Britain, 1720
She felt the heat of the sun on her neck but it was the prickle of awareness that made her look up catching a pair of cold grey eyes watching her. She shivered.
Nigeria, 2016
Emi Preye was excited.
Her mother had tears in her eyes. They were together at the airport saying goodbye because it was almost time for Emi to board her flight.
"Be a good girl. Okay? " her mother said. " Don't make bad friends, or try drugs, or miss your classes. Hmm? "
"I won't ". Emi smiled. She was a smiler. She knew her mother was proud but sad to see her go but she couldn't help it. She was so happy to leave. She looked forward to no supervision in her life, staying up as late as she wanted, eating whatever she wanted.
She was sixteen and going to a university abroad. Her mother would have never let her go if her older brother wasn't already there and she didn't mind because she understood why.
She wasn't weak or sick but something about her brought out the protective instinct in people. She was light skinned and 5'3. She had an innocent face, bright eyes, and her smile had both characteristics. She had a soft, high voice. The type you often hear singing songs for children.
The fact that she could cry at the drop of a hat over the littlest things just added to that image.
She had used this to her advantage over the years to get out of chores at home and P.E at school pleading fragility and she was so believable her mother was wary about sending her off to school.
"I'll miss you " Hugging her mother, Emi felt the first frisson of fear and homesickness. She wouldnt be seeing her for at least 9 months if that and she would miss her so much; her smell, her voice, her hugs, her food, maybe even her nagging.
There would be no one to comfort her during her sometimes horrible period, no one to depend on.
Her brother didn't count. She loved him and she was almost sure he loved her back but he was a bully. He was 4 years older than she was but in her opinion acted like a child towards her. He pinched her, disturbed her sleep with meaningless requests and generally was a pest.
"Your brother will take care of you. Okay? "
At those words left her mothers lips and registered meaning in her brain, Emi felt tears come to her eyes. "No, he won't " she wanted to scream.
"Okay" she said and smiled instead. She wasn't stupid. If her brother wasn't there, there was no way her mother would have let her go to America by herself. "Tell Tari I'll miss him"
Tari was her 10 year old brother. He was born a month early, the day their father died in a car crash. Most people thought the shock of the news made Tari reveal himself early. Some thought he came to be a needed distraction to his suddenly widowed mother.
Emi didn't know what to think. She was ten and didn't really understand birth or death. All she knew was 'her father had gone to the Lord' and 'her brother came from the Lord'. In her mind, it was a trade by barter situation and she wanted her brother gone so her father would come back.
Right now, she was glad Tari was around. She wasn't sure she would have been able to leave her mother all alone after all the sacrifices she had made for them.
"Don't forget to call. Okay?" her mother said. It was time for Emi to head towards immigration and since her mother couldnt go to that area, they were saying their final goodbye.
"Okay."
"Go to church. Okay? "
"Okay. "
"If you don't feel well, don't just lie down waiting for it to pass by. Go and see a doctor. Okay? "
