I felt a lift tap on her foot and quickly sat up.

Coming out of sleep her aunt asked, 'what's wrong, Nessa?'

'I think someone or something touched my foot.'

Her aunt looked around, 'it's just a dream  go back to sleep.'

But I could have sworn I felt that light touch. I felt for my phone on the bedside table.

I liked to charge my phone during the night.

When I disconnected it the screen lit. It was 4:07.

I couldn't go back to sleep. Luckily it was gonna get light soon.

'Go back to sleep.'

'I can't, Mamkubwa.' Sleep eluded me, 'I felt it, aunt.'

Aunt Mercy had this look on her face like she was hiding something, 'I didn't see anything, and I've been awake for about an hour.'

'Maybe'

I couldn't go back to the land of dreams. My mind was too disturbed.

***

Later that day I mentioned the whole incident to mom.

We were sitting in the kitchen preparing dinner. It was still early five going six.

My mom always want us to eat dinner at seven. She believes you have to give the food time, 4 hours of digestion, before bedtime.

A knowing look came on my mother's face, "' believe you felt it.'

I simply asked 'Why, Ma? What was it?'

'For generations, our family has something we like to call, clairvoyance. It's something almost everyone has. You know that feeling something bad is going to happen and it happens."

'Machale?' Sixth-sense

'Exactly!'

We were in sync. Going around te kitchen, chopping, washing vegetables, opening cabinets looking for pans, spoons and spices etc. etc...

'When we were young, mother sat us, me and your aunts, down and told us about it.' Mama told me.

Surprised I asked, 'Bibi?'Grandma?

'Yes. I was around your age when we started to feel it. You wake up feeling down and an accident happens.'

'Like?' I was enamoured.

'Your friend's house almost burns down.'

'What?' I was shocked.

'Every human being has these feelings but to us it's more acute, to an extent you can't ignore them. The more you acknowledge them the more you experience them the more you use them the more you give them power.'

'So if I ignore them they'll go away?'

She threw me a pitiful look, 'No it doesn't work like that.'

'But you said-'

'It works like that for a normal person.'

'Are we not normal?'

'We are. But we were born with the ability to feel it more. You'll understand now that you've had your first touch.'

Looking at the clock she urged, 'Time's running let's finish making dinner. Your dad must be on his way home...'

Later that night...

'You haven't exactly explained what happened to me, Ma.'

She sighed, 'They felt your power so they tested your control. '

'Who are they?'

'Other clairvoyants.'

'What?' I didn't like hearing about this at all.

'They weren't there physically. They used an anchor.

'An anchor is a clairvoyant who can direct his/her power towards a specific person/point of power.'

'Whatever happened last night they felt your power. When you're sleeping you let loose that's how they knew. You have to learn control if you don't want them to find you.'

'How, Ma?'

'I've always told you, you slept like the dead. You have to be aware of your dreams and surroundings so you don't release your power.'

'How, Ma?' I was getting annoyed.

'By controlling your dreams.'

'Huh?' How was I to do that?

'When you dream about peeing, what do you do?'

'I wake up I go pee.'

'Dreams depict you daily experiences, actions and people you meet and think about. What you see at daytime can have an impact on your dreams. While they happen they always don't make sense. You see people who you know from different places at the same time. You could open a door going to a shop and find yourself entering the toilet. They always jump around. You have to find yourself out of those unexplained situations. Script your dreams. Don't let them tell the story. Tell it. Make them yours.'

'Oookay.' I still clueless.

'Now they know there's power out there, they'll keeping looking. Don't let them in.' Ma warned.

'What do I do?'

'Make sure your restless mind is clear before you sleep. Leave the questions for tomorrow. Now, I'm going to bed.Remember,  they are your dreams.'

Surprisingly that night was dreamless.

The next morning I found my mother making breakfast.

'Umeamkaje?' How did you sleep?

'Salama,' Well, 'shikamoo mama?

'Marahaba. Any disturbances?'

'None. She threw me a disbelieving look, 'I think.'I added.

She chuckled.

'It was dreamless.' I confessed.

'Better.'

'You have a long journey ahead. Learning your ability and evading the Mauras.'

'The what?'

'Mauras,' she set a steaming cup in front of me, 'It's like a group of people with similar abilities.'

I perked up, 'Can they help me'

'More like, use you.'

'Abilities vary. Some are anchors,  some are seers, healers and some can cause chaos... But the most powerful ones are the all-matter, Auras, like you.

'How do you know that Mamah?'

Since you were born.

How?

'I don't know. I just knew. Your aunt, Mercy is an Aura too.'

'But-'

'I talked to her. She agreed to train you. She'll see you after work.'