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.
***

vry nice Ma'am,,,closly following ride on...#TeamMoreUpdatesPls

****
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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

So far so good sister.................

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

tnx, am encouraged.

U are doing a good job here!! Bravo

Just keep updating people are following, though very few will comment. Build the momentum, else you start losing followers. The story already had 300 views. Over 24hours without update will make people lose interest.

Zenith21:
U are doing a good job here!! Bravo

tnx

Humulity:
Just keep updating people are following, though very few will comment. Build the momentum, else you start losing followers. The story already had 300 views. Over 24hours without update will make people lose interest.

Am with u. Tnx

Humulity:
Just keep updating people are following, though very few will comment. Build the momentum, else you start losing followers. The story already had 300 views. Over 24hours without update will make people lose interest.

Am with u. Tnx.

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The sun was already casting small shadow behind me. I had just two loaves of bread left on my tray. I smiled to myself as I counted the money I realized for the umpteen times.
"I hope mother will be proud of me and might reconsider sending me back to school" I thought to myself.
I made a mental note on the distance from the central market to the house and decided to take the tarred road. I had barely walked few steps when I slipped and fell. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I mistakenly stepped on a banana peel tossed by the side of the road. Tears stung to my eyes as I failed to save the two loaves of bread from entering the gutter that almost filled to the brim with muddy water. A sharp pain on my left knee caused me to wipe the little trickle of blood that was slowly rolling from my grazed knee. My tray lay in the middle of the road. A middle-aged man helped to my feet after retrieving my tray.
"Next time be a little more careful because people can be so careless with these banana peels" he said wiping the tears from my eyes.
"By the way you are supposed to be in school. Why are you hawking instead"
My sealed lips refuse to part in response as I stared at my hands still clutching the money.
" I need to see that guardian of yours that sent you to hawk instead of school" the man said dragging me towards the road that lead to my house.
"My mummy is not at home" I lied when I realized that the man was bent on confronting my mother. A confrontation that will cost me tongue-lashing for letting the world know that I had stopped school.
The man stopped in his stride.
"Okay. Take this money for the bread you lost. I will see your mother some other time" he said handing me fifty naira note.
I thanked him profusely and left hastily before he will change his mind. I prayed silently that he would not remember the incident because mother will blame me for not being careful. I sighed in regret as more blood trickled from my knee.

I pushed the gate silently and tiptoed into the compound. I heard sounds and what seemed like moans as I approached the room. I went behind the house and peeped though the hole in the window. Daddy was trying to pin my mother to the bed while she struggled to let go.
"What kind of a woman are you? You won't let me reap the fruit of my labor. I paid for it so let me have it"
"Francis you are hurting me" my mother cried
"And I will hurt you even more if you don't stay quite"
"We can't keep making babies, there is no money to take care of them. Let me go, I am fertile now" my mother pleaded.
"Open your legs!" My father thundered and pinned her further on the bed.
My mother squirmed under him and pushed him hard. He fell, got up almost immediately and made a dash for my mother. She wasn't so lucky as he grabbed her by the arm and pushed her on the bed.
"Francis please let me take off my clothes" my mother pleaded as he pinned her two hands behind her head.
"I am not giving you any breathing space" my father said yanking her wrapper from around her waist, her underwear followed. He tore the buttons of her shirt and pulled her brazier roughly from her bosom.
He mounted on her like a disgruntled he-goat and thrust his manhood into her while my mother cried out in pain. A pain that went right through my heart and I covered my ears as if to shut it off. Having satisfied himself of riding on her like a broken wheel, he got off her and wiped the beads of sweat on his forehead. My mother's sob did not even ruffle him a bit as he zipped his trousers and made for the door.

Following!!

kitnah:
Following!!

u dn reach store? i wan buy fried fish o

sweetorgasm:
u dn reach store? i wan buy fried fish o

What's this one saying

Dey your lane,abeg

kitnah:

What's this one saying

Dey your lane,abeg

sharap there!!! aint u d one selling fried fish at yaba market?

sweetorgasm:
sharap there!!! aint u d one selling fried fish at yaba market?

Obsession is a disease,I swear
I must have been delusional to think you have an atom of sense in you.
Quote me no further

Op,sorry for derailing your beautiful thread!!

kitnah:

Obsession is a disease,I swear
I must have been delusional to think you have an atom of sense in you.
Quote me no further

Op,sorry for derailing your beautiful thread!!

mumu im jst telling u dat ur customers are waiting 4 u. "pls be fast, they need fish.

sweetorgasm:
mumu im jst telling u dat ur customers are waiting 4 u. "pls be fast, they need fish.

Guy,come,dem send you??
Ur head dey shake??
If you're looking for a place to showcase your stupidityy,why not swerve to the romance section.
Fvck off my mentions,and stop stalking me!!

Henceforth,you will be ignored totally!!

kitnah:

Guy,come,dem send you??
Ur head dey shake??
If you're looking for a place to showcase your stupidityy,why not swerve to the romance section.
Fvck off my mentions,and stop stalking me!!

Henceforth,you will be ignored totally!!

is it wrong 2 tell u to bring fried fish to d market to sell to ur customers?

Beautiful story already feeling for Nene and her mom. Nice work Clarakings.

Missmossy:
Beautiful story already feeling for Nene and her mom. Nice work Clarakings.

oh tnx

The gate creaked open and Dera entered dragging Peter behind him. At the sound of the gate opening, my mother hastily wiped her eyes and threw a wrapper over herself to cover her unclothedness. I gently tiptoed from the window before my sin finds me out.
" Good afternoon Sir" I said to my daddy and he stared at me questioningly. The anger and resentment I felt towards him overwhelmed me and I wished that I will never have to refer to him as father again.
"Nene whose money is that?" He asked advancing towards me.
"I...em.." I stuttered darting glances for a way of escape.
"Are u deaf!" he thundered and I shifted uneasily.
Just then my mother emerged from the room.
"I sent her on an errand, Nene let me have the money"
I ran quickly and handed the money to my mother while my father eyed me coldly. His gambling spirit has been aroused at the sight of the money.
"Let me have the money" he said to my mother as she hurriedly knotted the it at the edge of the wrapper.
She ignored him and continued to UnCloth Peter, a defiant look in her eyes.
"Isioma is that your dog barking?"
Mother busied herself with Dera ignoring him further.
As if possessed by a demon, father picked up a plank and made for mother who dashed into the room and bolted the door. I trembled with fear as his eyes went from the door to me. I shut my eyes as he raised his hand over me, silently praying the slap won't deafen me.
"Your lucky day" he muttered after what seemed like ages and strode off.