The In-Between
Back in school, Nina had filled out a form from a creative organization with her school's approval. The organization's mission was to bring young creatives together in a nurturing environment that encouraged artistic growth, innovation, and personal development. After submitting the form, life moved on, and as the months passed, the memory of it slowly faded.
Nearly a year later, the organization called her father to confirm that he was Nina's parent. The unfamiliar number immediately caught Dada's attention, but once the caller explained the purpose of the call, everything became clear. Since the organization had been unable to reach Nina directly, they had contacted the number she provided on the form.
The invitation, however, came at a difficult time. Her final secondary school examinations were only two weeks away, and Dada wanted her full attention on them. Although Nina consistently earned excellent grades, he always believed she had even more potential and encouraged her to give her best.
Around the same time, Praise returned home for the holidays after studying abroad. It was his first visit home since leaving the country, and Nina could hardly contain her excitement. His return couldn't have come at a better time. She had only one examination left—Mathematics—the following day.
That evening, the family laughed over dinner, enjoying Praise's stories from abroad. Nina secretly hoped no one would mention studying.
Unfortunately, Dada saw right through her.
"How's your exam preparation going?" he asked knowingly. "Tomorrow's your last paper, isn't it?"
A knot formed in Nina's stomach.
"Yes, Dada," she replied. "It's Mathematics."
The following morning, she woke earlier than usual but spent most of the time pacing around her room. By the time she reached the parlor, Dada and Praise were already watching television together.
"Good morning, Dada. Good morning, Bro."
"Good morning, love," Dada replied warmly.
Praise grinned. "Ready to celebrate after your last paper?"
Nina only smiled before heading into the kitchen, where Momma was helping Femi and Folu get ready for school.
After breakfast, Praise volunteered to drop the twins off before taking Nina to school.
"Nina, sweetie," Momma said, pulling her into a hug, "you're going to do great today. Just relax and trust yourself."
Outside, Dada leaned toward the car window.
"All the best, love. You've got this."
Praise laughed.
"At this rate, we should organize a parade for her."
"Shut up, Broo," Nina replied, rolling her eyes.
As they drove, Praise's teasing slowly eased her nerves. By the time they reached school, she felt lighter than she had all morning.
"You know," she said with a smile, "you're not so bad for a big brother."
Praise grinned.
"Go crush that exam."
When Nina returned home later that day, the tension she'd been carrying for weeks finally melted away.
"We knew you could do it!" Momma exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug.
The rest of the day became a celebration. They laughed over lunch and dinner while Praise kept everyone entertained with his jokes.
That evening, as the family gathered in the parlor, Dada handed Nina a neatly wrapped box.
She opened it, gasped, and threw her arms around him.
"Is this really for me?"
"I love you so much, Dada."
He smiled.
"I love you too, love. I'm proud of you."
"Well," Praise teased, "that's it. She's officially going to become a typical Gen Z—glued to her phone twenty-four seven."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Truthfully, Nina had never longed for a phone. While many of her classmates owned one, she'd never felt left out. She was perfectly content borrowing Momma's phone whenever she wanted to speak with Praise. Even now, she suspected her books would still receive far more attention than her new phone ever would.
A few moments later, Dada cleared his throat.
"By the way, I'll be leaving for London next week for a five-month course."
"I'm leaving next week too," Praise added.
The conversation shifted to flights, schedules, and the months ahead.
Before leaving, Dada reminded Nina that now she had her own phone, the creative organization could contact her directly.
Because he had forgotten to pass along their earlier invitation, she had missed the organization's first meeting.
When Nina finally attended her first session—which was actually the group's second meeting—she felt completely out of place. The crowd was unfamiliar, and she struggled to settle in.
Then she spotted Alia, a former schoolmate. Although they had never been classmates, they already knew each other well, and seeing a familiar face instantly put Nina at ease.
Alia filled her in on everything she had missed during the first meeting, including the organization's vision and plans for new members.
By the following meeting, Nina felt much more comfortable. The session was a silent reading gathering, and she found herself enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
As the meeting drew to a close, one of the organizers announced that the next gathering would feature original poetry performances and invited anyone interested to register.
Almost without thinking, Nina volunteered.
The excitement lasted only until she got home.
Then the doubts began.
She sat with her notebook for hours, writing, crossing out, and rewriting lines.
What if she forgot everything?
What if nobody liked her poem?
As the performance drew closer, her confidence faded even further.
The night before the event, she still hadn't decided whether to go through with it.
Then, just before midnight, she took a deep breath and completed the registration form.
Fear, excitement, and determination battled inside her as she pressed submit.
Tomorrow, she would stand before strangers and share a piece of herself.
She only hoped she would find the courage when the moment came.