On one beautiful morning filled with hope and peace, it was about 6:25 am, and there was beautiful sunlight; a beautiful and unusual morning.
Ndukwe gently stirred from his peaceful slumber. He opened his window, allowing the crisp morning air to fill his room, awakening his senses with a gentle touch. The rejuvenating scent of the outdoors washed over him, invigorating his spirit for the day ahead.
As he stepped outside, the soft grass tickled his bare feet, and the warmth of the sun enveloped him in a loving embrace.
Wow, what a beautiful day! He said.
At about 9:00 am, Ndukwe made his way to the stream, where he found a cozy spot beneath a majestic willow tree. Inhaling deeply, he closed his eyes and let the peaceful sounds of the babbling water transport him to a place of tranquillity. The soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze created a soothing lullaby, harmonizing with his own heartbeat.
As he settled into meditation, the world around him seemed to pause, allowing him to embrace serenity, and his inner stillness.
From meditation, he went into a trance, where he saw things beyond human imagination that cannot be expressed in words. He was in another world, and he kept hearing soft melodious voices singing in an unknown language and harmony.
His mind cleared as he opened himself up to the present moment, appreciating the beauty that surrounded him. He felt a deep connection with nature, a sense of oneness that filled his heart with gratitude and pure bliss. It was already 11:00 am, and he had spent 2 hours in the stream. His mom was worried because she had just gotten back from the market, and Ndukwe was not at home. He had left the house open and his younger siblings alone at home.
He stood up and took a deep breath, letting go of any lingering tension. With a smile on his face, he made his way back home. The stream is not too far from his home. He was eager to share the joy of the beautiful experience that he had with his family. But he felt a little worried, because he knew that his mom will be worried and angry with him.
As Ndukwe walked back home, he encountered villagers and neighbors who were staring at him. He quickly walked faster and began to run home.
Ndukwe got home after about 15 minutes of running. He saw his two younger siblings, Chioma (7) and Daniel (5 years old). He heard a loud voice, 'Ndukwe ị chọrọ igbu m, Ebee ka ị nọbu?' (which means 'Do you want to kill me, where have you been?' in Igbo language). She spoke with a loud voice. Her eyes were red, and she looked angry and tired. Ndukwe hates seeing her angry, so he sincerely apologize to her.
Ndukwe picked up some pieces of firewood from the backyard of his house and arranged the woods in a circular form, which had been broken into different fragments, and lit it up. He wants to prepare a meal for his mom and siblings. He loves cooking and it makes him happy if he is giving the opportunity to cook.
He looked to his left side from where he was standing at the backyard of the house, and saw something moving. Curious, he walked towards it, but upon arrival, he did not see anything. So, he went back, and continued cooking (roasting bush meat for pepper soup).
After approximately 10 minutes, the bush meat had been well roasted and it was time to start making the pepper soup. At that moment, he saw something moving again. This time, he was a bit scared.
He was alone and thought, maybe it was all an illusion. So, he screamed and called Chioma.
'Chioma! Chioma!! Chioma!!!'
Chioma quickly rushed out and asked him what's wrong. He said, 'Look to your right, can you see something moving back and forth? (Like it's confused).'
Chioma said, 'No,' looking at him with worry all over her face and wondering what he must have seen.
She said, 'what did you see? there is nothing there, or maybe you drank from Dad's palm wine and it's making you intoxicated.'
'Make sure the pepper soup is sweet,' Chioma said.
She laughed after saying it and walked back into the house.
Ndukwe replied, 'Big head, you are not useful,' (they both laughed).
He continued cooking and tried to ignore whatever that was moving. At about 15 minutes, he was done cooking; so, he went inside and served his mom and siblings the delicious meal that he had prepared. It's delicious, his mom said in a soft satisfying voice. She was surprised at how well her son can cook at a very young age.
Time flies so quickly, seconds turn into minutes and minutes into hours. Sunlight begins to fade away and darkness starts to fill the surface of the earth. The beautiful morning has gone and it's 9:00 pm.
Ndukwe kept thinking about what he experienced during the day and wished his day would never come to an end. Ndukwe said to himself, looking at the beautiful stars through his window, 'Thank you for today, but I wish it never ends.'
He sighed and closed his eyes to sleep. He tried to sleep but could not; he was lost in his mind and paroxysmal thoughts.
"What's the purpose of life?" When there is nothing permanent in this world, he said, looking upwards as he laid on his bed. I wish my day never ends, but it has ended. What is my purpose in this temporary world and life? (a rhetorical question but wishes it would be answered). I don't even have a friend because everyone thinks that I am strange, (keeps contemplating and lost in his thoughts). Slowly he fell asleep, but his mind was awake.
It was a dream, but it was his reality.
He saw a man clothed in a white fire rope. He shone so bright, brighter than anything that can be described in words, with large wings of flame that glowed with different beautiful colors that the earth or books have never recorded. Ndukwe was so scared and wished it to be a dream. The color of his eyes was unknown. Ndukwe's head to his feet was so cold as if he had been in a freezer for months. He could not move because he was so stiff. But he heard melodious sounds of different languages and voices like an echo, and he could not understand anything. After about a couple of minutes, he was able to hear him saying, 'I'm coming again.' Then he disappeared. Ndukwe could not wake up but fell into a deep sleep until the next morning.