In All Her Glory

•03. In-dependence•

"Thank you, ma. I'm just... It's nothing much, ma. Thank you," I said. I genuinely appreciated her kindness. She gave me a handkerchief to wipe the tears away, which I gladly accepted from her frail, wrinkly hand.

Who is so kind in Nigeria these days? I thought as I smiled at the old woman again.

I wiped the tears, proceeding to count the number of people that were in the bus already, because the bus would not be leaving until people occupied every single seat.

Eleven people in the bus already. I counted the number of seats, too. Eighteen seats. Seven people left to go.

We will soon be on our way.

•••

Welcome to freedom...

My two hands clasped tightly around the straps of my duffel bag as I gazed up at my new home. Fresh tears welled up in my eyes as I stood there on the sidewalk in front of Grandpa's duplex... Well, it was now Uncle Mark's.

Finally, I made it! My plan had worked out smoothly. And I would never be found here. I was sure of that.

The tears dropped as a smile bloomed on my face; a melodramatic sight. I released a breath that I had been holding for a while. My chest swelled at the pride I felt in myself.

"Don't be afraid to stand up and do what's best for you. Joseph ran from Potiphar's wife because he knew that it was best for him. If you need to run from that situation, then do it!"

The words of the famous motivational speaker, China Lawrence, rang in my mind. Those were the words that had pushed me to create my plan to leave home.

No, Sharon, this is now your home.

Shaking my head to rid it of thoughts about my mother and sister, I returned my focus to the house.

It was a two-storey building with a red roof, surrounded with a high white fence with barbed wire on its top, powered by the solar panels sitting on the roof of the duplex, which powered the entire house as well. A huge black gate led into the compound and the house was painted in a beautiful, solemn white colour. Rows of well groomed red flowers surrounded the fence and made the plain white fence look more lovely than it actually was.

Wow. It looks even better than last time I saw it!

No one had lived here since two years ago. How was the house looking so groomed and beautiful?

Satisfaction filled me, and with a simper, I pushed the gate. But it was not open. My eyes caught a padlock the size of my palm.

Of course!

"Jeez, of course," I breathed, digging into my bag for the master key I had purchased a while ago and kept in my backpack. I rolled my eyes at myself. My fingers touched the cold metal and I wrapped my fingers around it, pulling it out.

One try, and the padlock dropped open. And they call it a high security padlock.

I pushed the heavy gate open. The hinges made a loud noise and I winced at the sound. I walked in and closed the gate behind me... I mean, I dropped my duffel on the floor and dragged the metal until it closed.

I looked at the house again, taking every detail in. I had been here before, yes, but I hadn't been paying any attention back then.

The compound had a lot of space and I was already imagining how lonely I would be in this house.

Lonely, but free, Sharon, I chided myself.

"Freedom is here," I mumbled as I picked up my duffel and started towards the front door on the porch.