I sat there in silence, scared out of my wits with my heart thundering in my ears. This was what stage fright felt like, I thought to myself. The crowd cheered as they waited for my performance and I scoured their faces looking for a familiar one. I had told my mum about today but it seemed like she wasn’t here yet. My dad was away for work though he knew about today too and he was regretful that he couldn’t be there for me. My palms were sweaty and sticky against my side. I tried to breathe in and out like he had taught me whenever I had a panic attack and I remembered his reassuring words,
“You are strong and powerful. Whatever you set your heart to do, just know that I am proud of you. You got this sweetie.”
I drew in a sharp breath and with a new resolve, moved closer to the microphone, cleared my throat and started singing. I peeped into the crowd one last time and I was awed to see my dad amongst the crowd, cheering me on. I could never have been more ready. I hit a high note and the audience went into a frenzy, cheering and chanting my name. I had written a song about my dad’s heroic nature as my father, mentor and the only person who truly understood me. I was a daddy’s girl and I wanted him to know that I was as proud of him as he was of me and I would never let him down. I finished the song and was rewarded with a standing ovation, led by my dad. I could see tears streaming down his face and I couldn’t hold back mine any more. At this moment, I didn’t know what I would do without him in my life.
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Read – Good Green Earth – A Flash Fiction by Elizabeth Olamigoke, Nigeria
Beautiful! I’ve always felt that a dad-daughter relationship is one of the most vital connections any female could ever make on this earth.