Day 1 – The Secrets That Changed Everything
Abby’s Diary:
The Price of Silence
There are moments in life that change you forever. Moments so sharp, so unexpected, you don’t even realize you’ve stepped onto a path you’ll never be able to leave.
For me, that moment happened when I was ten years old.
The day I saw my father with Mrs. Eno.
At first, I didn’t understand what I was seeing. The way he stood close to her, the way their voices dropped to whispers. But when he reached for her—when his hands touched her in a way I had never seen him touch my mother—something inside me cracked.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But I didn’t move.
And then his eyes met mine.
For the first time in my life, I saw fear in my father’s face.
He rushed toward me, gripping my wrist so tightly it hurt. His voice was low, urgent.
“Abigail, you cannot tell your mother about this. You hear me?”
I was too stunned to speak.
His grip tightened. “If you keep quiet—if you don’t say anything—I’ll give you anything you want. Name it.”
I should have run. I should have told the truth.
But I didn’t.
I looked up at him, and I knew in that moment that I had something I never had before. Power.
“I want to go to Lagos,” I said.
His shock was obvious. He had always refused to let Aunt Grace take me to the city, always insisting I was too young.
But now, he had no choice.
“Fine,” he said. “But you must never speak of this. Ever.”
And just like that, I learned how secrets worked. How silence could be more powerful than words.
I got what I wanted. But at what cost?
Because once you start keeping secrets, once you begin trading silence for favors, you become someone else. Someone you don’t even recognize.
And I was just getting started…..hmmmm
Chris’ Diary:
The Waters That Haunt Me
I have always believed that God has a sense of humor, but this? This was just cruel.
Of all the places my destiny could have been—on land, in the mountains, even buried underground—it had to be across great waters. The very thing that has terrified me since I was ten years old. The very thing that took my best friend away from me.
If this was some kind of divine test, then I was already failing.
The Day the Water Took George
We were just kids, chasing adventure like it was a game we could never lose. The river near our village was forbidden territory, but that only made it more exciting.
George was fearless. He always was.
“Come on, Chris,” he laughed, kicking off his sandals. “The water isn’t even deep here.”
I hesitated. Something about the way the current moved made my stomach twist. But I didn’t want to be the coward. I didn’t want to be the one who held us back.
So I followed him in.
At first, everything was fine. The water was cool against our skin, the sun warming our backs. We splashed, we laughed, we forgot why we were ever afraid.
Until George stepped too far.
One second he was there, grinning, flicking water at me. The next, his face twisted in panic. His arms thrashed wildly, his mouth opened, but no words came out—just choking, gurgling sounds.
I stood frozen.
“Chris!” he gasped. His eyes were locked onto mine. Begging. Pleading.
But I couldn’t move.
And then—he was gone.
The river swallowed him whole, leaving nothing but ripples where he had been.
That was the day water became my enemy.
And now, years later, it had somehow become my destiny.
The Pastor’s Prophecy
And then a week after graduating from university, thinking about my next steps in life and how to be successful in a short time, George’s cousin, also my best friend, told me about the pastor’s gift of prophecy, Geroge convinced me, if the prophet told us our future , we would have a road map to get there faster. I was sceptical, butt something in me—maybe desperation, maybe fear of an uncertain future—made me go.
I needed answers.
The pastor laid his hands on my head, his voice calm, powerful. He prayed over me, calling on blessings, on visions, on truth.
And then he spoke the words that would change everything.
“Don’t be afraid, my son, all is well. Your future is bright. Wealth, long life, and fame will be yours. But one thing you must do… you must conquer great waters before you arrive at your destiny.”
I opened my eyes. My chest tightened.
Of all things… water?
I wanted clarity. I wanted to believe that “great waters” didn’t mean what I feared it did.
“Sir,” I asked cautiously, my hands trembling, “where exactly are these great waters?”
The pastor smiled, shaking his head. “I’m sorry, my son. The Lord did not reveal that to me.”
That wasn’t the answer I wanted. It wasn’t the answer I needed.
But my mind was already running. Great waters. That had to mean the ocean, didn’t it? It had to mean crossing the sea, leaving this place behind. It had to mean going abroad.
Europe. America. The UK.
Everyone knew success lived across the water. That was where people went to make something of themselves. That was where dreams became reality.
Maybe… maybe this prophecy wasn’t a curse. Maybe it was a sign.
A sign that I needed to leave.
A sign that no matter how much the water haunted me, it was also the key to my future.
And from that moment on, I thought of nothing else.
Even if I had to swim all the way there….hmmmm
