Where do we go when we fall asleep?
Are dreams a gateway into another world?
Where do we go when we die?
These are but a small fraction of some of the curiosities that remain unsolved in my mind.
Death is inevitable we all know this, but are we ready for what lies after? Do we even know what lies after? Heaven? Hell?
The mere concept of dying doesn't sound soothing and I'm sure it's a really weird topic, regardless I would like to share my thoughts and experience on this matter.
In the days of old - even in recent times, people often refer to such experiences as a grace of a higher power, some are quite difficult to describe and no one is sure who is genuine. Religious believes live us to believe that after death, there's judgment and we either go to hell or heaven but what if physical death is just a continuation of one's journey into another plane of existence?
I can't say for sure, this is just one of those questions that will haunt me for as long as I live.
I do not know what lies ahead once we drop this material body but I do know that the journey back home is not over.
I've been a victim of series of Near-death experiences and that is exactly what this article is about. The reason I've lived is a mystery I can only answer to as the grace of God.
The drowning incident
As little kids, we all want to swim. Going to the swimming pool would get us excited but that was not the case for me to this day. I still suffer from this trauma although I've been making moves to finally get over it.
It was a Saturday morning, one of those well-deserved weekends after a long week of school, I was in primary school. As you would imagine, it was the curious phase - a period in any child when they want to learn and experience different things, for me, it was the idea of swimming.
My parents never allowed us near a pool due to an incident that claimed a life of a young lad who couldn't swim but wanted to show off to his friends, it was a real tragic experience and I do understand why they had tried to protect their young son from such a fate.
It all started with my breathing exercises, I would hold my breath and count just to see how long I would be able to survive underwater, soon after I thought it was about time to finally visit the water - how ignorant I was.
Please if you do not know how to swim, don't feel shy to admit it, instead, try to get a teacher to show you how to do it properly less you make a big mistake that could cost you your life.
I filled the tub with water - my mini swimming pool. I was so excited as I got undressed and jumped into the bath thud. I don't recall if the door was locked or not but into the bathtub the little boy was.
I had just finished breakfast, the stew was quite spicy just the way I like it. I had waited for my Mom to go out that day so I could get my privacy.
So, I buried my head into the water, I noticed how difficult it was to see underwater so I tried to turn to get a better feel of the experience, at that exact moment I belched right underwater and that was how I started choking and drowning, my immediate instinct was to jump out of the bathtub but I hadn't the strength to do that, I kept on gasping for air, I could feel the spicy burning through my throat, I tried shouting for her help but I couldn't make a sound. When all hope seemed lost I saw our neighbor's daughter run in, oh boy was I glad to see her - she had come to see my big Cousin who lived with us at the time. The water splashes I made gave her the hint someone was in trouble.
I still remember how it felt as I write this article, it's a burning sensation in your throat just fighting to breathe. I begged her not to tell my Mum since I was very sure how she would react. I told Mom later as years went by but I never ventured anywhere close to a pool until recently where I couldn't even place my feet in the water.
The Robbery incident
It was just like any other night, we had gone to bed early, my Dad had traveled, so it was just Mom, my brother, and baby sister at home. The power was on that night which was uncommon in the neighborhood, Angela-my faithful dog had just died and the rate of insecurity was at an increase.
Just after midnight, I woke to the sound of someone cutting the net in my room's window. I noticed there was a torchlight outside. I was not even sure of what was happening. I slowly creeped out of my room to wake Mom up, surprisingly she was already up- I don't think she ever really sleeps.
She was trying to call the "Vigilante"- the security in charge of a specific area- but no reply, we could hear the whistle of "Vigilante" close by but they didn't come to our aid. Soon after, we heard "Gbam, Gbam, Gbam" from the entrance door, we lived in an apartment with only one exit then so we couldn't escape even if we tried, the neighbors who heard what was going on hid in their apartment refusing to help out, "Every Man for himself".
It wasn't long when the door lock buckled and he was in, a tall man with a mask on his face carrying a locally made gun and a knife walked in. I was so shaky I could barely stand on my two feet. As he screamed for us to get on the ground I fell.
I noticed mom had been crying even as she begged the thief not to harm anyone
" Take anything you want, but don't harm my children "
My younger sister who was only a year old at the time was still fast asleep oblivious of what was going on, my brother was in tears, I thought I heard him ask "Mummy, are we going to die?".
The thief asked for Money as Mum went up to get it, he grabbed her laptop and phone, and the only money that was in the house was nothing as mum would say compared to our lives.
" everything money can buy can be replaced, not your lives".
As the thief left, I noticed the big shoes he wore, I wouldn't look up out of fear and that was the last thing I saw of him.
I had been spared yet again. We had been spared. But boy was that close, I couldn't sleep for many a night thinking the third would come back since he wasn't caught. As much as a part of me had hoped he'd be caught I was much happier to be alive.
The street robbery incident
This is the most recent, I was already in the University, it was my first year as a Fresher, I couldn't get a bed space in school so I lived off-campus, it was not the most luxurious of places, it was quite small but at least I had a place to lay down and rest after a really busy day from school.
It was the rainy season and I had washed my clothes that morning before going to school, I hang them on the fence. The fence shared a boundary with a Nursery and Primary School just behind the building I lived in. Even though we shared a fence, I'd have to walk a long way to get into the school gate and pick my clothes from where they must have fallen as I did any other day it happened - but not today.
It was a Friday evening, I had noticed some of my clothes had fallen over again, so I dropped my phone, my bag, and my wallet which contained my ID card as well as my debit card on the table.
As I approached the gate, I noticed the security man wasn't where he was supposed to be as I walked in. As I got closer the ground seemed to get even quieter, I was beginning to worry when some Boys surrounded me with knives asking for everything in my pocket, I had nothing which they confirmed fit themselves, I considered fighting back since they were relatively my age mate judging from their looks but I realized that they had the numbers and if they had killed me right there, it would take a long time for my body to be found that is if they can trace my identity back to the University.
So I begged for my life, one of them tried to hit me with a stick but was stopped by one other who appeared to be their little group leader. I didn't think twice when he said to me "Run". I was not even concerned about the clothes anymore, I just wanted to live. I had survived yet another experience.
Conclusion
Funny how little worth material things are when your life is in question, going through all of this made me even want to live, more importantly well.
I guess they were right
"on your death bed, it's not what you did that you'll regret but what you didn't do"
Since then I have tried to live my life to the fullest, we won't be here forever so why waste it. Treasure every moment you have because we can't know when it would be our last.
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Sounds like a fantasy movie!