ANANABA'S JOURNEY

PART ONE - Deus ex Machina.

Dedicated to Nneka

"PARTICIPATE JOYFULLY IN THE SORROWS OF THE WORLD. WE CANNOT CURE THE WORLD OF SORROWS BUT WE CAN CHOOSE TO LIVE IN JOY"
Joseph Campbell

Breaking free from the chains of her sentiments.
The acclaimed empathy that shielded her from the arrows of guilt. In all honesty, the universe just made a way; her zeal to grow and that rumbling hunger for more, caused her to align.

"This time around it'll be about me, only me. I'm going to know myself more and find joyful content in who I am. My heart has been open to others enough, it's threatening to become a book of scars.

But now, a new environment with new faces and energy, I have to enjoy this!".

Life is meant to be experienced more personally, regardless of how we can't overemphasize that we live for one another.
You ought to know yourself . Fall in love so much that, the love oozes out from within. The satisfaction that comes with this feeling is what Ananaba yearned for.

With a fresh Diploma in International Relations, she moved to Bagidi for her Industrial training.

"Thank you for letting me stay here o Eleje, I literally had no other option. When I told Daddy to talk to you, I didn't think you'll agree to it. I know how you like your privacy".

Eleje, a petite light skinned young lady in her early thirties, although her athletic body would disagree.

"Yen Yen Yen" mimicking Ana " just make sure you always keep things in order, don't pile dirty clothes and do what you're supposed to do so I don't shout. I have stressful days at the office, it won't be nice to return home and begin quarrel", they both glance at each other mischievously and then  they burst into laughter

" ...but seriously though otherwise I'll throw you out".

Chuckling, Ana nodded her head in affirmation "I'll behave, I promise"

The Abazies are a loving family. They are a replica of what love ought to be at it's purest. This does not mean that they were perfect or they didn't have challenges. Being a parent is the greatest responsibility, you can only do your best.

Mr and Mrs Abazie are loving parents who are in turn loved dearly by their children. It's this foundation of love that reprimands them each time it is seen necessary, and there have been times.

Tossing and turning on the king size bed in the bedroom, which was soothingly Serene with a headboard extending into a functional shelf carrying some bedroom essentials; bored and fatigued, Ana picks her phone and it's heard dialing

" Hello, Eleje how's work, hope I'm not bothering you" she grimaced like she already knew she was. " Okay cool, there's no problem. I'm fine. I only want to ask you for suggestions on where I can go to sit out and relax, maybe with a drink. I've been cooked up in the house since I came and I'm tired"...

After a while, Ana is ready and she leaves the house.

"I'll have a Pina Colada please, thank you" She slides the menu back to the waitress with a smile, leaning back into the cushion; it felt like a soft bag of ornamental materials, expensively fluffy.

Taking all of the aesthetics in, she was in the moment. She looked it. " So much beauty and taste and I don't even need to spend So much money that I don't have, this is soothing. I wish every state can be like Bagidi. I'm definitely doing more of these solo dates, it's just what I need". The waitress walks towards her with the order, serves her a jar of Pina Colada. "Let me know if you need anything else", she walks away.

Ananaba was just learning how to live life, she only knew obstacles and challenges and a really short period of peace which she never really knew how to enjoy, then more trials and tribulations; it was a cycle. Gradually it began to look like that was all life had to offer her, she felt like she paid for not coming from affluence. Somewhere in the centre of all that negativity she had room for a belief that was contrary.

" This can't possibly be all life offers me, why do I feel like I have an encounter ahead. I don't know and I don't understand. I can't explain it". In truth Ananaba was more unhappy with the thought of not giving to the world than life not giving to her. There was the zeal to do, conquer, create, establish but she didn't know how or where to begin and the constant fear of not figuring it out was the real torment.

She beckoned to the waitress for her bill, it was almost 6:00 pm. But for the traffic, Eleje would be home.
"There'll be no need for a bill ma'am the gentleman at the other lounge already cleared it, thank you for stopping by, we hope to see you again" she walked away before Ana could figure out what to say.
"This is not weird at all, no one ever paid for my drink, am I supposed to go find him and thank him or what? I didn't ask him to pay" she picks her bag and walks out of the lounge, down the stairs and out of the building.

" Hi, please excuse me," Ana stopped,
"my name is Bode. Sorry to stop you abruptly, I only wanted to introduce myself. I'm the one who paid for your drink".
"Oh, hello" stretching forth her hand for a hand shake " thanks a lot, I didn't see you at the lounge when I was leaving so... Didn't mean to be rude." Bode waves his hand in a gesture that suggest it's no problem.
"Anyway I'm also done here so maybe I can drop you off?" Ana replied " it's nice of you to offer but my cab is out waiting. Thanks again" . " Okay, can I at least get your number?I'll love for us to sit out for a drink sometime if that's okay" Ana calls out the numbers for him just as she walks towards the cab and gets in.
"Thank you, I'll text".

Later that night, eating on the bed while scrolling through her phone, " so you didn't see him in the lounge when you walked in? Or did he come in after you did?"
" I don't know o, I didn't really notice anyone. It felt like I was the only one there, besides the interior isn't lit so I can't really say. I thanked him anyway, he was polite".

"Oh okay. I'm glad you had fun, and at no cost. I'm sure he'll call you, he'll want to hang out. Whatever you do though, always be careful and be smart about your decisions. Men can behave in ways that we don't understand and I can't bear to see you hurt. You're an adult and I can't restrict your movements but please always tell me when you go out and where, just like you did earlier. I need to be sure you're okay when we're not together. As far as mum and dad are concerned, I'm responsible for you. I don't want problems o".

"I've heard you baby" smiling in agreement and walking towards Eleje, " I don't really know anywhere so I'll always ask you first cos I'll need directions to actually go out" she pecks her on the cheek.

Ananaba wasn't ignorant when it came to men. She had enough experiences to know when she was being toiled with or taken for granted. She had a heart large enough to accommodate the imperfections of humans even though she constantly fought the empathetic side.
Influenced by the constant disappointments and struggle of life, her rigid outward mien became .. call it a sought of coping mechanism for her. This time, she's being who she really is. Ready to embrace the lessons and joys that come with it, being open to the universe. There is a purpose, she needed to find hers.

Playing back the conversation as she lay to sleep.
"

She's right and I know, I'll be as careful as I can but I'm also going with the flow. I'm taking it as it comes. I'll do what makes me happy. No more controlling or fixing situations. Let's see how this one plays".

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