Becoming Me

It started with a phone call. A simple phone call that, at the time, seemed almost too ordinary to become the beginning of something that would change the direction of her life. It was a Tuesday afternoon in 2021 when her phone rang. She was at home, sitting quietly with her phone in her hand, trying to figure out what she wanted to do with herself and, more importantly, what she was supposed to do next. Life had felt uncertain for a while. She had dreams, but dreams were easier to carry when they remained inside your head. The moment you tried to turn them into plans, reality had a way of reminding you how difficult everything could be. She stared at the screen when she saw the name of an old friend from school. She smiled slightly before answering. “Hello?” “Ah! Finally!” her friend exclaimed from the other end. She laughed. “Why are you shouting?” “I’ve been calling you. Where have you been?” “I’ve been here.” “Doing what?” She paused. “Nothing much.” There was a short silence. Her friend knew her well enough to understand what that answer meant. “Are you okay?” She looked around the room before answering. “I’m fine.” It was the kind of answer people gave when they didn’t know how to explain that they weren’t exactly fine, but they also didn’t know what they wanted anyone to do about it. Her friend didn’t push. Instead, she said something that would stay with her for a very long time. “Come and stay with me in Lagos.” She blinked. “Lagos?” “Yes. Come.” She sat up properly. “What am I going to do in Lagos?” “First, come. You don’t have to have everything figured out immediately. Stay with me for a while. Figure things out. Breathe.” She didn’t answer. She simply held the phone against her chest and stared into space. Lagos. The city everyone talked about. The city where people went when they wanted opportunities. The city people described as stressful, expensive, crowded, exciting, frustrating and full of possibilities. A city she had never lived in. A city where she knew almost no one. A city that somehow sounded like noise, traffic, struggle and opportunity all at the same time. The idea frightened her. But there was something else beneath the fear. Curiosity. What if? What if she actually went? What if leaving home was exactly what she needed?