TABITHA

CHAPTER 21

Today. Thursday. I'll be landing in Lagos any minute now.

How I've longed for this moment for the past fifteen years.

Sigh.

You would think that since I'd stayed in a new place for so long I should be able to call it home, right?

But no, even as I disembarked from the plane and felt the wonderful harmattan sun and cool breeze on my face, I realised that Lagos will always be home.

It might have been the dreary UK weather that always put me off.

I couldn't quite bring myself to get used to the incessant drizzle and cold.
And the bland tasting food they had was just horrible. If not for the few African restaurants and grocery stores there, I wouldn't have survived that long.

Now, I'll finally get to see my family whenever I want and not just on face time and short visits to Nigeria.

As I retrieved my luggage and began to head out of the airport, I saw a smiling figure in neon waving at me.

It was my brother, Mike trying to catch my attention. My grandparents, brothers and father were waiting to welcome me.

Smiling like a fool, I ran towards them and we all exchanged hugs.

What a funny sight it must have been to others at the airport to see a 33-year-old running like a toddler.

"You all didn't have to come to get me now. I could have taken a cab. Grandma and Grandpa should be resting." I chided.

"What nonsense! Our Doctor is finally back home with us permanently. It's a thing of joy. We had to come to show you how loved you are!"

Aww!

I was touched by what my dad just said.

Still smiling, we all proceeded to where they parked the car.

Soon after loading up the boot with my luggage, the journey to Lekki began.

Even though we were stuck in the usual and expected Lagos traffic, we all spent that time catching up on things we might have missed out on over the years.

It is indeed good to be home.

I'm sure you might wonder what I've been up to all these years.

I'm pretty much still the boring, bookworm that hibernates in her room when she isn't working.

It's always for my friends to get me to go out except it is dining out.

You know that I love food.

Anyways, like you might have figured out already, your girl is now a doctor.

A psychiatrist to be precise.

I've spent the majority of the past fifteen years studying and doing professional courses.

I have so many awards and titles that I forget some of them sometimes.

I chose psychiatry because of how I lost Rita.

It still hurts.

I vowed to do everything in my power to help anyone with mental illnesses.

To think that it took someone dear to me to realize how much society is affected by mental health.

I know, I know!

You want to know about Greg.

Sigh!

After the whole saga involving our parents and us getting scholarships, we both decided that it was best if we put our relationship on hold and focus on ourselves.