EBIERE 2

I love Imade very much and I need to spend more time with her, but I keep messing things up. Imade is my 6 years old daughter who lives with my mum. Mama is tired of the kind of life I am living and we fight regularly. I cannot forget the last fight we had, she said hurtful things to me.

'You are a disgrace Ebiere, I wish I was the one dead instead of your father, that way I won't be seeing all these.'

I wanted some more money from Mama, after the N20,000 I stole from her a month ago.

'Things are quite hard for me now Mama, but I will pay back. I have this business I want to invest in.'  I explained, but Mama wasn't buying it this time.

My mother is a church woman and she is amazing, we just never get along well. She hates the life I live. I hate my life too, but I can't help myself so I live it anyway. Don't even start to blame mama for the way I turned out. Mama brought me up in the ways of the Lord, but I wanted to explore other ways. Papa! Oh Papa! Papa died when I was a final year student at the University, the same year I began to do drugs.

Every time I look into mama's eyes, I see her pain. She cannot believe what her only child has become, a once dear daughter. If only for mama, I am trying really hard to stop doing dope, but I am in too deep already.

I have no place of my own. I stay with Nonye, a friend from way back. I recently fought with my boyfriend, so I moved out of his place.

I really need money and mama is not willing to give. I might have to spend the night at Kanu's house so he can give me some money.