Almost Forever

A fresh start

No one ever told Osariemen that leaving home for school would be a mixture of freedom and grief. After she got admission, she discussed with her parents that she had preferred to rent than stay at the hostel. You looked at the old-fashioned house with already fading yellow paint.

It was a cool Sunday evening, Osariemen had already arranged your bags and stocked her little provisions in a different bag and was ready to leave, as the bolt man was waiting already.

The surrounding was smelling and rain had just fell so the gutters was wet. She took a quick glance at the surroundings, which were a clean, tarred road aside from the messy gutter. Osariemen laughed inwardly, knowing this was the life she bargained for. As she opened the old creaking gate of the compound, the smell of cigarettes lingered in the air which made her tightened the grip on the handle of her box wondering if she made the right choice by choosing the apartment over the school hostel. She hurriedly walked past them as though she was hiding her identity.

" Watch where you are going!" a slandering, light-skinned girl slammed at Osariemen's face as she bumped into her and stormed away.

Before Osariemen could apologize, the girl brushed past her angrily. She watched her disappear from the compound , wondering what could make someone of her age, look so angry.

The room was paint with rough blue paint with a single window. The kitchen was so tiny that only one person could occupy it and, obviously, it wouldn't be enough for two of your size.

" When you get to 25 years old, you will hate yourself," Dad always says.

Just as Osariemen finished arranging her things, the door gently opened.

" Heyyyy"

She turned around and sees a girl standing at the doorway.

" Hi"

She muttered awkwardly.

" You must be the new roommate," the girl said casually, leaning against the door frame.

Osariemen nodded slightly.

" I'm Oluwadarasimi, "she said, extending her hand." Dara for short."

" Osariemen Omoregie," she replied.

Dara froze for a second.

" Okayyy.....I'll pretend that I heard that" she said giggling.

" Osa-rie-men, then Omo-regie," she replied as she tries pronouncing it slowly.

She chuckled.

" Your parents didn't just give you a name, they gave you a sentence," Dara said jokingly. " I had rather call you Sari."

" You can put the box over there instead it's better." Dara said as she assisted you in lifting the box to the top of the wardrobe. " Hope your regular clothes are not here?"

" No"

She replied dryly.

After Dara left, Osariemen sat at the edge of your bed scanning the room once more.

" This is home now. "

" No one will tell me who I'll be," she said to herself.

For the first time since Osariemen arrived, she let out a genuine smile.

Will this be the fresh start she had been hoping for?