WITH FEAR, FOR HOPE
WITH FEAR, FOR HOPE 1. THE BEGINNING. Fear. That was my major watchword for living life. I didn’t just wake up one day and decide to embrace it, I grew. I grew into fear and its feeble yet sturdy hands wrapped around me reassuringly. With every step that I took, it morphed gigantically and whenever I looked over my shoulders, it was my shadow. “Omokolapo!” My mother yelled. Startled, the ceramic bowl in my hands dropped to the floor and shattered into tiny pieces. “Ah ah.” She came tumbling into the kitchen wondering what was going on. Mother was so shaken that all she needed was a single tilt to fall over her face. “What happened?” “Nothing, ma. It was the way you called me, ma.” Still heaving, she rolled her eyes, “Was that why you broke a plate? Why do you always get startled, Omokolapo? Are you sure you are okay?” I knew the question didn’t mean she truly wanted to know if I was faring well or not. The required answer was to apologize and so did I. “Sorry, Mama.” “I don’t know w