WHERE THE LIGHT DOESN’T REACH.

THE ROAD SHE NEVER UNDERSTOOD Part I: The Silent Goodbye The house was quiet that morning, but it was not the kind of quiet that brings peace. It was the kind that presses on the chest, heavy like something unspoken that had been living there for years. Christiana stood by the small mirror in her room, staring at her reflection. Her eyes looked tired not from lack of sleep, but from too many thoughts she had learned to swallow instead of speak. Behind her, her mother’s voice echoed faintly from the kitchen, calling out complaints about money, about hunger, about life that never seemed to get better. Her father had left long ago, leaving behind only questions and silence that never healed. Christiana had grown used to surviving more than living. That morning, she packed a small bag. Not because she was ready for the world but because she was running away from the one she already knew too well. There was no dramatic announcement, no tears shared, no long goodbye. Only a decision made in silence. “I can’t stay here anymore,” she whispered to herself, though no one heard. Outside, the sun was rising, painting the streets in a soft gold that looked too beautiful for the kind of life waiting beyond them. She stepped out of the house slowly, pausing for a moment at the gate. Something in her chest pulled her backward memories of childhood laughter, broken dreams, and the girl she used to be before life became heavy. But she did not turn back. At the motor park, strangers moved around her like they all had destinations that mattered. A woman noticed her standing alone and asked where she was going. Christiana hesitated before answering. “Anywhere I can find work,” she said. The woman smiled in a way that felt both k“But Lagos also has many roads… not all of them are safe.” Christiana did not fully understand what that meant yet. She only knew she needed money, freedom, and a life that felt less like drowning. As the bus engine roared to life, she took one last look at the place she called home. Not because she was sure she would miss it. But because deep down, something told her this was the last time life would ever be this simple. The bus moved forward. And so did she.ind and dangerous. “Lagos has work,” she replied. Into a future she could not yet see. Next page: Part II: The City That Doesn’t Wait