here in Abuja, but Mama insists on driving me. I leave Sunday night.

On Friday I go to the salon to get my hair done. Mama insists on adding beads and extensions to my cornrows; to "look professional". Even though the longer hair is a bit impractical for swimming, I don't argue, because I look pretty in the mirror. Aunty Titi and a lot of the other aunties from church have insisted on throwing a going-away party for me on Saturday.

When we get home from the salon, I retreat to my room and open my group chat with Femi and Modupe. Is this real??? I type. Bubbles appear as Modupe types. What do you mean, is it real? I sigh out loud in my room. It's amazing. Femi says. I'm wondering if it's real too.

"Ade!" Mama calls from across the house. "Come and eat oh-" I drop my phone on my bed and get up to join her in the dining room. She's made eba and is already eating with okra soup. "Wash your hands," She says as I head for the kitchen to do exactly that. I wash them and then head for the table.