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It was a cool morning in the city of Abuja, Nigeria as the cool morning breeze blew in through the open window and taps of rain dropped on the ceiling, there sat Chidera with stacks of clothes all around her making the room look jam-packed.
"I can't believe I'm doing this." she said to herself. Just in, her mum walked in.
"My daughter" she calmly called, placing a hand on her shoulder "you don't have to do this you know."
"Yes mum, but I think this will be a very good chapter for me, I just have to give it a try." Chidera reassured her mum.
Her mum's face broadened into a wide grin. "Your new job starts in two weeks time and you have never been outside Nigeria before, how do you plan to cope?"
"There's always a first time for everything so you don't have to worry mum. Chidera replied.
"Sometimes life throws things at us even before we are ready to catch them." Her mum responded.
"The words of her mother sunk deep in her heart, what if she's right? What if she isn't ready for this new chapter of her life."
The upper week came and it was time for Chidera to make her departure to America. Her junior sister-Ada, followed her to the airport where she was to board a flight.
Passengers hurriedly moved past with their luggages and emotions. Chidera looked around, they were loved ones hugging each other, bidding good-byes.
"Hope you won't miss us too much and don't cry." Ada chuckled.
"Cry? That's impossible." Chidera replied.
"Always remember where you are coming from, admist any challenges don't ever give up." Ada advised her sister while holding her hands.
"Chidera struggled to hold back the tears in her eyes as she smiled at her sister and nodded."
A voice echoed through the terminal, notifying the passengers to come on-board.
After some hours, Chidera pepped across the window and below were flickering lights and tall skyscrapers. "Wow..."she muttered to herself.
At the arrival gate in Miami international airport, the air seemed so different, the accent and model of dressing.
"Chidera!" Over here, Mrs Calmora called out, waving her hands. "Welcome to Miami, you would be staying at the company's accommodation for the meantime, though it's small but very conducive." She said to Chidera as they both shook hands.
The next 2 days, her work at the Auditing firm began, from filling balance sheets to ensuring all the firms fianaces are well accounted for. The stress from the workload at the firm really wore her down but she was determined to do her job efficiently.
On a cool Sunday evening, Chidera sat on a bench in a park, sipping her juice and watching couples holding hands walking around the park when a video call from her mother came in.
"My beautiful daughter! How are you doing?" Her mother exclaimed in joy while straining her eyes to see her daughter clearly.
"I'm doing good mama, how is Ada? I have missed you all so much but I haven't really had time to call, each time I want, to I keep forgetting."
" I understand, Ada is doing fine but you are looking so stressed my daughter, is there any problem over there? Her mother asked with a concerned voice.
"There's no problem mum, they are treating me very well but I don't really think I'm fit for all of these, I mean the workload and the environment."
"My daughter, you have to understand that a new chapter is always like that, with time and endurance everything will be okay, you will get used to it like others there."
"Okay mum...I love you" Chidera said as tears streamed freely down her cheeks.
"I love you too, stay strong and make us proud." Chidera's mother comforted her.
Days grew into weeks and weeks into months, Chidera now found Rhythm in her new environment.
On a Monday morning chidera received a mail from her company, the Company's representative was indisposed at the moment, thereby they needed her to represent the company in a meeting at California. The meeting was scheduled for Wednesday (2 days time).
The company's management booked a flight for her along with some allowances for the trip. She finally arrived there, she spoke brilliantly well and her company won the contract.
When she got back to her office at Miami, the Company's director invited her to his office and commended her. "You are indeed now one of us." As he shook her hands.
That evening she called her mum. "Mum, I think you were right, sometimes we don't need to know what the next chapter brings, we just need the courage to turn the page.