Away.

 My older sister called the last time asking how the house was after she left after the Christmas and New Year celebrations. She told me of the new project she was working on because school had started lessons. She said a few things about school being a whole new level of stress. I tried to imagine it but just couldn't get the image in my head. How could being away from family give one stress especially when you're around your peers. Then after that call I saw everything that was done back here at home as nonsense.

   Mom never stopped talking about the importance of curfews when my peers had already begun attending night parties. Sometimes she would be so overprotective to not let me go alone to friends' places. And whenever she had tight schedules she always made sure she left me in the hands of trusted babysitters. There was Angela, Mrs Coker, Prudence, Miss Stewart and a handful of them my mother trusted. Oh, not to forget Oliver the only male babysitter Mom trusted. I thought Mom didn't trust me to be alone at home.

   Okay, that wouldn't hurt that bad. Wait till she starts picking your outfit for the day and telling you why kids your age didn't wear makeup. Then she'd make the sermon longer saying things to stay away from boys that I am now a grown girl. When I told Jenny about this, she chortled telling me that Mom was used to exaggerating things. She told me that at school she had male friends that weren't all what Mom said them to be. And now my home experiences always made me wish that I could experience life far from home. 

   Fortunately for me, my wish was granted. I gained admission into the university so I began making a list of what to do in my first year as a universitarian. I got a room in the hostel. There were cool girls there who had already gone to night parties, gone shopping and did a whole lot of fun stuff without parents. While they chatted about cool stuff I just... 

   Well, I had to enjoy my first year before going through the stress Jenny said I would go through when the time reached. I was invited to a party that Friday by one of the girls; Vivi, so I got prepared. I didn't think of calling to tell Mother or Jenny about it or else they would tell me not to attend and then Mom would started her sermon. I arrived at the club in my tight jeans and a T-shirt unlike a lot of other girls who wore skimpy gowns and skirts. I began thinking if it was a trend to expose your thigh that much. The party was loud as disco lights flashed all around. The place was smoky and I had no idea where the smoke was coming from.

I manoeuvred my way through the crowd to the bar asking the barman for a drink. He looked at me and began mixing drinks. I sat on the asking him for a non alcoholic drink amidst the noise. He chuckled and nodded his head sideways. I twirled my seat towards the dancefloor where my eyes met the celebrant himself. The one Vivi introduced me too. She said his name was Henry but he looked like someone who bore the name Harry because of his British accent. 

   “Hey,” he greeted loudly so he could be heard as he extended an arm for a handshake. 

   “Hi,” I greeted smiling excitedly collecting his handshake eagerly. Yeah it was obvious that I kind of liked him because he was cool and handsome.

   “You just arrived?,” he asked smiling, displaying his perfect row of teeth. 

   “Yea. Yes,” I nodded not aware that he still held my hand until he pulled me saying that we should go to a quiet place where we could chat better. As we walked across the hall, my eyes caught Vivi's winking at me. Whatever she meant. We found a good spot beside the building where the noise had subsided and the sounds of chirping crickets could faintly be heard in the night. We sat on a bench and talked about everything we could talk about without mentioning anything personal. It seemed we were out of topics so we stared at the sky together, admiring the stars that glowed up so high. I checked the time on my wristwatch that read quarter to ten. Way past my curfew when I still stayed with Mom. She always said I should be home before nine. I told Henry that I would be going but he pleaded with me to sit with him for a few more minutes. I agreed and then the unimaginable happened. He stole a kiss on my cheek when I wasn't looking and told me I looked beautiful. I felt weird. So this is what it felt like, I thought. I rose to leave but he pulled me back gently. I began thinking if he was one of the type of boys Mom said to avoid. Before either of us could utter a word we heard a thick loud voice shout “They're here! Scram!.” And in a split second I saw people running out of the building after a flash bang went off. I let myself free when Henry was confused about what was going on inside and made a run for it into the woods. I ran for minutes as I heard barking dogs approaching and the torches that flashed behind me gave me no reason to stop running. I tripped and fell. My head and knee hurt. I tried hiding myself behind a tree as the cops found another target. I waited there for some time and when the scene had cleared I came out limping like an old lady. I tried finding my way back to the hostel where I treated myself and sat down to analyse all that happened. Turned out Henry threw a party that had traces of illegal drugs. And a lot of what-ifs came buzzing in my head.

   My first experience away from home thought me something–– probably that night parties weren't the real thing.