Chapter 19: Dreams and Fears

“I heard from your father that in the southern coastal cities, many oyinbo people have started coming by ship.”

Her words sent a chill down my spine. The world outside our gates was changing, fast. “They want to trade with us.”

Trade, but also something more. My heart dropped.

I could see the pattern—the signs of old dangers returning. “The rulers are corrupt and weak, rebellion is everywhere. If things continue, it’ll just be the same old story.”

Her face was tense, eyes scanning the horizon as if she could see the future. My mother looked out the window at the children in the next room, their faces full of energy.

She lingered on each child, as if memorizing their joy. “I don’t want the people here, or this land, to suffer that pain again.”

She clenched her fist, her voice trembling with conviction. “Even if what I’m doing is useless, what if it changes things, even if just a little?”

She let the question hang in the air. My mother’s almond eyes shone.

They glittered with the light of a thousand unshed tears. Suddenly, I understood, and a wave of fear washed over me.

A coldness ran through my arms, but at the same time, a spark flickered in my chest. “Mama, what exactly do you want to do?”

She turned to me, her gaze steady.

“Nigerian sons and daughters are full of ambition, and dare to make the sun and moon change their place in the sky.”

She spoke the words as if they were both a warning and a blessing, a charge for all who came after her.