" Hello " I answered as I picked up the phone while walking down to my office.
"Grace, when will you be back" my mum said over the phone, not wasting time on pleasantries.
"Your sister's wedding is only a week away, and you're not yet home" she continued.
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. She was resilient, even in her old age.
"Mum, I've told you countless times, I'll be home soon" I answered.
" Well, soon it's not a definite answer", She said, ever persistent.
" Mum, I just can't leave work all of a sudden. I still have to round up my shift here and ask for a leave. "
I said, explaining the situation at hand. But my mom didn't buy it.
"Grace Ebube Rogers, I want you back home on Thursday this week," she said in a commanding tone.
Whenever she called me by full name, she was damn serious and left no room for negotiation.
"Yes Ma'am" I answered as she hung off the phone.
Finally succeeding in getting a two weeks' leave from my work place, I packed my suitcase full of my clothes and belongings and threw them in the trunk of my car and headed for home.
As I entered the dusty Sanghi city, a wave of nostalgia hit me like a brick. I looked at the familiar sights and places that made the city of Sanghi so loveable. Each street and building triggered old memories, bringing me back to a time when things were much simpler. As I drove through familiar places,
I couldn't help but remember the good old days. I drove past the old antique store where I bought my first doll. The city's tower where I and my siblings would go every Saturday for mass. The little coffee shop we would pass by every morning on our way to school. Even the big supermarket close to our house which we would sneakily always go, to buy candies and sweets.
It's been fifteen years since I last came home. A lot of time had definitely flown by since then, I thought to myself. As I looked around, I realized a lot had changed in the city as well. The streets were more urbanized. There were no bad roads anymore, unlike before. And the streetlights that flooded the entire roads were hard not to notice. But beneath all these, I couldn't help but feel tense given how things ended up the last time I came home. This was the very reason I had avoided home for a long time. Unfortunately for me, there was no escaping it this time around. I took a deep breath as I turned into the street I knew so well, like the palm of my hand. My heart swelled with emotions as the building I had spent the entirety of my childhood turned up before my eyes. I maneuvered my way into the small compound and parked the car at a spot. As I turned off the car's ignition, I couldn't help but feel a little bit afraid to go there. This place holds a lot of painful memories for me. Going in there would definitely reopen old wounds, and I wasn't sure I was ready for that.
Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself why I was here. After the wedding I would leave and everything would be fine, I said to myself, desperately trying to gain the courage to walk in there.
Slowly and gradually I walked on to the front porch, putting one step ahead of the other. And as I pushed open the door, I was met with a series of familiar faces all staring at me excitedly.
"Welcome!! " They shouted in unison.
I couldn't stop the smile that erupted from my face, erasing all the doubts I had about not being accepted. My mother stood near the kitchen with her apron still on her.
"Oh dear" she said while taking me in for a hug.
" You've grown so much. How have you been? " She said, looking intently at me, almost tearing up.
I smiled at her.
" Mum, I'm fine, and I missed you too" I said to her.
" My siblings and relatives were all already here for the wedding. We hugged each other, exchanging pleasantries and I couldn't help but feel at home.
As I hugged the last person, I looked up to see my father standing near the doorway. A shiver ran down my spine and I didn't know what to do. He was the person I was dreading to see. The last time I left here, things ended badly. I stood there dumbfounded, unwilling to take the first step. The room became as quiet as a graveyard. Everybody wanted to watch the drama that was about to unfold.
Fifteen years ago, I got pregnant with a guy after I had just finished secondary school. My family were beyond furious with me. Everyone was highly disappointed with me. Especially as the guy took off and ran away on hearing about the pregnancy. My father, on the other hand, took it to a whole other level. I was his favorite, and he could not accept to see me become like this. Along the lines, I lost the pregnancy due to the whole emotional turmoil it took on me. While it was painful, what was more painful was the look of disgust I would see in my father's eyes whenever he looked at me. While others forgave me and empathized with me, my father could not forget the mistake of my past and withdrew from me. Ever since then, our relationship has turned sour. I couldn't bear the look of disgust and disappointment I saw in his eyes whenever he stared at me, added to the pain of losing an unborn child. So I decided to leave for the good of everyone.
And after all this time, after fifteen years, here I was, standing face to face with my greatest fears.
"Grace" he said, walking towards me.
"Dad" I answered, my voice wavering at the end.
We greeted and hugged each other. Although the hug was stiff and cold. It was a step forward and I would be patient.
The following days passed by in a blur. The days were spent preparing for the wedding and the nights were spent reminiscing and catching up with my siblings and family. We talked and joked about the good old days. When mum would leave her freshly baked cookies on the dinner table at night, and Blossom, our last born with a sweet tooth, would sneak up each time to eat them all and my mum would always blame it on the poor gypsies she so believed came at night to take them.
As the days stretched into weeks, I realized that coming home wasn't all about revisiting my past, it was about finding the strength to move forward. And my family were all the strength I needed.
