A compelling story of an introverted teenager who in more ways than one is ostensibly beyond her years. Losing her grandmother and being left at the mercy of a capricious Nigerian society, young Obianuju is made to endure the ferocious fire of moder...
Wow! Lunch was amazing. Uju had never tasted such exotic snacks in her life before. She had always heard of hamburgers, pizzas and hot dogs, but had never actually seen or tasted them. Now she has.
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And as uncle Femi drives into their street, she keeps on scooping from her can of yoghurt, making sure to lick off every modicum of sugary cream from the inner hollow of the plastic spoon. For the first time in her life, her body feels lavishly immersed in surreal comfort. And right now, the childlike delight in her soul is so full, that it is nearly intoxicating.
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"We're almost home!!!", Tobi yells, tapping the back of the driver's seat in excitement. But his father ignores the disturbance and just keeps driving. Uju on the other hand, keeps gazing at this vibrant boy, as she sucks on her spoon; unable to completely wrap her head around his happy soul. It almost feels like there is an aura of positive energy around him, and like this beautiful aura is infecting her in a very peculiar way; making a latent flame of even more fervent joy kindle within her very core. But for her, plain joy is 'joy' enough these days. She tries to resist the sense of complete bliss slowly taking root within her, because she knows full well that she is not entirely out of the woods yet. If there is one thing she is certain of; it is that one can never be too sure, when it comes to life's twists and turns; and most of all, when it comes to human beings. You never can tell just when your sweetness will turn into bitter gall. Hence, Uju's happiness hardly ever fully intoxicates her until she is alone and secure, or with a book, or with a movie, or with any other thing she loves. The only two people who ever made her truly happy were Nne and Amaka. What beautiful souls they were! What will she do now, without them? What will she do now, without their genuine love and affection? Several others too have brought her immense joy from afar. Just being who they were was what she loved about them. But she was always afraid of getting too close; close enough to find out who they truly were; close enough to see the skeletons in their closets or taste their deadly venom. No; she much rather preferred to hold onto that image of perfection and bliss; that image of love and kindness she had of them. And now, she finds herself gazing at this little child before her; this embodiment of undiluted love and goodness, yet she still feels a bit apprehensive. Then Tobi turns to her in glee, letting out a smile as bright as the sun. And for some reason, this smile just makes her day. It reassures her that everything will be alright, no matter what. So, throwing caution to the wind, she eventually decides not to resist this moment of surreal joy. Therefore, she warmly smiles back at him before breaking into a friendly chuckle.
