He Promised Me Work In Lagos, Na Trap I Enter (EPISODE 28)

EPISODE 28 – My Father Finally Talks

The days in Lagos felt heavier than ever, but one call from home made my chest tighten. My father’s voice, deep and strained, echoed over the phone.

“Nkiru… we need to talk.”

I paused, unsure whether to sit or stand. The years of silence, avoidance, and whispered rumors had made this moment almost unimaginable.

When I finally reached home in Umunze, the house was quiet, but the air was thick with unspoken grief. My father motioned me to sit, his hands shaking slightly.

“Child… I never tell you everything about your mother, and maybe I should have. She fought cancer, yes, but… there were complications we didn’t fully understand then. I was scared, we were scared.”

I listened, heart hammering, as he continued:
“I let rumors and whispers cloud my judgement. People talked about HIV/AIDS, but it wasn’t true. Your mother and grandmother… they were victims of illness, not shame. I failed to protect you from the stigma, from the pain, from the loneliness.”

Tears filled my eyes. For years, I had carried anger, confusion, and a sense of being cursed. Now, hearing the truth — raw, sincere, and painful — began to untangle the knot inside me.

“Papa… why now? Why tell me now?” I asked, voice barely above a whisper.

“Because you need to know… before you face the world fully. You need the truth to build your strength, Nkiru. Lagos will test you. Lagos go try you. But you no go face am blind.”

For the first time, I felt a bridge between my past and present. Healing wouldn’t come instantly, but the clarity, the father’s voice, the truth… it was a beginning.

I left that room with a small spark — a shield I hadn’t had before. Knowledge of truth could never be taken from me.

Episode 29 Coming Soon
Back in Lagos, armed with understanding and a rekindled inner strength, Nkiru decides to act more boldly. She begins documenting everything, preparing for the day she might fully break free.