Childhood

TITLE: WAY BACK

In the prime of one afternoon, after trying several techniques to get him to sleep, Nnena got lost in her own world. She just turned eighteen with a baby and a Man that won’t come home, her parents had kicked her out of the house for causing the family enough harm for 6 kids – Failing her ssce twice, jamb and bringing home a 9 months result. She had no friend as she had to hide in shame, her protruding belly while her friends where moving their way up into choice universities and living their parent’s dreams.

The tears rolled gently and comforted her baby to sleep as her mind travelled back to the dreams she had as a baby, when life was easier – she had a mother who would kill for her only daughter among two other boys, she was a last child but everything hers came first on the pecking order.
She had no chores of her own nor could she put on her socks herself at 10, she would cry at every little snap at her but was a lover of everything grown ups where involved in, at 12 she cried to her parents to buy her a boyfriend she could play with after school hours.
She started out as a bright kid until all hell broke loose.

She was going to become a Pilot and fly all over the world, hoping to one day reach the stars – that was her dream. Now she wished her Parents had had the time to really scold her, control her learning and her desire for expensive things. She cursed them in her mind for not teaching her how tough life can be, how hard it is to toil under the sun, find nothing and still wear a smile like it’s all good.
She cursed the day Nathan, the post guard knew her at 15, she wished she didn’t enjoy it as much as she thought she did.
She wished she didn’t exist until her loud cry found its way into her head with a bang, she looked at her baby disinterestedly and promised to offer her a better life at whatever cost.

Victor Oyedele