Happy New Year: Is 2024 The Year?

Happy New Year lovelies!

When 2024 rolled in, I couldn’t care less that we were in a new year. All I wanted was to go back to sleep and continue dreaming about the 100 million I had won in the lotto. In the dream, I did remember how I had bought the lotto ticket, but suddenly, when the girl appeared on TV to give the winning numbers, I magically had the ticket with me.

She talked so systematically that I thought she was AI-generated for a second. Then I remembered that I lived in Malawi, and it would take us years for that to happen. The thought had me laughing out loud because how she spoke reminded me of the Kardashians (Kourtney), just the lack of personality. If you know, you know! Anywho, she was saying the numbers and one by one, I felt the excitement in my bones.

I do not remember what these numbers were, I wish I did though because I would rush to play the exact ones. Anyway, she reaches out to mention the last number, then pauses for a second. She’s listening to someone on her earpiece, then slowly her expression devoid face starts to smile. At first, it looks like a grimace more than a smile, like she’s in pain for smiling.

Then she says, “Before I mention this last number, I have been told that one of our viewers has the winning ticket. Congratulations to whoever you are, the last number is….”. Immediately, I sprung up from the chair and erupted in what can not be called a dance. In fact, if Africans had been in my dreams, I would have been abolished from the continent.

As I am about to run off to my mum to share the good news, I hear a loud BOOM! I look outside the window and see nothing. However, my eyes start to move rapidly. I hear another BOOM!! louder than the last. I try to keep the noise out of my mind to finish the mission of telling my mom.

Then another BOOM!!! resounds, this time more annoying. Immediately, my eyes spring open, and my eyes are filled with noise coming from outside of the gate. I hear footsteps approach my bedroom, and from the thud on the floor, can tell that it is my beloved mother. She pushes my door open and examines the room before she talks.

“How is Evan doing?

He isn’t up, is he?

He’s not scared, is he?”

She asks each question right before I can answer the previous one. There is a nervousness in her tone as she’s asking. We had just discussed it the night of December 31st, how he could be scared of the New Year’s fireworks. Then a louder BOOM!!!! is heard, and for the first time, Evan wraps his tiny hands on my torso, holding on to me so tight.

It is only then I realize that he’s not asleep, just scared to share that he’s awake because of the noise outside. For a minute, I think about babies in war-torn countries and how it must be scary for them to go to sleep at night, knowing there won’t be peace even in their sleep. And the thought saddens me.

I look down at the human next to me, and his eyes are tightly shut. Evidence number two of his fear of the fireworks.

I slowly caress his little cheeks and head, hoping to soothe him and show him that I am there. A motherly instinct perhaps, to show our cubs that we are around them to protect them from harm. It also occurred to me that that was exactly my mom’s instinct when she showed up in my room.

I look up, and she’s still staring at Evan and me trying to convince herself that we are both fine. With my hoarse voice, I tell her “Happy New Year Mommy,” and that seems to break her train of thought. She did not say it back, but even in the dark, I could see the smile spread on her face before she turned and walked out the door.

I keep caressing my child until I hear the little peaceful sigh signaling that he’s back to dreamland. That’s when it hits me that I just lost 100 million of whatever currency. For the sake of my anger, I would like to think it was in pounds, cause that would have translated hugely to my currency.

I try to shut my eyes tightly, hoping I’ll magically travel back to my dream. All I get are rapid blinks, then a chime on my phone.

“Happy New Year Louisa!”

I keep thinking, it would be a good year if I had my dream and my money back. But I do not.

Anyway, now the dream has left so many questions inside my head. My 2023 was not the best year, but what business do I have dreaming about money on the eve of New Year? Even without the money, is that a sign that 2024 will give me a break? Will it be a good year? Or is the universe looking to make me excited before throwing a curveball at me?

Now I am looking for a dream interpreter or whatever they are called. I just need them to answer one question, can they help me remember the lotto numbers that I won?

I wish you a beautiful year, I hope it is filled with so many blessings. With so much love,

Louisa!