Getting Lost Once Upon A Time

The first time I lost my way was when I was 14 years old. I can remember tagging that day as the worst day of my life then, but trust me, I've had much more worse days in my life. That day started normally like every other day, with me doing my chores and engaging in activities around the home. Every was going well until my Mom said I'll be the one going to the local market to buy what the family needs for the weekend.

Yeah
It was a saturday and ordinarily, she was supposed to be the one doing the shopping or any of my sisters, I mean, I have 4 sisters who are much older than I am. Why must it be me?

I had so many questions and I was nervous at the same time. First off, I've never been to the market to buy anything at all by myself. I don't even like going to the market. The few times I've been to the market was either I went with my mom or any of my sisters. Secondly, we all knew my dad to be very impatient and has low tolerance for mistakes. If you can't get something right then don't do it at all. I was scared that something might go wrong in the course of the shopping exercise, probably buying the wrong thing or even making poor choice of items. But, little did I know that what was coming was even worse than those things I imagined.

According to my mom, I needed to start learning how to have my way around the market because it's very necessary for a girl to learn how to do certain things from her mother. She was right and my dad was just by the corner nodding in agreement to everything she said and course,not forgetting to give me examples of other kids who are much younger than I am but are doing just fine when it comes to going to the market and buying things.

They weren't asking me to go, they were telling me in effect that I didn't have a choice but to go in spite of my fears.

My mom made a list and added the prices of each item I was going to buy, telling me to even bargain prices and try to get the items at a lower price if possible, because it is unthinkable to pay the exact price the seller tells you without bargaining first. If they tell you an item is sold for N1000, start bargaining from N300.

I was set to leave home for the market when my mom told me that I will be going to get the chicken we're supposed to use the next day, which is sunday, from a man she usually buys from. I know the man but I don't know where he stays in the market. I've never actually followed my mom to his shop. My mom said she'd give me directions and if there's one thing about me, I hate going somewhere I've never been before at the market to pick up anything. Especially if the location is little bit complicated.

I had a hard time understanding the directions she was giving, I kept asking her to repeat what she said until my dad, being the impatient one asked me to start going with the words "if you like, don't come back with that chicken"

I set off to the market and got everything on the list using all the shopping hacks I learnt from my mom. The time came to get the chicken and I couldn't remember the directions my mom gave.

Did she say I am to turn left or right when I get to the end of the road?

I was so confused that I ended up taking every turn I came across, left or right, I was just desperate to find that man. With every turn, I was drifting farther from where I started and it got to a dead end where I became so frustrated with the whole fruitless back and forth roaming around inside the market. I couldn't even bring myself to ask people around because I was scared of asking the wrong person and getting lost entirely. The sun was hitting me so hard, the only thing I left on my mind was to go home. How will that even be possible? I'm lost.

I went to a nearby bus stop and started crying my eyes out. I drew the attention of the people who were trying to get on the bus and a lady came close and asked what happened. I told her my story and fortunately she knew my neighborhood and promised to help me get home after helping me get the chicken that made me get lost.

At that moment, it was like I just witnessed a miracle. I was so happy to be finally getting some help and couldn't contain my joy.

I gave her my mom's phone number and my mom had to give her the direction to the chicken shop. Thankfully, she understood and we got the chicken. She helped me locate the bus stop where I will get a bus back home. I couldn't stop thanking her for that act of kindness as I got on the bus.

Before I got home, the word had already gone out to all my sibling that I lost my way in the market. When I entered the house, my sisters were like "here comes the wanderer!"

Wanderer, really?

I couldn't even face my dad because I already knew what he was going to say. My mom called the lady back and thanked her for her kindness. I didn't find that experience funny that day but it gets funnier now each time I remember it. Especially the crying aspect of the story, I find it very dramatic when I think of it. My sisters still call me a wanderer till this day and each time my dad wants me to run errands for him, he'll always ask " will you find your way back home, or will you drift off like you did the last time?"

I haven't had such an experience since then and hopefully it stays that way.

Thanks for your time
Image is mine