Chapter 1

K•E•L•S•I::::

Few years back Dad lost his job as a banker, he was a honest man, the only honest man I have known all my life.

Colleagues at his work place tried to lure him into embezzling some of the company's fund which he vehemently refused, one was  because he was a Christian and sees that as a sin, and two because of the trust and love his wife and daughter have for him.

Dad was honest in everything he does, some of the workers framed him up, accused him of lavishing the company's money and although the manager had a record of his honestly did not arrest him, but told him to leave the company.

That was how dad lost his job.

Dad was positive he would get another job soonest, seeing he has good grades and a very good working experience.

All hope to get another job became fruitless even as he tried harder, and things started getting worse gradually and the economy of the country too was not helping atall.

Dad couldn't keep up with taking care of the bills and he started entering into debts.

Mum was a strong woman whom I admire alot, she tried her best as a wife and mother to make sure we have something on the table as a family.

Never had she complained or disturb my dad for the upkeep of the family.

Mum was a Christian too.

We believe so much for a change, but it was taking long.

Years passed, and dad saw there was no hope anymore, no job, no food, no friends to help out and I was just done with my junior secondary school preparing to sit for my waec .

There was no money to register for the exam and the deadline was fast approaching.

I was very worried, dad too was. There was no hope of getting money anywhere, not when his brother who is the only relative and siblings he had in Lagos Nigeria after the death of their parents refused to help because he never supported him marrying my mum.

He accused mum of bewitching my dad to marry her, He called her all sort of names, dad stood to his ground and married her even without the support of his only brother.

' This so called woman you call wife, will be the end of you, I never for once have a good feeling about her' dad's elder brother said one morning when he visited us.

"Send her away, I don't like her as my sister inlaw"

"I will never send my wife away, our marriage is for better for worse", dad replied, refusing the advice of his elder brother vehemently.

"Please leave my house, I don't want my wife to come back here and see us arguing about our marriage" dad said, opening the door for his elder brother to leave.

"Don't come and meet me for anything atall when it's too late. And as from today I have no hands in your marriage to that woman", my uncle said and walked away.

Dad was very sad, that's the only brother he has.

He had no one to run to for help, not his brother, not his friends who left him now that he needed them.

We started selling some of our properties and mum had to sell her clothing shop just to get money for me to be able to sit for my exam, despite the hunger at home, I never relent in studying.

Because I've always wanted to be a science student and a medical doctor.

I was 15 when I sat for my junior waec, Dad was there to help me out with difficult questions while mum was away to do menial jobs.

I was young, inexperienced I never knew sadness and depression were eating deeply into dad, he masked all the sadness and pains with fake smiles whenever mum and I are around.

The support,love and encouragement from mum wasn't enough for dad that he died in his sleep, the D-Day to my exam.

*******

I left very early for the venue, dad was still sleeping as we thought, and mum saw me off.

When I was coming back in the afternoon after my first paper, I could hear cries of people from a far distance.

I was wondering what was going on, I double my step even though I was weak due to the fact that I didn't eat anything in the morning before leaving.

As I came nearer to the house, I saw mum crying and rolling on the floor,

"what's wrong"? I asked with a worried face, looking at no one in particular.

"Mum, where is daddy?"

Her cries increased, I was speeches, it finally Dawn on me.

Dad is dead!

I cried uncontrolably, I rolled on the floor screaming. Nobody could hold me, no one could console me.

We mourned dad for some weeks, until gradually we started living without dad.

One morning, a loud bang on the gate woke us up from sleep.

"Who is this early this morning?"  Mum asked standing up from the bed.

"Open the gate woman!" We could hear my Dad elder brother shouting 

"Good morning uncle"! We greeted when I opened the gate, we wondering why he was here this Early morning.

"Keep your greetings to yourself, after you have killed my brother, you think his property are yours?"

"You must be joking, before I open my eyes go in there pack your load and leave now"! Dad elder brother told with no trace of emotion.

Mum looked at me shocked and surprised.

" Ah! Uncle don't do this to us, dad just died few weeks ago, and we are yet to stand on our feet again", mum pleaded.

"Please Don't send us out of my husband house", she begged crying.

Uncle looked at mum with disgust, "who is your husband?"

"I told my brother not to marry you, because I know you are evil, but he didn't listen, now he's in his grave" he face showed sadness.

"Uncle please"  I pleaded with him on my knees.

"Don't send us away, we don't have anywhere to go".

When Dad brother saw that we were wasting time begging him, he called some boys to throw out properties outside the gate and locked it.

I winched in pain as to Why my uncle was so heartless.