Humulity:
So far so good sister.................

tnx, am encouraged.

"Why are you crying" he asked noticing my tear-sodden eyes.
"Mummy said I should stop schooling because there is no money"
"But mummy and daddy ought to have money to send us to school and buy nice things just like my friends parents. Why is their case different?"
"Dera I don't know, I just know that I will not be happy staying at home or selling things with mummy"
"Tell mummy so and stop crying"
I looked at my brother and felt so lonely and miserable because he will not understand. I dare not say that to mummy to save myself from ear-twisting and shouting that will earn floggings if I persist. Because I have been brought up never to say no or argue with mummy or daddy. As if reading my mind, dera dusted the ground, sat beside me and started telling me stories of how Udozie and Memma fought under the mango tree. Half listening to Dera, I stared into space wishing for answers to question that is coursing through my mind.


CHAPTER TWO
After mother finished instructing me on how to sale my wares, I lifted the small tray load of bread on my head ready to go.
"Nene" my mother called
I turned wishing that she had decided to let me go back to school. But instead she warned me to ensure I give out the correct change and that I should not loose any money. She pulled me roughly on my ear to drive home the point.
Tears stung to my eyes and I hastily wiped my eyes with the back of my hand sniffing at the same time.
My mother took notice immediately.
"Nene what is it" she asked searching my face .
"Nothing mother" I said hiding my eyes that have threatened to betray me.
As if in a dream, my mother hugged me and patted my back. I bade my brothers goodbye and made for the gate ignorant of what fate had in store for me.

About to bend into the path leading to Papa Ifeatu's shop I heard my name, a voice so familiar that it could not belong to any other person but my mother. For a second I debated ignoring it but a second shout from her saw me running to where she stood, hands akimbo.
"Where are you going"
"Good evening ma"
"I know the evening is good already, answer me"
"I....Papa Ifeatu...em em.....uniform, I ..."
She stared at my uniform held tightly with my two hands as if someone is about snatching it from me. For a moment she appeared to be in deep thought and then sighed.
"Come let's go home, I want to tell you something"
Obediently I followed her home abandoning the stitching of my school uniform. We walked in complete silence for some time until my mummy started humming her favorite song. We got home to meet my brothers still sleeping.
"What a log" I thought to myself having calculated how long they have been sleeping.
Mother took in the state of the room before she called me to come and sit in one of the rooms we are occupying which serves as the sitting room. I gingerly sat on one of the sofa that has lost its softness owing to worn out.
"Nene" mother began.
"Yes mummy" I answered anxiety creeping into my voice.
" I married your father because we loved each other then. Knowing that we were not financially stable, we agreed that we will work with whatever we have to train our children. But now things have changed. He is no longer the man I used to know. He has taken to drinking, battering, gambling with the little he has and always in debt. I have thought of leaving this marriage but where will that leave you and your brothers. The family responsibility is a burden that is heavily lying on me especially your schooling and that of your brothers. I have decided that since you have since you have finished primary three, you will have to e...m, e...m stop school for now and let your brothers continue until maybe we raise enough money for your schooling....."
I stared at my mother in confusion and stared back at me her eyes begging me to understand.
"..don't worry my daughter, you will continue your schooling later. But for now you will help me to cater for the family by selling with me. If we make enough...." A sound interrupted her and we turned in the direction of the sound and Peter staggered into the sitting room with sleep-laden eyes.
"Mummy" he called and she beckoned on him.
I took the opportunity and slipped out of the sitting room. I went behind the house and sat down in tears as series of emotion clouded my little mind.
I thought of school and my friends, and my heart broke in tears. The only place where I don't have mummy and daddy shout at me, where I play happily, am told to stop attending. I buried my face in my palm and cried for a long time until Dera tapped me.

The banging of the door told me that we were no longer alone. I opened my eyes a little and from the corners of my eyes saw my daddy rummaging inside the store. He couldn't be looking for any other thing except food because that is his normal routine. Eat food, quarrel with mother and drinks himself to stupor. My opened eyelid caught his attention.
"Nene" I pretended I didn't hear.
"Ne-ne" he thundered
I jerked from the mat his thunderous voice sapping every ounce of sleep from my being.
"Where is my food?" He asked alcohol smell filtering the room.
"There is no food, mummy didn't prepare any" I answered in a trembling voice because I have had such cases to realize the implication of such an action.
"Where is your mother"
" She...she...I don't know" I stammered when I remembered that I was warned by my mother to stop answering for her where-about to my father.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean that she didn't say"
"I hope to heaven you don't know because if you do"
He twisted my ear to drive home the point.
I rubbed my ear severally to ease the pain. With one last glance around the room, he stomped out to God-knows-where. I closed the door gently behind him.
" Our holiday will soon be over and we will be due to resume school and yet mummy has not gotten a new school sandal she promised me since last term" I thought to myself.
I ran into the room to inspect my school uniform when I remembered that it had to be stitched in one or two places. I hurriedly left for Papa Ifeatu's tailor shop to stitch my uniform after which I will pay him when mother returns. My heart leaped with joy when the realization hit me that resumption is in two days time. School sounds interesting because of my friends and teachers who do not shout at me unlike mummy and daddy.
" I can't wait to see my friends" I thought to myself and increased my pace.

D9ty7:
Just a question; are you writing in the past or present tense? Its like you are mixing it up.

I use both where necessary except you are making a correction.

