EPISODE 5: ABOUT TIME
1673 Words
The Adetolas’ living room looked unusually busy that morning. Documents were spread across the center table...passports, visa letters, medical records, and neatly folded flight itineraries. Nia’s father, Mr. Adetola, sat on the couch with his reading glasses resting low on his nose, double-checking every paper with calm precision.
Beside him, Mrs. Adetola carefully tucked envelopes into a brown leather file.
“Your visa’s approved, your school acceptance letter is there, and your passport’s stamped,” she said, her voice both proud and tight with emotion.
Nia stood by the table, watching the process like an outsider as though these papers, not her, were the ones being sent away. Her heart thudded softly. Every stapled page was a reminder that the clock was ticking.
Her father looked up at her, smiling faintly. “Your flight’s booked for next week, Thursday. By this time next week, you’ll already be in Canada.”
The words hit harder than she expected. Next week. It felt too soon, too sudden even though she’d known this day was coming for months.
“Did you hear me, Nia?” her mother asked.
She nodded quickly, forcing a smile. “Yes, Mum.”
Her mother exhaled, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I’m proud of you, my baby. This is everything we’ve prayed for.”
“I know, Mum.” Her voice came out smaller than she intended.
Mrs. Adetola sealed the last brown envelope with careful precision, her eyes soft with pride.
“Your admission letter from Oxford University, Oxford, England, Bachelor’s in Creative Writing and Media Studies,” she said, smiling. “It still feels surreal.”
Nia brushed her hand over the neatly arranged stack of documents , passport, visa, flight ticket, health report, admission letter ,everything perfectly organized, everything ready.
“You’ve always been the dreamer in this house,” her father said from across the room, adjusting his glasses. “Now you’re finally stepping into the life you’ve always imagined.”
“Yeah,” she murmured softly, half to herself. “I just hope I’m ready for it.”
***
The sun hung lazily over the compound, throwing a soft gold hue across the tiled veranda. Nia sat on the low step by the entrance, phone in hand, legs stretched out, a cup of zobo sweating beside her. The quiet hum of the neighborhood was comforting , children running after a half-deflated ball, the distant rhythm of a pestle hitting yam in the mortar, and a woman calling out, “Hot akara, sweet akara!” from the roadside.
She scrolled through her phone until she found the group chat ,The Trio.
She smiled at their last conversation ,a meme about campus crushes and unfinished assignments. Her fingers hovered over the keypad for a moment before she typed:
“Guys, my flight is tomorrow morning .”
The typing dots popped up instantly.
“Wait, tomorrow?? As in tomorrow-tomorrow?” replied Amber
“You no even gree give person notice! We for plan small send-off now.” said Vanessa
Nia laughed softly, shaking her head. “You people didn’t even remember?” she murmured.
“I told you last week na. It’s just hitting different now.” said Nia
“Abeg, our UK babe, no go there and forget us o. Na from ‘good morning’ e dey start.” replied Vanessa.
“Better start forming accent now ‘Oh my Gawd, I’m studying at Oxford! ” Vanessa sent another
Nia chuckled, typing between laughs.
“You two will not kill me. I’ll call once I settle, I promise.” Nia said
There was a pause, then Amber sent:
“No jokes though, I’m proud of you. You’ve always wanted this.”
“Yeah, Nia. Oxford no be beans. Go and make us proud. Just… remember home, okay?” replied Vanessa
Her chest tightened at that. She looked up from the phone, eyes tracing the familiar streets , the mango tree that leaned too close to the power line, the rusty kiosk where they used to buy meat pies after class, the noisy boys arguing over football near the junction. Everything around her felt suddenly precious, like she was seeing it for the last time.
“I’ll miss you both so much,” she typed quietly.
“You better. Because if you come back with oyibo attitude, I’ll unfriend you immediately.” replied Amber
“Make sure you send pictures when you land o! I want to see those cold UK streets.” sent Vanessa
Nia smiled through the sting in her eyes.
“I will. I promise. I’m just… scared and excited all at once.” she said
“That’s how you know it’s real.” replied Amber
The message sat on her screen like a truth she didn’t know she needed to hear. She drew in a slow breath, staring at the fading light. The evening breeze brushed past, carrying the scent of frying oil and dust — familiar, grounding, home.
“Okay, I’ll talk to you guys later. Need to start packing up.” said Nia.
“We love you, traveler.” replied Vanessa
“Safe journey in advance, Nia. Oxford girl, represent us well.” replied Amber
She dropped the phone beside her and smiled faintly, though her chest felt heavy. Tomorrow. It sounded so close, so final.
A small boy ran past her gate, laughter echoing behind him, and Nia found herself whispering, almost to the wind,
“Tomorrow, I leave this behind.”
Her gaze lifted to the soft orange sky , one more sunset before everything changed.
***
Nia sat cross-legged on her bed, her fingers hovering above her phone screen. The room was dim, save for the soft golden light spilling from her bedside lamp. For a moment, she hesitated — unsure of how to begin. Then, with a deep breath, she typed out the message that had been sitting in her chest all evening.
“Hey, Ethan. My flight’s in the morning.”
Her heart thumped as she hit send. The three dots appeared almost immediately.
“Leaving? You mean… for Oxford?” he replied.
“Yeah,” she typed back, “everything’s set. My parents handled the last of the documents today.”
There was a long pause. For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t reply. Then his message came in — short, but heavy.
“Wow. I knew it was coming"
She bit her lip, staring at the words. A strange ache bloomed in her chest.
“I know. It feels strange,” she wrote. “I’m excited, but it’s hard leaving too.”
“I get it,” he replied. “You’ve always wanted this. I’m proud of you, love. Really.”
Her throat tightened. Ethan wasn’t the kind of guy to spill emotions easily, but those few words carried more weight than she expected.
“Thank you,” she typed, smiling faintly. “That means a lot.”
There was another pause before his next message appeared.
“Promise me you’ll keep in touch. I don’t want this to be goodbye.”
Her fingers froze for a second before she replied.
“It’s not goodbye, Ethan. Just… a different beginning.”
For a moment, neither of them sent anything else. The silence between messages spoke louder than words ever could. Finally, Ethan sent a single heart emoji — simple, quiet, but full of unspoken things.
Nia placed her phone beside her, eyes glistening faintly. She lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Tomorrow, everything would change. But for now, she let herself linger in the warmth of what was — and what might still be.
***
Nia was still staring at Ethan’s last message when her phone buzzed again — this time, it wasn’t him. She blinked away the faint sting in her chest and glanced at the screen.
“Congrats, newbie. I heard the news. You really did it.”
It was from her elder brother, Liam. A small smile crept onto her face. Unlike Ethan, Liam had always known how to lighten her mood even with a few words.
She typed back quickly.
“Thanks, Liam. I still can’t believe it’s happening. Everything feels… unreal.”
His reply came almost immediately.
“Better start believing it, kiddo. Oxford isn’t ready for you yet. And don’t worry, I’ll be at the airport tomorrow to pick you up. You’re not getting lost in London on my watch.”
Nia laughed softly, warmth flooding her chest. The thought of seeing her brother again after so long made her heart feel lighter.
“I’ll hold you to that,” she wrote back.
“You’d better. And don’t pack your whole wardrobe this time. It’s not a fashion parade,” Liam teased.
Nia chuckled, shaking her head. He hadn’t changed one bit. Still the protective, slightly annoying brother who always found a way to make her smile.
She placed her phone beside her pillow, a small sigh escaping her lips. For a moment, the room felt both quiet and alive — quiet because she was alone, and alive because tomorrow, everything was about to change.
- Writer
