Chapter 1: The Sudden Change

After WAEC finish, my own daughter—Morayo—wey almost run comot house and swear say she go drop out, just turn gentle lamb overnight. Next thing, she start dey cry dey beg me make I let am repeat one year for school.

My mind just weak, like old generator. As I dey almost give in—hand dey my wallet already—bullet comments just dey flash for my eye, like those Facebook live wahala where everybody dey drop yarns anyhow:

[This papa too wahala, always trying to scatter the girl and her boyfriend.]

[For her last life, he force the girl to leave her boyfriend, pressure her to read book and enter university. Even though she ended up comfortable, no wahala for food or money, she still dey miss the person wey she love pass.]

[But thank God, the girl don come back to life. This time, all this agreement na just to collect money run away with her boyfriend.]

[See our baby girl o, so brave! Ready to do anything for true love, even stand up to that stubborn, old-school papa.]

I looked at my daughter, watching her act pitiful in front of me, her phone screen lighting up from time to time like all those small girls when dem dey chat for WhatsApp group at night, hiding from their parents. Her knees press ground, face squeeze like person wey dey beg for last jollof rice at party.

At that moment, I just felt tired, like when NEPA carry light in the middle of Arsenal match and rain dey beat your zinc. E be like say all my wahala just dey for nothing.

If she dey ungrateful like this, sometimes e dey better not to get daughter at all. Na so my mind dey run up and down.