Tonye’s eyes fluttered open to the soft hum of her phone vibrating on the nightstand. With a struggled turn, she picked it up. She scrunched her eyes at the light emanating from the screen. It was 6:47 AM. At this kind of hour, everything felt too quiet; like the world was still holding its breath.
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She groaned and swiped the screen, struggling to blink at the notification. Aunt Nene has left a message.
Her aunt, Aunt Nene, had not been home in two years. She had left for Canada, chasing the dream of a life she had always craved for. The time difference made it even hard to keep in touch, and even though Tonye missed her aunt’s wild laughter and spontaneous visits, she had actually gotten used to her absence.
Tonye clicked open the message. It was a picture of a suitcase, open and half-packed, with an attached text: “Be there soon.”
Tonye frowned. What was the meaning of this message? Her aunt had a way of sending weird messages that always left her with more questions than answers. But, whatever. Aunt Nene was probably just doing her usual thing. Always being unpredictable.
Her phone’s ringing got louder, snapping her from her thoughts. She turned it over and saw that it was her mom calling. She answered.
"Tonye! You’re awake, thank God. Your aunt is here! She's downstairs!"
Tonye blinked, confused. "What? Which aunt? Which downstairs? Right now?"
"Yes, right now! She's been here since 5 AM, knocking on the doors and making noise as if she owns the place. Come downstairs now!"
Tonye raced out of bed, her mind was all over the place. Aunt Nene?Here? It didn’t make sense at all. She had not even mentioned coming home, let alone showing up unannounced. Even the message she sent this morning still proved she wouldn't be here at least not now. Tonye didn’t even have time to change out of her pajamas. With her messy hair and conflicting thoughts, she hurried downstairs.
When she got into the kitchen, behold! aunt Nene was there, seated awkwardly on the counter with an oversized suitcase leaning against her. On her oval face was a smile that looked like she had won a lottery.
“Tonye!” Aunt Nene cried out, practically jumping off the counter to pull her into a tight hug.
Tonye, stuck on ice, tried to piece together what was happening. “What are you doing here?” she asked with her hoarse voice from just waking up.
Aunt Nene pulled back and gave her a teasing look. “What do you mean by, what am I doing here? I’m home, my friend! For good.”
Tonye was surprised. “For good?” she echoed.
“Yes my dear! I’m not going back to Canada this time around. I got a job offer here in Lagos and everything just worked out. So, I’m gonna be sticking around for a while. Surprise!”
Tonye’s mind was going round in circles. Aunt Nene is back home for good? She never would have thought of that. For years, her aunt had been the wandering spirit; always leaving without any promise of return. And now, here she was, standing in front of Tonye, looking completely unbothered, as if everything had always been part of the plan.
“Wait a sec! you’re seriously gonna be staying here?! For real?” Tonye asked. Her confusion was now mixing with a hint of excitement. “No more Canada?”
“No more Canada,” Aunt Nene confirmed while winking. “I’m back home now.”
Tonye could hardly process this. Everything about this moment and seemed like a sudden shift that was not expected.
“By the way, did you get anything for me?” Tonye asked, pointing at the large bag that had clearly traveled across miles.
“Oh, you can check the bag out.” Aunt Nene laughed. “It’s filled with... a little something for you.”
Tonye raised an eyebrow, while trying to read her aunt’s face. “Something for me?”
Aunt Nene opened the suitcase and pulled out a very cute sapphire blue coloured camera. “I figured you might want to take shots of everything that’s coming next. I’ve kept one of these for years, and I thought it might be nice if you started your own collection of memories”
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Tonye took out the camera. her fingers carresed against the cool, smooth exterior. She looked into the camera case to find any other accessories for the camera, only to find a note from Aunt Nene. It read:
"The world is always changing, dear. Don’t let the present disappear before you take a shot while embracing the chaos that comes with it.”
Tonye was dumbfounded. It was exactly the kind of advice she needed to hear. Things had been feeling stagnant recently and she has been clueless on how to pull out of that funk. But now, with this camera in her hands, something in her clicked.
"You want me to start taking photographs?" Tonye asked, her voice was now quiet. At this moment, the weight of the gift was settling in.
“Exactly,” Aunt Nene said, grinning. “Take shots of everything that surprises you. You never know what might change”
"Okay," Tonye said with a more confident tone. "I will."
Aunt Nene clapped her hands. “That’s the spirit! Now, let’s make some plans. I’m going to need your help catching up on everything I’ve missed. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover, my dear."
And at that moment, Tonye felt a drowning weight life. She was not really sure where it would take her yet, but with her aunt’s return and the camera in her hands, she knew one thing for sure: her life was about to take an unexpected positive turn. The One she was very much ready to photograph.
Luckily her aunt is back for good. I don't think Tonye would have much to worry about in navigating the path her aunt is setting her for.
Yes of course. Thanks for reading 💕
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