Live your life

Picking up the call, I put it on loudspeaker so that I can continue with what I am doing before the call interrupted. It was my lil Sis but I accepted the call with the usual, “Hey sweetheart”

“vmm vmmm”

My phone vibrated.. 

“ohhhh, who is calling again?”

I have always hated calls all my life. I prefer texts to call and I hardly give out my hotline to people, definitely the person calling must be someone close. 

Picking up the call, I put it on loudspeaker so that I can continue with what I am doing before the call interrupted. 

It was my lil Sis but I accepted the call with the usual, “Hey sweetheart”, she stayed silent.

I stayed silent too.

After a few seconds, I heard deep sighs and what followed was a voice full of emotions. I continued to stay silent, tapping on my laptop keys and a few more seconds after, she voiced out.

I don't know how to respond to people when talking out their emotions so, in many cases, I stay silent. On that call, I let her talk out her mind. In the middle of her hiccups, she said, in the tiniest voice, “Bro, I’m tired. I’m really tired of everything.”

"Sweetheart, if I say I don't understand, I'd be lying. I understand everything." 

The entire call was surprising to me because my lil sis (let’s call her Habeebah) is the most closest person to me that I know. Habeebah is the person you invite out or take along with you to a green field for relaxation when you’re not feeling your best and come back feeling like you can take on the world. Habeebah will show what it means to have a confidant and you'll be at ease.  Sure, I’d seen her disappointed but it was usually only for a few minutes before she’d get back to her usual beautiful self.

So, the call was perplexing and saddening. 

We managed to discuss and end the call and I’ll share with you what I said to her because I think it might resonate with a few people.

_________

Live your life.

For as long as you like. But you need to know you can’t continue to feel oppressed just because of what you see people doing. Not as long as you have breath. 

And I know it’s pretty easy to say that from where I stand. I could never understand the magnitude of what you’re dealing with. I could never understand how difficult it is to be different from almost hundreds of people you see and meet every single day. To live among people who use sophisticated gadgets, flashy clothes and are in a seemingly between relationship. To be different from them because of your background or morals can be a hard but to crack especially if you attend one of the biggest University campuses in Nigeria like (UI, UNILORIN, OAU and others). 

I might not understand. 

But what I can tell you is to live your life and be yourself.  I'm not saying you shouldn't wish to have beautiful things but once the crave for them are affecting your psyche, you need to rethink.  We can't always get what we want but we can control the way we want to live. Do not forget that all you are craving is only for some time before they get archaic and new ones are rolled out  What will happen to the emotional prison you've locked yourself into? 

You just have to keep moving and don't stop. 

It may be difficult to see it now but the best parts of your life have not even happened yet. There’s so much in you waiting to be tapped.  So much love you haven’t given and received. Food you haven’t tasted. Wine you haven’t drunk. Places you’ve not yet seen. Vacations you’ve not taken. Love you’ve not experienced. Hugs you’ve not received. And joy you’ve not even begun to imagine.

So I’ll tell you what I told Habeebah. 

You have a beautiful life still yet to lead. All 

 you desire that's making you feel oppressed are just for a while. You can continue to feel sad tho but when you’re done, brace yourself and keep moving.

Because in life, we move.

And I love you.