He Promised Me Work In Lagos, Na Trap I Enter (EPISODE 33)

EPISODE 33 – My Name Still Get Weight

Even in Lagos, whispers know how to travel. I began to understand that no matter how far you run, your past can catch up with you — first inside your mind, before it ever reaches people’s mouths.

Each time I introduced myself, “My name is Nkiru,” a small part of me waited for something to happen. Judgment. Suspicion. Pity.
My name carried weight. Heavy weight. And for a long time, I did not know how to carry it without bending.

Sometimes, neighbours would look twice when I passed. Taxi drivers would glance at me through the mirror, that sharp look that made you wonder what they were thinking. Even in the market, voices dropped when I walked by.
“Na her? Na the girl wey dem dey talk about?”

At first, it shook me. It dragged my mind back to Umunze — the whispers, the quiet avoidance, the way people treated me like a walking bad omen. But Lagos has its own lessons. This city is too big, too loud, too busy for everyone to hold on to your story forever. Most people are fighting their own battles. Some will notice you. Many will not.

Slowly, I learned to choose who mattered. A few neighbours who smiled without questions. A woman who paid me honestly for cleaning. A caterer who allowed me help without asking for my past. And most importantly, myself.

I had started small jobs now — cleaning, assisting with catering, running errands. The money was not much, but every naira felt different. It wasn’t just cash. It was proof. Proof that I could stand without fear. Proof that I could survive without depending on anyone who wanted to control me.

Lagos was still hard. No be lie. But it was teaching me strength in small, steady doses.

The whispers did not completely disappear, but they lost their power. What used to feel like chains now felt like warnings — reminders to stay alert, to stay wise, to stay grounded. I walked differently. Carefully, yes. But with purpose.

That night, Lagos went quiet for a brief moment — the kind of silence that never lasts. I stood in front of the mirror and looked at myself. Not the girl they talked about. Not the name they feared. Just me.

I smiled softly.

My name still carried weight.
But now, I carried it with pride — not shame.

---

Episode 34 Coming Soon
New faces begin to enter Nkiru’s life — women who understand, people who offer help without conditions. But in Lagos, trust is never cheap.
Can she build real connections without opening herself to another trap?