After the movie, I dropped my impromptu movie-partner at his gate, and it was only then that I realised that I hadn't asked his name. Strangely enough, I didn't panic; I knew somehow that we'd meet again.

That night my restless feet carried me to the park once more, partly craving the different kind of solitude it brought me, partly curious as to whether I would see him again.

When my eyes spotted him at the same spot he was the previous night, I wondered if he'd been around all along, and I just hadn't looked closely enough. This time, however, I crossed the distance and positioned myself next to him.

"Why do I have a feeling this meeting wasn't as coincidental as its predecessors?" He asked, giving me a knowing smile.

"Don't flatter yourself. I wasn't stalking you." I retorted, then briefly panicked that I'd come off as harsh. I wondered where this abrasiveness was suddenly coming from.

"The thought hadn't crossed my mind." He simply said, still smiling.

"I didn't get your name, earlier." I muttered.

"I'm Daniel. You?"

"Amina."

"It's nice to see you again."

"Likewise."

We sat in silence, a bit awkward but not so much that it was uncomfortable. I worried that I was intruding on his quiet time, but seeing as he wasn't necessarily being unfriendly, I chalked it up to my own paranoia.

As though on cue, a ghostly figure appeared on the other side of the park, where I'd sat the first, sending a tsunami of fear coursing through my veins. My chest tightened and tears filled my eyes, my blood pounding in my ears and I trembled.

It's not real, it's not real, I chanted in my head, feeling as though my chest would explode as the figure floated closer towards me, threatening to envelope me in its realness.

A clammy palm rested on my hand and my head whipped sideways in shock, I realised I had forgotten Daniel's presence. I was not alone.

I kept my eyes fixated on the faint outline of his face, trying to recall the details I had seen earlier in the day. Gradually, my step father's ghostly figure moved backwards, across the fountain, out of the park, until he faded away as rapidly as he appeared.

--

I crept up the stairs to my house silently, saying a prayer that my mother hadn't woken up. The sun seemed to be peeking out from underneath the clouds, I'd spend a considerably longer time at the park that night, getting to know Daniel better. Even though there were long stretches of silence, they gradually lost their awkwardness, and by the time we both made our separate ways back to our homes, we were wordlessly comfortable.

Back in my bed, I contemplated what I'd do for the day, wondering if I'd keep wandering aimlessly each day like I was doing. It seemed university was off the table, I couldn't even stomach dealing with such a crowd in my current state, sure that each face would morph into my step father's till I suffocated and gave up.

That night wasn't the first time I hallucinated. They always came at night, and sometimes they took on different forms. I would either see him floating towards me like he used to, or the irrational sense of someone pressing down on me would overcome me and I'd have difficulty breathing.

These experiences were so complex. I had an idea of what could trigger them, but I didn't know how to stop them, and they were getting increasingly frequent, I knew I'd start seeing him during the day soon.

I couldn't help but wonder if my step father's absence had made things worse. Before my mother found out, I'd been scheduled to write JAMB again in three months, being reminded of it often and of how I needed to study more so I could gain admission. Now, she was completely silent. I didn't know what I was doing with my life, and j didn't know what I would be doing in the near future.

On top of that, I was seeing things, hearing things, and living in constant fear that I wasn't as safe as I thought I was. My mind was on a downward spiral to oblivion and insanity, and it was going so fast it made me physically sick. Nausea and headaches would follow my episodes, reducing me to a crying mess that begged the pain to go away.

My musings kept me up till the sun rose above the sky, it was Tuesday morning. I took a hot shower and put on casual clothes, dabbing some makeup around my eyes to conceal the fact that they were swollen and distract from their redness.

When I had finished, I heard my mother moving about in the kitchen. I went downstairs to meet her, greeting her and sitting across the counter. She looked to have something on her mind, and the furtive glances she was sending my way as she made breakfast told me the thoughts were of me. Again she was suited up for work, her black purse resting at the edge of the counter beside her phone that kept going off with messages and notifications. The incessant ringing set off something in me, each ping snapping off an invisible string that kept me tied to restraint.

"Amina," she finally said, pausing her motion to sit directly in front of me, taking my hands in hers.

"I think you should see a psychiatrist," she added.

I panicked immediately, wondering if she knew about the hallucinations, if she thought I was losing it.

"Mummy, I'm not crazy," I said, my voice lacking strength.

"I didn't say you were. I just– you've been through a lot. I don't think I'm doing an adequate job of helping you through it, I don't think my assistance would be enough. I think you need to see someone who can help." She said softly, her hands moving to my hair as I sat frozen.

"Mummy, I don't know. I don't–"

"You don't have to say yes right away, just promise me you'll consider it," she implored.

"Okay, I will." I said.

"Thank you. I have some more news for you," she continued.

"If you're still interested, I'd like to enroll you in a fashion school," she said, causing me to look up quickly.

"Yes, of course I'm in interested." I shouted happily, my eyes lighting up with excitement. My mother gave me a dazzling smile, flashing her pearly whites.

"That's amazing. Just research the school you'd like to start in, and send me the information. When I get back from work we'll go there together." She said, to which I nodded, my body throbbing with anticipation.

Even hours after she left, I couldn't sit still, going through the Instagram profiles of all the fashion schools I knew in Port Harcourt. I saw a few that piqued my interest and I sent screenshots to my mom's WhatsApp. Immediately I finished I felt satisfied.

My WhatsApp still had over 400 uread texts. I saw a few from Jake, realising I'd forgotten to unpin his name, as well as Esther's. Ola's name was pinned as well and I saw messages from him, choosing to open those instead.

The most recent of the 7 messages he sent read,

I don't know what's going on, but I'm really worried. I'm really sorry for my part in causing you pain, and I understand if you don't want me in your life. But, I just want to know you're alright. I haven't been able to reach you and your mom hasn't attended to my calls for weeks now. Please let me know you're ok.

I felt deeply saddened, because I knew he really had my best interests at heart, if anyone did. I hadn't picked up his calls in months, and after a while he stopped calling, probably thinking I was avoiding him.

I wish I could tell him what really went on those months.

I exited my WhatsApp and dialled his number with bated breath, feeling queasy as the phone rang.

He picked up on the third ring, and I could hear the tremor in his voice. "Hey,"

"Ola, how far?" I asked, a bit uselessly.

"I'm okay, you?"

"I'm managing. I'm sorry, for ignoring you. I didn't mean to. I've just been dealing with a lot." I said.

"It's okay, I'm just worried about you." He said, sadness evident in his voice.

"I know. Do you want to meet up and talk? I'd totally understand if you were busy." I offered, guilt eating up in my insides.

"I'd love that, I'll see you around 1pm?" He said.

"Yeah. Let's meet at Genesis." I replied, to which he agreed.

"I really missed you, Ami." He said, his voice considerably lighter.

"The feeling is mutual." I returned, also feeling like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

Perhaps not all parts of my past should be left behind, I thought, as I got ready to see my old best friend for the first time in thirteen months.

A/N

With regards to Amina's hallucinations, this book is not spiritual, meaning her mind is merely conjuring up images of her step father due to the trauma he caused for a very long time.  Hallucinations are a very common symptom of mental illnesses such as depression, PTSD, etc, as well as hearing things no one else is. If you or anyone you know is experiencing something like this, please see a mental health professional as soon as you can.

On a lighter note, the nameless stranger is not so nameless after all yeah?

Tell me what you think
-Rhys💕