I never knew what it was like to be free.
To be human.

I was born with congenital blindness and polio. I never knew what it felt like to skip across a meadow in the summer. I never knew what my own face looked like.

When I heard of Dev, I was indifferent at first, thinking it was some new VR game.
But not until the MaDe Pod was unveiled.

My mother wasn’t willing to let me go, but I had heard of the possibilities.
And they were endless.

I remember Tariku’s voice on the day of my transition. Yes, he had seen ME.

“What’s your name?” he said as he took over, pushing my wheelchair towards the Pod.

“Anyanwu.”

“A beautiful name. What does it mean?”

“Eye of the sun.”

“Do you ever wonder what it looks like? The sun?”

“Not a day goes by.”

“Well, the day is here, Anyanwu.”

And I did see it, and it was beautiful.

Written by Udeme Eric