In my village, there was a fence no one was allowed to cross.
It was behind Mama Nkechi's compound, made of old bambooo and palm leavees, but everyonee said if you lookedd over it, you would see somethinng you were not suppoosed to see.
They said on the other side of the fence........ there was a garden where money grew on trees. Some said there was a woman who never aged. Some said there were children made of light.
I am Adanna. I am 19. And I was tired of being hungry and being told "don't".
So one night, after NEPA took light and everywhere was dark, I carried a small stool and went to the fence.
My hands were shaking. I climbed.
And I looked.
On the other side of the fence, there was no garden. No money tree. No glowing children.
There was just a mirror.
A very big mirror, standing in the middle of an empty field. And inside the mirror, I saw myself. But not the Adanna with torn slippers and empty wallet. I saw myself wearing fine clothes, writing in a big book, people gathered around me listening.
I saw myself, but as I could be.
I fell from the stool. My heart was beating like a drum.........
I ran home that night and didn't tell anyone what I saw.........
But the next morning, I borrowed my neighbor's phone and started writing. I started with 11 BLURT. I started with zero voting power. I started with fear.
Because I understood now. On the other side of the fence is not where your blessing is.
On the other side of the fence is YOU, waiting for you to climb.
IMAGE IS AI GENERATED