Always and forever ❤️💫

New beginnings

September 8th 2007

Shiloh's POV

It was a really secure neighborhood. "You'll make good friends, and you'll like your new room; we're even going to have an interior decorator over to help you design to your taste," my mum was telling me. Her voice was tinged with a hint of plea as she had been trying to persuade me for almost two weeks now into wanting to move to Abuja, coming up with different promises, trying to spice up the deal so I would change my mind. After countless episodes of my mum trying to make me change my mind, I relented, as I didn't have much of a choice.

But I really liked staying in Lagos. I liked when Aunty Mafo visited and would make the most delicious jollof rice and put the biggest part of the chicken on my plate. The way my big sister would always watch green with envy was always hilarious. I would miss the hustle and bustle of Lagos, the way the city always felt alive regardless of the time, with people going about their business. I might even miss buying things on the roadside during heavy traffic. I would miss my cousins, and I would miss my friends at school; heck, even my teachers. But Mum said we had to move, and it felt like I'd have to start all over.

I sighed in defeat, fighting back the tears as we entered the airport. Aurora put a hand on my shoulder as she assured me that it was going to be alright. We waited for a few hours before boarding our flight, and as the airplane ascended into the clouds, I took a look out the window, peering at the life I was leaving behind. I sighed as I picked up my headphones to listen to some tunes. Next to me was Aurora, my big sister, and she was distracted, reading her favorite novel "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. It had become her new obsession, and after 10 minutes, I fell asleep, and by the time I woke up, we were about to land.

The drive to our new house was quiet, and the weather, as if in tandem with my mood, turned not so friendly as black clouds inked the sky and the occasional lightning flashed by, a clear indication it was going to rain soon. I liked the rain, but I was definitely not in the mood for the gloomy atmosphere. I didn't feel like talking, and the fact everyone was too tired to talk helped matters. My dad was already waiting for us there, as he had moved a week earlier because of business.

My dad was a successful neurologist but retired from practicing a few years ago and decided to build a chain of hospitals around Nigeria, making the headquarters in Abuja, meaning he'd stay in Abuja more often than not, and they felt it was best we all move.

We drove into the estate, and I saw our mansion. If I'm being completely honest, it looked beautiful, and as we alighted from the car and approached it, I was struck by the sheer size and grandeur of the mansion before me. It was a massive structure of brick and stone. I took in the sight before me as we approached the front door, which was an imposing set of double doors, intricately designed and made of oak. As we entered the mansion, the sight of the interior left me gasping. It was a vast space before me with a gigantic chandelier hanging from the ceiling, a sweeping staircase spiraling up to the upper floors, the walls painted with a brilliant gold and white, and oil paintings hung on the walls with the floor made of polished marbles. Off the main hall were different rooms with varying purposes but still tastefully furnished and to the right, there was a dining room with a long table and high-backed chairs with a slightly smaller chandelier hanging overhead.

I dropped my bag on the floor and walked tentatively around the house. A tiny squeal left me as I noticed a library with tall bookshelves that touched the ceiling with books on every single one of them. I knew without a doubt that it was going to be my favorite room in the house. I could've spent forever in there, but my mother called out my name. I ran out, taking another look at the room I was leaving, feeling the first tingle of excitement since my mom told me we were moving. "Well, this might be a bit more bearable than I thought," I said out loud to myself, before closing the doors and rushing to meet my mum. Heading to the kitchen where she was, I passed a bar room with an array of exotic wines with varying tastes. "I guess this room is specifically for my dad seeing as he's such a huge fan of wines," I mused to myself. I really couldn't get enough of the place as the aesthetics were simply breathtaking. I tried my utmost best not to let out a gasp so as to give the impression of still not wanting to move in.