1 CHAPTER ONE

.

Everything was going smooth. We were a family of Four. My twin sister(Anike) and I, Mum and Dad. Mum worked in the Civil Service and well Dad business which I knew nothing about seemed to be going on smooth. Mum's job pretty much paid all the bills. Her job made life comfortable for my sis, Dad, Mum and I. Mum would occasionally buy small chops, Fried rice, Juice, Cake and other pastries for my sis and I. She also helped Dad financially. Mum was good to Dad, Anike and I. I simply had no worries and I thanked God for life. People, Family and friends were exceptionally sweet to Mum, Dad, My sis and I. At that age I was innocent and thought the world of everybody. Mum resigned from her job when my sis and I were 15 years old. She stated the job was stressful and partly because she couldn't meet up the target she was given in the bank. I still loved Mum no matter what.

A year later, Mum was not as chubby as before. Mum did not have her own personal business yet. The money she was given right after she resigned was used to pay for Anike and I's SS3 school fees. Mum was not complaining because her love for my sis and I was evident on her face. Dad was less concerned as usual. The hard times eventually came. In less than a year and a half, Mum, Anike and I could hardly eat 3 square meals. Dad was less concerned. He'd leave 500 naira for us to eat in a day. There was no foodstuffs at home and it was pure torture. Mum would sometimes cry at Dad's behaviour towards her because she didn't treat him like this.

Before long, Dad started beating Mum up right in front of Anike and I. One time I tried intervening between the two of them but I was hit on my face by Dad. I came to despise Dad when he beat me one particular night because he thought I didn't set the table for him to eat when clearly his food was on the table. He beat me to a pulp using a belt constantly on my neck most especially. I almost died when he was beating me. He eventually left me when Mum started begging. My neck was already positioned on the left side. I couldn't move my neck. Mum quickly ushered me to the bathroom whilist she was sobbing. Mum then decided then that this was his true colour.

With this incident, Mum, Anike and I studied his character thoroughly. The next morning he gave Anike 150 naira to get painkillers for me. With our collective observations, we decided that he was a greedy fool. He was involved in betting, started moving with men he didn't before and he was an alcoholic. He blurted it out one day that why did Mum resign and that she should have not. He was not used to carrying responsibilities. Anike and I gained admission into the university after three years but those three years were the worst. Sometimes Dad would leave for work without dropping money for food. Mum, Anike and I would go hungry and eventually go and collect bread and Tea on Credit. Sometimes he'd leave 200 naira for the three of is to eat. Mum, Anike and I were lean.

Anike and I came back home one particular holiday after a semester and I was amazed at what I heard. Dad was going to sell our car. I was devastated. I fell on the floor and tears rolled down my cheeks. What the heck was he thinking! "But why would he think of that?" I said admist tears. The car was for Mum but she couldn't drive So Dad drove it. She had gotten the car from the bank on a loan. But Mum had already paid it all since they deducted it from her salary every month for three years before she left the bank. I decided then that Dad must surely be a Monster.

I wrote how I felt towards his stupid decision in anger that day in my diary. And then I returned it to where I normally kept it. I was surprised when Dad called me on a Sunday morning. He showed me the exact content of my diary only that the page where I wrote it was already torn out. "What is the meaning of this?" He was pointing to what was written in the paper. I was clearly shocked to see that a piece of my diary was in his hands but I wouldn't let him see that. "Oh. It's for a play Anike's acting in school." That was a white lie. But I didn't care as I told him whilist I looked him in the eye. He was not God and I wouldn't let him intimidate me. He was clearly boiling in anger but was keeping calm since he was in church. "We'll see at home." I let out a breath when he trodded off to the church auditorium. A lot of thoughts crossed my mind all through the church service.

1.Maybe he'd finally realise the truth after all that I was not naive and I was aware of his dubious acts.

2. Maybe he'd finally have a change of heart if a child talked some sense into him.

3. Maybe he'd just be ignorant, get angry and beat me to a pulp as he did once in a while. This is because words like Fraudster, Liar etc were in the note he tore from my diary.

I put off these thoughts and focused on the party Mum, Anike and I were going to. I was seriously dreading what Dad would do to me when I got home although Mum told me not to worry and forget about him. I mean who could?

Dad did nothing to me when I came home that day and I rushed off to school the next day even when there was clearly nothing to do in school since there was a public holiday. Mum suggested we spent time with her but God knows I was skeptical about Dad's behaviour towards me. I explained to Mum my fears concerning Dad's behaviour and that it would be better if we gave ourselves some space. I saw the look on Anike's face as I expressed my thoughts to Mum. She ended up following me to school that day.

The fact that Anike and I were twins was so evident. We were so identical although we had different perspectives to life. Anike came off as aggressive but she was kindhearted. I came off as quiet but I had a sharp mouth. Anike was studying English and I was studying Law. Life at school was awesome. I came across a lot of people with different characters.

In my class, I was not well acquainted with everyone. Anike was an extrovert and she bonded well with people. My only friend was Nike and so I was wary of who I made friends with. Through series of lectures I went to, I came across a boy in class. He was exceptionally handsome. He was fair in Complexion, tall and dressed nice. I was often perplexed as to how a boy can be so damn fine. He was just too handsome and it made me believe God could actually make some people fine. I admired him for two weeks and I eventually had a crush on him.