Divepen1:
hmmm... I feel for nene


please insert a comma between the sentence.
As I walked slowly(comma) my ear....
* It is 'I'm' not 'am'
* There should a comma after the quoted sentences.
* And try to always start new discussion in a new paragraph I.e whatever you want to say after dialogues should be in a new paragraph.
E.G
' "Gather firewood when you return. Let me go and
borrow a tuber of yam from Mama Udozie".(This place should be in a new paragraph) My ear
tinkled at the word 'borrow' because




You are good, I must confess

tnx a lot for the corrections. I will take note.

****
At the age of eight , I know that my family's financial background is very poor such that feeding is a problem. The little profit my mother makes from her trading carries the family along. Daddy does nothing except to eat and drink to his satisfaction after his usual quarrel with mother. Halfway to Mama Kamsi's house, I stared at my barefoot in shame. My slippers has worn out and mother keep telling me that she would buy a new one. This has made it difficult for me to play with other children in the neighborhood as they always make fun of my being barefoot because my parents cannot afford a slippers talk more of a decent sandal for me. Casting one look at my worn out dress, I used the edge of my dress to wipe my face blinking severally to remove the dirt from my eyes. Satisfied , I went in search of my brothers.
As I walked slowly my ears on air in case one of the trees lining the bush path will drop a fruit for me. Gee, that will be a great lunch for me. From the corners of my eyes I caught my brothers sitting lazily under a mango tree with other children waiting for a fruit to drop for the lucky person. Seeing me did not excite them because that will mean a termination of their hope of picking a fruit.
"Mama is calling you both" I said as loud as possible. Reluctantly they sighed, got up and followed me home. Mother had always said that I should walk behind my brothers whenever we are on the bush path because being the eldest, I am responsible for them . But Dera, my immediate younger brother seems to have a problem with it this he makes impossible for me by dropping things on the road and then spends eternity bending to pick it. Frustrated I will grumble and leave him behind and drag Peter, my three year old brother home if he dares protest. When we got home, I left to do as mother instructed me. I gathered as many firewood as my arms could carry and took it home. The soiled face of Peter greeted me at the gate.
"I want to eat, am hungry" he cried
"But mummy did not keep any food. Let's go and crack palm kernel and eat, she will soon return" I lied knowing that my mother is due to return in the evening. But having a solution for his empty stoomach, Peter nodded and followed me. Dera equally joined us his six year old palm responding to the cracking with the intensity of the hunger. However I soaked a little garri in a bowl and we made do as lunch when the palm kernel refused to quench the hunger. Exhausted we slept off.

No part of this work should be transferred or translated in any form without the writer's consent. All the characters and events portrayed in this book are fictional, and any resemblance to real people or incidents is purely coincidental.
****
CHAPTER 1
I heard my daddy storm out of the house as the door to his room banged with a heavy thud. I peered from where I was hiding but did not see my mummy's tear-strained face running after him. That has always been her reaction whenever my daddy left the house angrily. After running after him in vain, my mummy will come back to cry till mucus draws from her nostrils to her aged wrapper . As usual she will hastily wipe the tears and regain composure as if she was waiting for that very thing to happen.
"Nene, Ne-ne" that was my mother.
I quickly wiped the tears that was threatening to spill on my chubby cheeks and went to answer her.
"Yes Mummy"
"Come here very fast" I could sense anger in her voice and my body tensed up as such call is always accompanied with beating all over me.
"Yes Mummy" I answered again averting my face from her probing eyes.
" Who spilled the last palm oil we have that was in the bowl?"
"I don't know, it is not me" I lied knowing that the palm oil must have spilled in the cause of their scuffle.
"Are you sure you are not the one?"
"Yes Ma"
She pulled my left ear forcefully "it should better not be you or else... By the way, where are your brothers?"
"They are in the neighborhood".
" Go and call them quick" preparing to leave she called me back.
"Gather firewood when you return. Let me go and borrow a tuber of yam from Mama Udozie". My ear tinkled at the word 'borrow' because it is a word commonly used in my home unlike in other families where buy is used instead of borrow. Grudgingly I dragged my feet to do as I was told.
***

The mother @lemafon

*sings in soprano* Eeh hapi birthday....Eeh hapi birthday* fast forwards song* May al ur yrs b NAD n prognosis xcelent[opt lan]. Mani api returns!

KMJ so sori abt ur dad. I knw d feelin too wel....its wel. Grand BD celebratn n mani hapi returns. Bringin my gift soon* bullet-proof car as d A. minister f dis thread* Stil u write...

Sunny360: Can't U see dat d front row is filled? Oya,sidon 4my back...4d 2nd row

Already booked my seat b4 d story began. Just to ensure d seat s nt given out. Buh incase u cn't c wel frm ur row, dnt wori I wil gist u d story lata.

KMJ is at it again *rushing 2 d front row* *well-seated* *smiles* Now let d story begin. Followin strongly....stil u write

Tank God u av fully recovered...more ink 2 ur pen.

Wow! Dis a real master-piece. Weldon. It had m guessin til d vry end.

Av cliched d glo airtime! Tnx a million bucks kingzpen. Kip d ink flowin. Waitin 4 d nxt update.

Repogal u r rilli such an intriguing writer. D way u made use of ur xters is so interesting n captivating. More grease 2 ur elbow. U r a genius. 4 m, d work s superb except d sexuality section. Skipped most of d contents cos d mental images. Its so nt my type#xtian#. Buh I commend u anyway. U av got d potential 2 do more, get goin!

Kingzpen, u r rilii a genius. I read al d 30 episodes witout movin an inch. I av dis flair 4 writting and I av some written work. But I must confess dat afta goin thru ur write-up, I doffed my cap 4 u. Good job n weldone. Mind if I add u on fb?