The
night was his nightmare; scary and depressing. It wasn’t about the
imaginative ghosts that existed in every corners of a child's world at night. Of
course, like every other child he had the impulse to shake, flee or run for cover
when power ceased at night, when heavy wind activated a tree into 'spirit'
dancing, when a naughty ruminant decided to make nuisance of itself in the
dark. But he was left more devastated, scared, forlorn and weak with what came
from within.
Like every
other of his peers, he was normal until he began to feel abnormal. He was
normal and felt normal till the air around him became polluted with scolds,
judgement and unhealthy comparison. His feeling of abnormality degenerated into
a disease condition the day his mother irretrievably released the virulent pathogens
encapsulated in her words:"you think
you are still a child? Borrow a leaf
from your younger sister". Adaku giggled before she pinched her nose tightly
as if she was protecting her nostrils from a visibly air-borne carrier hovering
aboard. He lowered his head and in an instant, tears and rejection took possession
of his countenance, fear took over his mind and gloom became his bedtime friend.
He was left in a lurch. "Take that
mattress outside and come back and soak the bed sheets", his mum
slurred as she stormed out of the room. She had never said such words to him before.
She had always laughed it off and dried the mattress later in the day. But that
day, she felt different. And from that day, she never felt otherwise about his uncontrollable
bowel movement while asleep. From that day, he began to make conscious efforts
to stop but he couldn’t have as much control in the subconscious. Night time became
scare time.He began to dread the night. His daily
activities became blighted by the memories of a mattress drenched in his urine.
He would remember the soul-depressing anxiety with which he stood up in the
dead of the night confronted by his mess. It usually started like a dream. In
such dreams, the desire to pee always seemed unquenchable. His dreams were
usually unreal but the peeing dreams defied the odds. So real they were that
they even left stinking evidence at his crime scenes.
TO BE CONTINUED ..........
Photocredit: nighthawkbedwetting
