I can never forget that night. It was 2 am, and there I was in the corner of my bed, breathing so heavily as if I had just escaped from a monster trying to devour me, but you might ask, "Corner of your bed? Monster? How is that even possible?"
After waking up from this terrible dream, I couldn't sleep again because I was so scared of closing my eyes. I sat at the corner of my bed with my legs close to my chest while I hugged my legs so they wouldn't let go. With sweat pouring down my face, almost entering my eyelids, I watched every corner of the room, hoping nothing would crab my hands, but the more I stayed in the room, the more I became more scared.
The sound of the frogs living inside the never-flowing water in front of our house and the ringing of the cricket coming from the back of our home made me feel more unsafe in my room, so I ran to my parent's room in my shorts and singlet. It was the only thing that came to mind as a 12-year-old boy.
"Ko Ko Ko," I gave a gentle tap on my parent's room door, hoping for someone to come out and pick me up. There was no answer. I could feel the darkness in the passage to their room pulling me, but I stood at the door, gently tapping it. Then I started knocking harder and screamed at the top of my lungs after I felt a hand on my shoulder.
The door flung open, and it was my dad who opened the door. "Tioluwa, what is wrong? Kiloshele?" My dad asked me what was wrong with English and our native language.
"I had a bad dream; I can't sleep again, and it's like there is someone in our room," I said while my hands were trembling in fear, my mom pulled me closer and hugged me, and I became calm. After he had confirmed it was just my brother and sister that were in the room, he asked my mom to go back to sleep, then took me to the dining table, put on the light, made some tea, and asked me what really happened.
"I had a dream," I said.
"Is that all?" he replies.
"No, in the dream. I saw a man putting on a black robe; he was chasing me inside the kitchen, and I was running. It was just the two of us in the kitchen, and there was no door to run out. I was running round and round until he caught up to me; he held me down, and I couldn't do anything." I stopped to look at my dad, and he asked me to continue assuring me I had nothing to fear again since he was there with me. His words alone gave me the courage I needed.
"He held me down, and I was trying to call everyone, but no one was answering. I tried to call the name of Jesus, but I love my voice; the more I scream, the more my voice reduces. I couldn't do anything but beg for my life."
"You mean you beg for your life in the dream?" He asked me with a surprised look on his face. He smiled at me, then took a sip from his tea.
My dad pulled his chair closer to mine, and this time I could see the little wrinkles at the side of his eyes, and his white teeth, and I could smile at his fragrance already. He stretched out his hands to me, held my hands, and spoke
"You see, this is only proof that your spirit, man, is weak. You eat every day to become strong, but you are not feeding your soul. Don't you know your soul needs food too?" He asked me, and I shook my head, giving him a no.
"We humans are three in one: the spirit, the soul, and the body. You eat normal food every day to keep your body strong, but your spirit and soul are hungry. That is why that man could hold you down because it was a battle in your soul. You will give your spirit and soul food starting from tomorrow."
"Soul food? Spirit food?" I asked him. "Yes, you will give them food," he answered. From tomorrow, you will start reading the Bible because the word of God is the food your spirit and soul need. They are the spirit food and the soul food."
After much explanation, he pulled me closer and prayed for me; we both walked to my room. "You are a strong boy, and no one can harm you, ok, now go to sleep." With those words alone, the fear within me vanished, and I had a good night's sleep.
Thanks for reading.
Images used are AI-generated.
