My First Internal Tattoo
Dear Journal,
Have I ever told you I’ve always wanted to be adopted by two rich gay dads? Haha I know, I say unorthodox things sometimes. I have no idea why but it’s something I always wanted in the back of mind since maybe 2020. Maybe because they seem to be knowledgeable and extremely supportive. And glamorous too haha. I met a man at the coffeehouse event who seemed so calm, collected and stylish. He seemed gay and I know that sounds so stereotypical but I’m being honest. It reminded me of my funny adoption wish.
Anyway, here’s what I read that night.
My First Internal Tattoo
Friday, the 21st of July was meant to be an unforgettable day for my family and I, especially for me. It did turn out to be unforgettable, but not at all in the ways we had hoped it would.
America has always been my dream country, I have dreamed of making my way here for as long as I can remember. Yes, you guessed it, it was considered an outrageous dream. Especially when you put my family’s financial status into consideration.
Growing up in a dusty rural town, in an unimportant state in Nigeria did not help make my dream any less “crazy” or “impossible”.
However, things were about to change, including the definitions of crazy and impossible. After barely surviving all the hurdles associated with obtaining an international passport and a visa interview date, we sold every valuable and our home to get more money. I held onto the relatively cheap flight receipt to St Louis Lambert International Airport I had booked five months ago as I hugged my mother, I was about to make my dream come true.
I got on a bus and rode for 5 hours from my state to Abuja, the capital city of Nigeria, to catch my flight. My family came along as well to see me off. We were spending our last savings on the transportation fare to Abuja, but they didn’t care. Anita was going to America after all.
On arriving at the airport, I said my goodbyes and ran in. I was there 40 minutes Ahead of my flight time.
When I got to the airline that I was meant to fly with, I wasn’t allowed to board the flight. I was told that I was late and even though the others were boarding the plane presently, but I couldn’t be allowed on it. They told me I had missed the flight, even though it was still there. When I asked them if they going to put me on a different flight, I was told to reschedule for three times the actual price.
Helpless and confused, I called my brother and told him that I had missed my flight. And like me, he couldn’t understand why. As he was speaking, I could hear my mother crying in the background. And just like that, my unforgettable day became my first internal tattoo.
