The gentle breeze coming in through the window did little to suppress my growing anxiety as I lay on my bed. The noise made by a cricket behind the door leading into my room added to this feeling. I wasn't sure what it was but I knew something was wrong. My heart was beating a little faster and my palms felt clammy. But what was wrong?

Above the sound coming from the TV in the living room where Uncle Peter, his wife, and my cousins, were watching SuperStory, I could hear a tiny little voice whispering a message to me. I wasn't sure of what it was saying, but I knew it had to be important. I jumped to my feet and began to pace around my room. Maybe I was just feeling anxious for no reason, but I didn't think so.

I looked out my window and stared at the amorphous figure curled up on the fence. Sick fear gripped me. I felt a cold sensation creeping down my spine as I held on to the battered shelf in my room. Oh..it was just a branch that had fallen of the mango tree outside my window. I felt relieved. But something was wrong!

I thought about my grades and I couldn't suppress a shiver. Things were going from bad to worse. Just last week, I scored a D in my statistics test. Then my mind switched to my growing debt. I owed money. And unless I did something pretty soon, someone would have me for dinner. At the moment I had just N250. What was I gonna do? I couldn't afford to call my parents. They had sent over N5000 about a week ago. This was probably the reason for my anxiety, or was it something else??

I thought about my many failures, my regrets, and my actions and inactions. I thought about the many lies I tell my friends each day. I thought about the Message a Jehovah Witness had preached to me yesterday and my walls began to crumble. Sister Mary had opened a can of worms; I felt dirty. I thought about how much my family was counting on me not to disappoint them. Surely, all or one of them was the reason for my anxiety. I lay down on my bed again, covered myself with a blanket, and tried not to think of tomorrow. Tomorrow will take care of itself. But I couldn't sleep. I kept turning as I stole quick glances at the moonlit sky.

Then I thought about Isioma. I remembered clearly the magic words she uttered last friday, "I love you Sammie". I smiled as I held tightly my pillow. I felt a little breathless. The sound of her voice came back to me with a force that knocked me silly. All of a sudden, my anxiety faded, my hands stopped shaking, and I felt relaxed. I closed my eyes as I eased into an easy sleep.

Last night had opened my eyes to a lot of things. Things I had turned a blind eye to for a very long time. And I know that the thought of Isioma might not be enough to save me next time!