Weekend gateway

"Ella, come back home right away!"

I swiftly turned my neck, expecting to see my dad's stern look, as he always stared at me whenever he dished out his orders to me. Alas! Only the whooshing sound of the breeze trailed behind me as the trees seemed to continually run past me. There was no dad behind; perhaps the constant nags and monitoring heightened my adrenaline. I definitely missed him, and I knew he would not approve of the excursion I was going on. "You only live once. " I thought to myself as the school bus continued its motion. Though I was twenty-one, my dad saw me as his priceless baby and companion.

---

"I'm not a child anymore, dad!" I had let out one solemn night after he rebuked me for coming back home late from a friend's birthday party, which only lasted until 8 p.m. I intentionally stayed till the end of the party, hoping to confront him if he challenged me. Yet again, he did not disappoint me.

My dad stared at me for a moment that seemed like eternity, staring and piercing into my eyes like he saw a bad vision about me. My confidence betrayed me, and hastily, I looked away. I wasn't scared; I just felt sorry for him. I was his only companion and friend after my mom got involved in a ghastly accident seven years ago. All the while, I wished he married another woman, for I worried deeply about him. He was a retired military officer and now a clergyman—two of life's choices I disliked, probably because of how my dad had turned. He wanted me to be all obedient, yet he applied his rule with a hammer.

"As long as you remain under my roof, you will do as I say! Now, go to your room, Ella." He thundered, stretching his hand towards my room.

"I'm sorry, dad," I said with a slight kneel before I slowly vanished from his presence. I knew my dad already; whenever he was pissed at me, leaving him to fuss was best for the both of us. I waited till midnight, hoping he would come knock on my door to resolve the dispute, as we always did in the past. This time around, he defied my expectations, even though I knew he was still awake.

I woke up the following morning after sleeping off on my guard to see my dad act as though we didn't have a misunderstanding the night before. I wondered why he seemed more receptive and relaxed that morning; perhaps he had begun to realize I was due for college and his influence on my life would be limited.

"It's alright, my angel; perhaps I overreacted." He said this after I offered an apology. You won't blame me; here in Africa, the younger ones apologize even when they are wronged.

---

"Care for a bite?" Tony tapped me with his right hand and a burger in his left as we continued on our journey to 'Ikoro' water falls, thankfully interrupting the mixed thoughts I had about my home and dad. I had read and heard so much about Ikoro waterfalls that I inwardly battled the thoughts of living as an introvert or taking a peek at what the world looked like.

"No, thank you." I replied politely with a smile as I saw his face feign a frown. Tony was my coursemate, good-looking and always smartly dressed, free-living like a bird, and he would not take no for an answer when I declined to go on the trip. He ensured that I committed myself to going with the remaining forty-eight students on the school bus. I wished I could be like Tony, but I could only wish, for my every step seemed only to be taken as preferred by my dad.

We sighted and arrived at our destination about thirty minutes later; dusk had already lazily crept upon us, casting long shadows of ourselves on one another. The excursion was for the weekend as freshman students of the college, which was organized and spearheaded by Tony, a knack I secretly commended him for.

We were welcomed by a middle-aged man, whom I assumed was in charge of the waterfall. He handed us the ladies to an ever-smiling young lady who led us to our reserved rooms, where we stayed four in a room. It was uncomfortable for me to stay in a room with three other ladies, but my options were limited. The ladies talked and interacted freely with one another, and I tried to chip in a word or two so I did not give them the impression of being alien to the team. The guys were led by the man (whom I eventually got to know was Mr. Henry), who welcomed us to their lodge.

Soon after we freshened up and ate, we were gathered in a well-lit, moderately spacious room large enough to contain us all. Here, we introduced ourselves and gave some background information. I was shy but tried to be as uncomplicated as I could be. I loved everyone's vibes, and this relaxed me a little. I tried to memorize my roommates' names too, so I would not sound awkward when we needed to interact. My dad's call came through during the introduction, but I silenced my phone immediately. My trip was one that must have be kept a secret from him.

I made sure I spoke to my dad the following morning and apologized for not picking up this call the night before. After breakfast, we were led as a group to the Ikoro waterfall by Mr. Henry, who excitedly shared tales and beliefs about the waterfall. He told us of many people who traveled far and near the waterfall to besiege the goddess of the river for supplications that ranged from issues of conception to finding love. 'Superstitions' I thought to myself as we climbed and descended on the other side, a small hill that blocked the waterfall from a distant view. I stood for a brief moment as I saw the waters fall heavily from a peak of rocks, splashing their might at the water base. Mr. Henry led us to a safe part of the waterfall, which was less turbulent. We changed into swimsuits and, for some ladies, bikinis.

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I enjoyed the warmth of the water as the scorching sun added to the belief of the natural warmth from the waterfall. The depths of the water were bearable; it was my first time ever entering a body this large, and thankfully, Tony was a sweet, handy soul to guide and guard. We took pictures, and for the first time, I forgot about the introvert Ella and let myself feel like a bird. Those pictures I quickly hid in my gallery vault so my dad would not see them. We had more than enough to eat after the waterfall experience and had games that involved us both individually and in groups. The crown of excitement was the bonfire we had, which involved us running in circles. Many of the songs that were sung were strange to me, but I made sure I enjoyed every bit, as I felt very juvenile. The roasted goat meat with zobo drink (an African beverage derived from dried hibiscus petals) hit my very soul differently, relishing the moment and wishing it never ended.

We retired to our rooms late into the night, and yes, we met dad's missed calls once again. I called him the following morning, which was the day we returned to school. Slowly, the memories of the weekend flooded the still and thick wall built in me, causing me to relax a little with life.

---

Tony and I became really close afterwards, and he succeeded in bringing out an extrovert part of me I never knew existed. I bonded freely with my other three roommates from the excursion, and our friendships have been rosy since then. It's been four years since I first took that bold step for a weekend trip, and Tony has made his intention known to me to marry me after dating for about two years. Shocked but delighted, I'm sure my dad will be when I present Tony as an additional achievement beyond my academic qualification. 'Perhaps the Iroko waterfall did bring love to me,' I thought as I nodded my head in affirmation of Tony's marriage proposal.