Octavia!
I heard my name from downstairs.
It was my mum's voice.
My heart immediately started beating at an unhealthy rate, like it already knew trouble was waiting for me. I stood up slowly, smoothing my shirt with shaky hands, trying to convince myself that maybe—just maybe—I was overthinking things.
But the air felt heavy.
By the time I got to the living room, everyone was already seated. My dad. My mum. My siblings. All of them sitting there like judges at a courtroom. No one was smiling. No one even looked surprised to see me.
I gulped.
"Get on your knees," my mum said.
Her voice was flat. No emotion. That scared me more than if she had been screaming.
I did.
The cold tiled floor kissed my knees, and suddenly I felt very small. Very exposed.
"Are you a lesbian?" she asked.
Just like that.
No warm-up. No warning.
I felt my throat tighten. I looked at my dad, hoping—begging—for him to look at me. He didn't. His eyes were fixed on the floor like there was something extremely interesting there.
"I'm not," I replied quickly.
Too quickly.
"So why did your siblings say they saw you and Jolene having sex?" she asked again, standing up this time.
Ahhhh.
My brain literally short-circuited.
I turned to look at my siblings. They avoided my eyes. One of them even had the audacity to look uncomfortable, like they were the victims here.
Before I could open my mouth to defend myself, I felt it.
A loud, resounding slap.
The kind that makes your ears ring and your face burn at the same time.
Tears instantly filled my eyes.
"It's this place and the way they think," my mum said angrily. "That's why you're acting like this. You can't try this nonsense in Nigeria!"
She sat back down like she hadn't just shattered my entire existence.
"Octavia," my dad finally spoke.
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"I already called your grandma. I'll book your flight tonight. First thing tomorrow morning, you'll be headed to Nigeria."
I froze.
Ground me? Fine.
Take my phone? Painful, but manageable.
But Nigeria?
I couldn't move. I couldn't speak. I couldn't even breathe properly.
Shipping me off to God knows where?
For what?
All I did was kiss a girl.
Sex?
When?
How?
Where did they even get that from?
My siblings are demonic. Actual demons.
This is definitely my village people's doing.
At first, I didn't react. I stayed there on my knees, staring blankly ahead. A thousand thoughts flooded my mind all at once.
Nigeria?
Homophobic Nigeria?
"No steady electricity" Nigeria?
"No Jolene" Nigeria?
I immediately collapsed onto the floor, sobbing like my life had just ended—because it basically had. I begged. I cried. I promised.
I swore I wasn't a lesbian.
I swore my siblings were lying.
I swore I would never talk to Jolene again.
I swore everything.
Nobody listened.
They walked away one after the other, leaving me there on the floor like a discarded object. I stayed there for almost two hours, crying until my head hurt and my throat felt raw.
When I finally realized they meant every word they said, I dragged myself up and went back to my room.
I packed in silence.
I kept wondering if this was my real family or if I was secretly adopted 🙂.
Within the next twelve hours, I was no longer in Canada.
No goodbye party. No closure. No explanations.
Just me, my bags, and my broken heart.
When I arrived in Nigeria, the heat slapped me harder than my mum had earlier. By the time we reached the compound of the house my dad built for my grandma, I was exhausted—physically and emotionally.
Octavia!
My grandma's voice rang out again.
I quickly dragged my bags into the living room. The house smelled like palm oil, dust, and something unfamiliar. Everything felt strange—the walls, the furniture, even the air.
Luckily, my grandma had a helper. She helped carry my bags to what was supposed to be my room.
After she dropped my luggage and left, I sat on the bed and stared at the walls.
This was my life now.
I replayed everything in my head, over and over again.
Was that lame excuse of a kiss really worth being thrown across the globe?
I had friends. School. A life.
Now I was literally forced to start over.
As I tried to plug in my phone, the light flickered… then went out.
Complete darkness.
I let out a humorless laugh.
"Shit."
I lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling I could barely see, wondering how a single moment could change everything so drastically.
And just like that, my new life had begun.
... To Be Continued