THE JOURNEY OF MY LIFE

CHAPTER THREEA STRANGER IN A NEW WORLDWhen I arrived in Lagos, everything felt strange to me. I had come from Akure, where life was difficult but familiar. Now I was in a place where the streets were always busy, people were constantly moving, and everyone seemed to be chasing one thing or another.I was still very young, but life had already taught me lessons that many people learned much later. I had lost my father when I was only three and my mother when I was thirteen. I had also been separated from my siblings. Sometimes, I wondered why so many things had happened to me at such a young age.Living with my uncle was another experience entirely. I had to learn how to fit into a new home and understand a different way of living. I missed my mother terribly. There were moments when I wished I could hear her voice again, see her smile, or simply sit beside her.But wishing could not bring her back.I slowly realized that I had to accept my new reality and find a way to move forward.Lagos taught me that life does not stop because you are hurting. The world continues to move, whether you are ready or not. People wake up, go to work, go to school, trade, struggle, laugh, and continue with their lives.So, I had to continue too.I began taking life more seriously. The responsibilities I had carried as a child had already prepared me for this new stage. I knew how to work. I knew what hunger felt like. I knew what it meant to sacrifice something for someone else. Most importantly, I knew how painful it was to lose the people you loved.Those experiences made me stronger, even though I did not realize it at the time.There were days when I felt alone. I would think about my siblings and wonder where everyone was and how they were doing. We had once lived under the same roof, shared the same struggles, and called the same woman our mother. Now, life had scattered us in different directions.I often wondered whether we would ever be together again.Despite everything, I refused to allow my past to completely destroy my hope. Somewhere inside me, I still believed that there was a reason I had survived everything I had been through.My mother's voice remained in my heart. Her faith, her kindness, and her determination stayed with me. She had taught me that no matter how difficult life became, I should continue to trust God and keep moving.Those lessons became my strength.As I grew older, I began to understand that my journey was not going to be an ordinary one. I had already experienced loss, poverty, responsibility, and separation. But I also had something that could not be taken away from me—my determination to make something meaningful out of my life.Lagos was not just a new city for me.It was the beginning of a new chapter.I had entered the city as a young girl carrying the weight of her past. I did not know what the future would bring, but I was ready to discover it.I had lost my parents.I had lost my childhood.I had been separated from my family.But I had not lost myself.And slowly, I began to understand that sometimes life takes you through unfamiliar roads because there is a destination waiting for you that you cannot yet see.My journey was only beginning.

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