I sat alone on the rooftop, the city lights blurred by tears. The weight of everything, family fights, school pressure, my past, pressed down like a storm about to break.
My phone buzzed again. This time, it was a message from Chinedu: "I'm here whenever you're ready."
But the words felt distant, like a lifeline I wasn't sure I could reach. I wrapped my arms around myself, whispering, "Maybe I'm not strong enough."
I waited till I saw everyone retire for the night then jumped down went inside the room hoping mum's asleep so not to see her disappointed looks but just like everything else lady luck was not on my side.
"Where you from dey come this useless girl, upon say you dey sleep around you don add stealing to to list of things weh you sabi do"
Stealing? I wondered
Mummy wetin happen
"I no he your mama o, I no fit born thief like you I no dey born pikin Weh dey sleep around you dey hear me. Where you keep my ten thousand Weh I keep inside my room"
I no see any money na which kind talk be this.
"I dey talk to you you dey ask me question Abi? You don gather mind for this house dey thief from me, you see that money you go vomit am today "
How do I explain to this woman that I did not see her damn money I'm not the only one living in this house neither am I the only one that has access to her room
Mummy I did not see your money besides I did not enter your room today.
"Which one be you no enter my room no be you wash my clothes no be you carry am comeback inside house as e dry which one be say you no see my money? Money Weh I keep in between my bed "
Mummy I no go there na, you give me clothe I was am fold for you I no see money na....
I could not
"You go see wetin you dey find today "
She picked up her phone and started dialing Martin's number today really is the end of it for me.
I went into the room seeing the sniper used for rat poising without thinking I drank of it. While waiting for its effect to kick in I just wrote in my last words.
"Open this door you this thief your brother dey call you"
Right on time mama you should win the Olympics I thought and dropped the pen as I went into a fit if cough she came in and saw the scene in front of her and all hell let lose
"You want kill your self say wetin happen this pikin, I don die, make Una hell me carry this girl o"
Not waiting for help or any thing she took me to my brother's place in a fit of confusion an frustration I was rushed to the hospital sis works
The night stretched long, filled with doubt and silence as I waited for the cold hands of death, but somewhere deep inside, a small spark of hope flickered.