REALITIES

Of a truth, I hated the fact that we had to follow the blasted family traditions. I could hear mother calling for night devotion. Who on earth still does that? I was enjoying a flirtatious chat with the new boy I met from school Ade, from the corner of my eyes I watch my silly sister Shewa as she tied her scarf hurriedly and picked up a bible from the shelf. I cursed as I rose to my feet. I dragged myself to the living room picking up the biggest bible and tying the dullest scarf . Everyone was already seated when I arrived; dad, mom, shade and David my youngest sibling, he was just five. Mom had a large smile on her face.  

“You must be so tired today, you forgot to alert us for the night devotion.“ She patted me gently at the back while father handed me the devotional. My parents were devout Christians, and it was their pride to see us follow through in their footsteps. My sister was quite comfortable with this path they had prepared for us, but I wasn’t. I hated the fact that we had to go through this religious ritual; I hated the morning prayers the nights and any other one. It was a torture to attend the meetings on Sunday, but in my little time with my parents I've realized that if I wanted to get anything out of them, I had to conform to what they wanted and so I had a façade on each time, pretending to love and understand all they said and taught. I had even taken it upon myself to alert them for our morning and evening devotions. This has allowed me certain level of freedom at home, I also had a lot of cash treats and privileges…..if only they knew the storm that raged internally. I was patiently waiting till when I’ll turn eighteen. Then I’ll be an adult and legal; I’ll have the right to choose what religion I wanted to follow. Although I confessed Christianity outwardly, I was a stark pagan. This was what no one knew , not my friends, not my family not even my sister Shade. It was a secret I was willing to keep until the appointed time. 

I opened the book slowly in false penitence, I choose the book of revelation for us to read, I gathered it was the least desired book of my parents. Shewa found it incomprehensible, and David was always frightened by the story. But I found it intriguing, it was like a fictional comic book, that was how I viewed it actually, and the fact that it was the least favorite of my family made it perfectly suit my desires. I couldn’t wait to get back to my chat with Ade. 

“Revelations chapter 16.” I announced loudly in a preacher friendly tone and they all obeyed. 

After the reading, I could see the fear and uncertainty on David and Shewa’s faces. I grinned inwardly, it was a long reading that highlighted chaos on earth by angels of doom. Cliché 

I returned to my chat with Ade hastily, I just hoped he hadn’t fallen asleep. We continued our discussion till late in the night and then I fell asleep. 

I was certain that I had awoken, my eyes were wide opened, but I had this strange feel, I knew something was definitely off. Shewa was still soundly asleep, with her mouth slightly opened. I got out of the bed and moved to my parents room, I decided against knocking at the door at such odd hours without a valid reason. I could also hear the heavy snores of father as they rose and fell like a crescendo. I also checked up on David and he was sound asleep with a toy-truck stuck underneath his left arms. Why was I suddenly uneasy? 

I checked through the doors and locks, each of them were securely locked and in place. Contrary to feeling safe from the locked doors, I felt the more insecure which was strange. A gentle breeze blew through the windows; one of the windows was left opened, Shewa must have missed it, for it was her duty to ensure they were shut. Another gentle breeze blew again, opening the pages of the book I had read. The Bible was opened and I hadn’t bothered to close it. I proceeded to the window drawing the shutters together . It was then I sighted a being sitting on the porch rather peacefully. It was a man and he sat staring down the road. Fear gripped my heart and churned it. Who could that be? A robber? Who was he? What did he want? I turned to run perhaps to alert mom, but I was stunned by the realization that hit me. The corridor had disappeared and the living room was like a large cuboid with everything still in place. My gaze rested on the opened bible which I closed in a frenzy. I tried screaming but each attempt produced voiceless sounds. I stood shaking for minutes; helpless and scared until I could muster the courage to approach the window. The man was still there sitting like he was waiting, waiting for something or someone. In that instant he turned to me ,his eyes were clear and transparent but equally held so much depth. It was like I was gazing into the bluey seas, Beautiful and scary. When he looked at me he seemed to see through my soul piercing my heart. What was happening? I was compelled by a force beyond my control to open the door. My legs moved without instructing them to. I had lost control of my voluntary movements. The force pulled me to where he sat. It was the only option, for the cube had one door, and I went through it.

