✮Ｓｔｅｐｈａｎｉｅ✮

CH.1: SURPRISE!

There I sat on the bathroom floor with cuts and bruises, ruminating about my mistakes, my past and failed ambitions. I was so lost in thoughts that it felt like my brain was going to pop. In my head, travelled thoughts of suicism. I couldn't bear the pain any longer.

But like every gloomy and crazy tunnel, there is always a beginning. Question is: Does my tunnel capture light at the end?

                    ***
I heard bizarre noises in the living room; screamings, shattering objects, ferocious language, threats—all in the living room. Still a little child of eight years old, I was often curious of everything. I yearned to be aware of everything going on around me; heck, I loved discovering new things every single day of my life!

The thwacks and thuds upstairs got louder and intense, hitting the door of my room, calling out to me to investigate. I immediately figured out that it had been my parents doing the usual—quarrelling.

Something seemed different at that time though, it was serious. My dad even grabbed a vase, "I am going to crush that garbage thing you have up there called a head," he said vigorously and furiously, and I frightfully gasped.

I detested conflict. Each time they began their thing, I was fond of locking myself up in my room and listening to music while painting out my feelings on my tablet with an application my dad had installed for me, knowing I felt better doing my art work alone in my comfort zone.

I stopped eaves dropping and turned to slowly walk away when abruptly, I heard a voice say "You think I'm kidding, right? Well, just watch and see, your daughter, Olamide is coming with me to live a better life in the United States!"

It was my father. I released a quiet gasp, holding on to my chest dramatically. Then I provokingly flung the door open and bounced into the living room.

"What?!" I exclaimed and placed my left hand behind my little ear, "What did you just say, daddy? There is totally no way I'm leaving this country. If mom isn't going then we all die here in Nigeria." I announced in a staid manner, with folded arms. I was wearing pink shorts and a tank top on a childishly chicken-designed shoe.
"Go back to your room, Steph," Mom instructed.

I simply assumed dad was using one of his threat jokes, whereby, he would threaten to do something really serious that sounded like he was joking but then he wouldn't do it at all.

I relaxingly released my folded arms and sighed. I slid and turned and cat walked back to where I came from, back to what I was doing, before the quarrel buddies called my parents disrupted.

                       ***
My life was going great just as I had planned. Ever since I could distinct between right from wrong, I dreamed of becoming a famous actress who would be a perfect role model for young people and set good, relevant standards for my fans and also who would be of good help to young people out there.

I had the best friends... Not really the best but the ones who were good enough to associate with and a good Lord whom I served always and promised to serve for the rest of my life. I had the best clothes—designers; attended one of the best schools in Lagos; best forged accents from different countries, best well functioned, swift and intelligent brain; an attractive look and personality for a girl of my age... I wouldn't say I was perfect, though I had the most charming qualities, just name it! Excluding the best parents. Frequently, this made me blue but I had God beside me so I worried about nothing and feared nothing.

I was a kind of girl who loved nature, I loved animals, I loved colours, I loved colourful animals... just anything as long as it was good, perfect and it made me happy.

                      ***
I woke up late, feeling indolent due to all the things I had earlier worked on for my sales business to make some money and move into acting school since my parents turned a blind eye at my passion for being on stage. I thought it would be much better if I started off my career on my own.

Yes, we were kinda rich, middle-class, but I esteemed it needful to struggle on my own and I saw myself making it even though everyone around called me delusional. They simply didn't understand one word—passion!

I sluggishly walked out of my room and got to the living room but the house was empty.

"Hello?" I said and just immediately, a whole lot of people jumped out of nowhere, "Surprise!" They yelled and for the reason of the fear they casted upon me, I drifted backwards and tripped over a table that sent me sprawling to the ground. I knocked my head so hard on the tiled floor that it left a bump. "What a great start for a birthday," I glowered.

People interfered to help me back up and used a first aid kit to treat my lumped head. My friends, relatives and even teachers from school were there to celebrate my sixteenth birthday with me which I had forgotten about... Well, almost forgot.

My aunt took me to the party hall, it was incredibly beautiful! I slept for such a long time than usual that I didn't even know people were working out my birthday party.

"Where's mom?" I asked my aunt, Dabira and she hastily replied, still busy with the party, "She went out to get something."

The hall possessed blazing designs with glitters all around and yellow flowers placed at the corners of the hall, and few pictures of me hung up with little colourful lights everywhere; it was all so shiny.

In no time, I had my party clothes on, which my dad had bought for me a week before, with nice, furry heels to make me taller so I could feel on top of the world.

My dad had left for over six months to the United States, finding greener pastures,  and promised to be around to celebrate my birthday with me but there I was, about to blow my candles out and my father was nowhere to be found.

                      ***
Things were going great and I was happy as a box of birds. I had always wanted my sweet sixteenth to be a blast and my aunt made everything happen perfectly like she had studied my mind.

I received pleasant surprises from friends and I had so much fun. In the latter moments of the party, my mom arrived with more party stuff and gifts for those invited. It was all going so well and I was gleefully dancing around until my dad barged in with a large cigarette hung in his mouth. Arrgh!

"Happy birthday, daughter. You have a wonderful trip to the USA as a present. Pack your bags, you're going to Olive Valley," he said and I blew a fuse; I dropped my jaw.

America?!