It's past 10pm. I lay on my bed ready to sleep, after saying my prayers for the night. As I closed my eyes, ready for sleep to drift me away into the dream world, I began to roll side by side on my bed with trepidation about what the future holds for me.
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It's just a few months to my twentieth birthday, and the feelings of finally leaving teenagehood and facing the reality of adulthood made me so perturbed and horribly anxious. I began to imagine possible future events that are likely to happen as I journey into my world of adulthood.
“Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday! Happy birthday! Happy birthday to you!” My mum, dad and younger siblings woke me up as they all sang with a loud voice.
“Wake up, cutie. It's your special day”, my dad, sitting right next to me, on my bed, said and tapped my nose.
“Ouch!” I screamed and reluctantly opened my eyes. “Wow!” I exclaimed aloud and jumped out of my bed as I looked around to see my bedroom beautifully decorated.
The room is transformed with colorful streamers hanging from the ceiling, with balloons in every corner, and a huge "Happy Birthday" banner across the wall. A beautiful pink and blue cake with “Favour @ 20” written on it is placed on my reading table which is also beautifully decorated at the right side corner of my room.
“Mom! Dad! When and how did you put this together without me knowing?” I asked with a look that demanded an urgent answer.
“We did it with supernatural magic”, my kid brother answered which made everyone burst into laughter. “Well, that's a story for another time. You need to cut your cake, birthday girl”, my dad said.
As I stood right in front of my cake ready to cut it at the mention of “F-A-V-O-U-R” by the rest of the family, my alarm rang. It's 12:00 am.
I rolled to the left side of my bed and dragged a pillow close to my chest.
I stood at a corner in the supermarket trying to find the grocery items on a list I held in my hand when my eyes caught this young and handsome man. His black shirt, navy blue jeans and black shoes was a perfect fit on his body and this made him more handsome and admirable. I couldn't get my eyes off him.
As I looked again to capture his features which made me enthralled, I noticed him staring at me. I looked away. I carried my shopping cart and walked to the other corner of the supermarket to pick some toiletries. On getting there, I saw him standing right in front of me and cold shivers ran through my body.
“Hi”, he said walking towards me. “I'm Jason”, he stretched forth his hand for a shake. I shook him. “I'm Favour”, I said nervously. “Such a nice name you've got!” He said with a charming smile. “Thank you” I replied with a smile and it all started from there.
It's five years already after meeting Jason at the supermarket. Our relationship had grown into an amazing one. Meeting Jason has been the best part of my life.
I stood in the kitchen trying to prepare something for dinner while also reminiscing about past and wonderful moments I've had with Jason. Suddenly, my phone rang. It's a new number. I picked the call anxiously ready to hear what the speaker had to say.
“Hello, hello!” I said, waiting to hear a voice from the other end. “Jason is, Jason…”, the speaker said. “I can't hear you well. Hello!”, I said.
“Jason Wellington, 15, Macaulay Road, Off Thompson Drive, Sugar Estate. Come as fast as you can” the speaker said and hung the call.
Fear ran through me at the mention of Jason's full name. “What has happened?” I thought aloud. I stopped the cooking and quickly ran to my room to change my dress. “15, Macaulay Road, Off Thompson Drive, Sugar Estate” the location keep ringing in my head as I prepare to leave my house.
I began to picture events of what might have happened in my head. “Is it a police station?”, I thought. “No, it can't be.” I said to myself. Ever since I knew Jason, he has been the easy going, friendly, calm and focused type. He is not a troublesome person and I see no reason why the police are likely to arrest someone like him.
“Is it an accident?” I thought again. “Oh, no!” I said and began to cry. I remember when the speaker said something like “Jason is…” I began to shake with fear and in tears as I hurriedly boarded a cab to the said location.
On getting to the place, I could see a few people standing outside the house. As I approached the house, a beautiful slender woman approached me and said “You’re Favour, right?” “Yes ma'am” I replied. “Come in”, she said and walked me into the house.
“What happened to Jason?” I asked her. She saw the fear in my eyes and smiled. Five unknown faces were sitted inside the living room. My eyes glimpsed through the beautiful decorations in the living room.
“What's happening?” I asked the woman. “You'll know soon” she said with a smile. I sat on a chair ready to see what is about to happen. Two ladies walked into the house.
“Juliet! Faith!” I exclaimed and hugged them. “What are you doing here?” “Hmmm!” They both hummed. The other five people in the house also said “Hmmm!” with smiles on their faces.
“I'm here for Jason”, I said facing my friends, Juliet and Faith. “And Jason is here for you”, I heard a voice. It's Jason's. I turned abruptly and saw Jason on his knees.
“Marry me, cutie” he said. Everyone in the house cheered loudly with “Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” I screamed with tears in my eyes. I walked towards where he knelt and stretched my left hand to him. As he is about to put the ring into my finger, my alarm rang. It's 3:00am.
“Wow! I can't believe I spent five hours to travel five years into my future.” I said to myself.
Aware of the fact that I'm truly in the present, that anxious and perturbed feelings returned. “What does the future holds for me as I approach my new dawn of adulthood?” I thought aloud.
I rolled to the right side of my bed, dragged my bed cover up to my face and slept.