The sky was without rain clouds and in a beautiful even blue, the reason it's my favorite colour. The golden eagle spreads it's massive wings and soars across the open back compartment of the mini truck. Inside I toss the tennis ball to my eager little sister. In a fit that surprised me, she jumped and caught it and threw it immediately at me. I stretch hard and catch it, twisting and curling my mid section to cushion the effects and impact of my sudden movements. And then, immediately toss it back at her as if I was a pitcher. My brother's cheered on and insist it's their turn and I loose focus for a fraction of a second. The mini truck had taken a turn and the ball my sister threw was going in that curve direction, I jumped and caught it and found myself back at the beginning.
My uncle had promised us that we could catch the our tennis ball as he drives us all around the fountain in our home in Benin city. I still remember the name of the street, even though it was decades ago and I was just seven years old. We struggle and push each other, eager to test this his theory. And then he declared we start the game by age. That settled the score, my little sister and I were older than my little brother's. I step and climb the mini truck without any ladder, straining my waist and limbs as I did. My adventurous uncle carried my struggling less agile sister into the back of the back of the metal rimmed open-back of the mini truck. She repeats words I've heard before and I toss the tennis ball in her direction. This time I was not surprised, she stretched, jumped and caught it. And I knew which direction she would throw it and caught it. The excitement was less and made me wonder if knowing what would happen before it did, was worth it. And then the mini truck swerved and I dived harder and curled outwards to catch it.
Knowing was predictable but there were also pockets of things missing, I wanted it to happen again.
But Time Jumps, Too Far Away. I wanted more and more and more as I shut my eyes....
It's Daniel and he looks younger than I remember and really handsome. I smile at him and find I am stretching as if I am actually about to catch the tennis ball.
I feel a little awkward and things look a little different and then I realized that I am not in Benin city but in Lagos city. And the body I am in, is of me in my thirties.
Daniel stares at me and asks again, 'are you alright?'
I look around and I'm in the hospital with his mother on drip and sleeping.
'Ade?', he sounds worried because I look confused.
'I am fine, just a weird dream'
Daniel smiled and it was pregnant with meaning and then he helps me up on my feet. I stretch and bend backwards, almost doing a crab stand and then I stop myself. I remembered my right hand now dislocates, so I no longer do those kind of stretching exercises. He watched me curiously and was kind of impressed by how backwards I could bend my spine.
'About?', he was implying that he was in the dream and I cut my eyes at him.
It seriously irritated me and I just could not wait for Alan to come at and erase those thoughts from his thick skull. Competition is healthy and how men are supposed to be wired, at least according to Celine.
She may be right or just trying t get me with her husband's brother, so our children are related.
I digress a bit.
With the way Daniel is looking at me, it's good I rope him into my dream.
'Time travel', I say and get back into my seat.
'What age?', he asks and moves himself and his chair closer.
As he does it reveals his hairy chest and memories of our serious smooch on the massive yacht with my name on it. What does a name matter if I don't own it legally, it's just a coincidence or a way to get tongues wagging. Typical of men to lift you high up and then yank the ladder out from under you.
'I was seven...'
'We didn't know each other back then..'
'No'
Lord can't I dream minus you, I think a little irritated he just made that statement.
'It would have been cool though, to be your friend'
'All my Friends from ages one to thirteen are still precious...', I say smiling sheepishly.
'We met when you were fourteen', he protests.
Now he gets it, I think to myself and lean into my chair.
'Earlier', he corrects me.
We both look at his mother as if to ask her to clarify, but she was too weak to even turn. She slept like a baby and we watched her like a hawk.
**"ADE'S JOURNAL", Season 3, Episode 57**
*"ADE'S JOURNAL", 57, COPYRIGHT 2018*
**BUSOLA ELEGBEDE, COPYRIGHT 2018**
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