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A WALK IN ROCKLEY I was so elated when I witnessed my visa stamped and approved. I was going to Bridgetown Barbados! After three long years of saving for this trip in a bid to escape the violent heat and hustle of the city of Lagos, trust me, I deserved a vacation. If only Marie had known my plans? I had a whole week planned out. I also had this cane hat specially designed for the warm weather in Barbados, and a collection of bikinis to show off which I cannot get to do within my environment because of how interestingly conservative we are in Nigeria. I told Marie, my friend, that I definitely would not return the same and she wondered what that meant, but, like I said, I had plans. The ride to the Murtala Muhammed International airport was quiet despite traffic. I arrived early enough to board. The flight was 18h 50 minutes, a typical bus ride within Nigeria but sincerely not the same feeling because I was beyond excited to visit another country. After a long journey, there I was in Bridgetown, witnessing the town at night with the sky full of a constellation of stars while the street lights ignited the night life as we drove to my hotel room. The weather was humid and it blew right into my face. The air smelled fresh and exhilarating. I knew I had made the right decision that very moment. Who knew the morning sun could sing? I woke up with melodies of excitement seeing a new day in a foreign city. Anyone would expect that I would be jetlagged but to my surprise, I felt as strong as a horse and I was up to explore. I had a quick shower, thereafter ransacked my luggage for the perfect outfit to suit my day and among my collection I picked a green skimpy gown that I had fantasized wearing for a long time. As soon as I got dressed, I took a walk. Interestingly, my hotel was a stone throw from Rockley beach. As much as I was excited about exploring everything, from the food to the people and the environment, I was keen about the beach. The feeling of the morning sun soothed my skin as I walked within the beach, encountering smiling faces and having the white sand sieve in between my feet. I certainly must have looked too fabulous to my knowledge because I had a lot of smiles flashed at me and a couple of winks. I acknowledged them, but I knew love was not going to come for me in that way. I walked past lovers holding hands; I walked past obvious tourists with their seats in their hands; I walked past children playing football on the white sand until I steady found myself among the coconut trees and a sudden serenity, which changed in an instant! I heard a loud crash on a rock followed by a loud scream. Gosh! I was terrified! But then, curious enough to know where the scream came from, I stealthily followed the sound. After a brief walk through stones and shrubs, in the silence of the trees; I caught the sight of what screamed… a green monkey stuck under a huge rock. I had never seen a green monkey until that day although I had researched on the wildlife of Barbados and discovered they were dominant in the environment. The monkey stared at me with its weak eyes. It obviously was tired of trying to get itself out. I was afraid. But, I curbed my fear and pushed the enormous rock with all the energy I had left. Remember, I had not eaten. Anyways, I freed the monkey and it disappeared almost immediately into the trees without saying “thank you”. I returned to my hotel room, out of style with dirt on my dress. There were no winks, no waves and I understood because I looked haggard. However, I was thankful I came out that day because that gesture to the monkey made me realize how fulfilling kindness is even without a “thank you".