I stood inches apart from him and then he spoke, “You’ve awoken”.

Suddenly, the ability to speak was returned to me. “Who are you? What do you want with me?“ I asked.

“What is it to you, that you know that I AM?”. I didn’t understand what he had said. I looked back and saw the house faraway, it seemed like it floated away. My legs began to shake again.

“Follow me” he said quietly. 

I fell in step beside him walking on the path. I couldn’t tell if it was night or day, but all I knew was that I had never seen things more clearly than I did now. The pear tree that lined our veranda was more verdant. Even the grasses were lush. We took a turn and then I saw a mighty being like a centurion, he looked like an ancient soldier, he had a sword in a hand and walked to the house this time, I realized we were back into the veranda. We had walked for minutes and still we were back at home. How possible? . I saw the centurion circle the house in a motion to and from, as if to wade off intruders. The man kept walking towards the centurion and I followed him. 

“Who is that?” I asked the man I followed, I figured he was some sort of guide.

“This is the one assigned to guard this house”. And then the man touched my eyes and I saw, I saw houses in rows, I saw our large street at a glance. I saw hundreds of centurions guarding different houses, some had as many as four centurions and other houses lay bare and empty, for a split second I saw in some of the bare houses beings as tiny leprechaun scurry in and out of them. In a flash, I saw nothing again. I wanted to ask my guide what those beings were, but then I realized I had shrunk. I had shrunk to the frame of a ten year old child. My hands shorter, even my legs. I had lost all features of an adolescent. My guide must have read my mind for now he spoke

“The closer you are to light, the clearer your true nature is revealed." As he spoke I stared down at my garment it was torn and tattered, at a glance, I looked like an unkept child. 

“Welcome to Reality” he said.

I must be dreaming I thought to myself. 

“No, you aren’t , this is more real than anything else you’ve ever experienced. This is the reality of the life you live“. I thought about what he said and I couldn’t decipher it. 

“You need light to understand” he said . “You have very little light” he continued. 

“What is light? Where am I? “ I shouted in exasperation. He made no motion to answer but then, continued on a straight path, I fell in step. 

Fear gripped my heart and I thought of my family; mother, father, little David and Shewa…..

“They are fine” he replied “They are presently awake in their own reality”.

It was then I understood that he answered my thoughts rather than what I had said out loud. We reached the end of a path of which I saw nothing but houses and centurions. There was a little bridge that divided the pathway, I watched as he crossed it and tried to follow suit. But I wasn’t able to, although the bridge was small, my legs would not move. 

“Why can’t I cross?” I asked….then I remembered I wouldn’t get a response.

Why can’t I cross the divide?. I thought inwardly and then he turned and answered. 

“You don’t have enough light to cross over, this realm works on the power of light” he added. I was disappointed I thought of all the time I had spent following him on the path only to be prevented from crossing. I looked over to where he stood and it was like a higher plain. I couldn’t see anything further it was as though a heavy fog obstructed my view. 

I began to feel weak and then I turned, the man still stood on the other side.

“Be enlightened shade and be strengthened inwardly ,then you’d see more.”

I turned disappointed and for seconds I stared at a house some feet away, it was unguarded and tiny leprechaun-like beings scurried in and out of it. That instant one of them stopped to stare at me barring it’s fangs viciously…….and then I saw nothing. 

I woke up in that instant shaking like a leaf. Shewa was still asleep with her mouth still slightly opened. Déjà vu I ran to my parents room, standing at the door I heard dad snore loudly as before . David was also asleep with his toy truck stuck under his left arm when I got to his room. I took careful steps to the living room and it was the same, a window was slightly opened, but then the Bible was closed. I approached the window with trepidation, looking out cautiously, I saw no one. The pear tree moved slowly to the gentle breeze. The door was shut also. I closed the window and retreated to the room still stricken with fear. My hasty shuffling must have awoken Shewa for she yawned softly while opening her eyes slowly. 

“What is it Shade? Are you alright? She asked. 

“yes, yes am fine, some……something bit me, I guess it was a mosquito “ I lied.