Everything stopped. Chidi’s face grew dark, and Amaka’s heart froze. She pulled free, grabbed Ngozi, and held her tight, backing away. “It’s okay, baby,” she said, her voice wobbly. Chidi glared, his fists ready. For a moment, he looked ready to charge. But then he turned, cursing loud, and stormed out into the rain, slamming the door.
Amaka dropped to the floor, hugging Ngozi as the girl cried into her shoulder. Her cheek hurt, her arm ached, but something new woke inside her—a tiny spark. Ngozi’s courage had lit it, a small glow in the dark. She rocked her daughter, saying, “We’re okay, we’re okay,” but her mind raced. How long could they stay like this? How long before Chidi hurt Ngozi too?
Outside, the rain hid Chidi’s angry words as he vanished into the night. Inside, Amaka’s tears mixed with Ngozi’s, but deep down, a plan started growing. She didn’t know how or when, but she knew they couldn’t stay. Not anymore. As the lamp flickered and the clock ticked, Amaka held Ngozi close, her heart growing strong. This wasn’t the end—it was the start of something new, something risky, something big.
Morning sun peeked through torn curtains, painting golden lines on the wooden floor. Amaka sat at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a chipped mug of cold tea. The bruise on her cheek had turned darker, a loud reminder of Chidi’s anger. Ngozi slept upstairs, her soft snores floating down like a gentle song. Amaka hadn’t closed her eyes. Her head buzzed with thoughts of running away, mixed with fear and hope. Ngozi’s brave stand had lit a small fire in her heart, but it wasn’t strong enough to show her the way yet.
The house was too quiet without Chidi. He hadn’t come back after stomping off into the rain, and that scared her more than if he’d returned. Where was he? Drinking at Mama Nkechi’s bar? Sleeping in a ditch? Or plotting something worse? She shivered, pulling her wrapper close. She knew him: his quiet wasn’t peace—it was danger waiting to jump out. Her eyes kept flicking to the door, expecting his fist to crash through.
Ngozi’s footsteps broke the silence. She shuffled in, her doll under her arm, her face puffy from crying. “Mama, is Daddy gone?” she asked, climbing onto a stool. Amaka nodded slow. “For now, yes.” Ngozi pressed her lips tight, too wise for her age. “He’ll come back,” she said, soft but sure. Amaka’s chest hurt. She touched Ngozi’s braids. “We won’t let him hurt us again,” she said, her voice stronger than she felt.
But how? She had no money—Chidi kept every penny. Her salon days were far away, and her old friends had stopped coming around, tired of her excuses for the marks. Then she thought of her sister, Ifeoma, in Surulere—a busy, safe place with her husband and three boys. Ifeoma had begged her to leave Chidi years ago, after seeing a black eye at Christmas. “Come to us,” she’d said, fierce. “He’ll kill you one day.” Amaka had waved it off, too ashamed. Now, those words felt like a rope to climb out.
She stood, legs wobbly but sure, and pulled an old suitcase from under the bed. It was beaten up, patched with tape, but it would work. She packed Ngozi’s clothes first—small shirts and skirts folded neat. Then her own: a few wrappers, a blouse, slippers. She stopped at an old photo in a drawer—her and Chidi on their wedding day, smiling under a mango tree. Her throat tightened, but she tossed it back. That Chidi was gone, turned into a monster she didn’t know.
A motorbike roared outside, and she froze. She peeked out, heart pounding. It was just Mr. Tunde, the neighbor, heading to market. She breathed shaky, but the fright pushed her faster. She grabbed some garri and a tin of milk—enough for a day or two. Ngozi watched, eyes wide. “Are we running, Mama?” she whispered. Amaka knelt, holding her face. “We’re going somewhere safe, my love. Where Daddy can’t find us.”
Continue the story on the comment section
Everything stopped. Chidi’s face grew dark, and Amaka’s heart froze. She pulled free, grabbed Ngozi, and held her tight, backing away. “It’s okay, baby,” she said, her voice wobbly. Chidi glared, his fists ready. For a moment, he looked ready to charge. But then he turned, cursing loud, and stormed out into the rain, slamming the door.
Amaka dropped to the floor, hugging Ngozi as the girl cried into her shoulder. Her cheek hurt, her arm ached, but something new woke inside her—a tiny spark. Ngozi’s courage had lit it, a small glow in the dark. She rocked her daughter, saying, “We’re okay, we’re okay,” but her mind raced. How long could they stay like this? How long before Chidi hurt Ngozi too?
Outside, the rain hid Chidi’s angry words as he vanished into the night. Inside, Amaka’s tears mixed with Ngozi’s, but deep down, a plan started growing. She didn’t know how or when, but she knew they couldn’t stay. Not anymore. As the lamp flickered and the clock ticked, Amaka held Ngozi close, her heart growing strong. This wasn’t the end—it was the start of something new, something risky, something big.
Morning sun peeked through torn curtains, painting golden lines on the wooden floor. Amaka sat at the kitchen table, her hands wrapped around a chipped mug of cold tea. The bruise on her cheek had turned darker, a loud reminder of Chidi’s anger. Ngozi slept upstairs, her soft snores floating down like a gentle song. Amaka hadn’t closed her eyes. Her head buzzed with thoughts of running away, mixed with fear and hope. Ngozi’s brave stand had lit a small fire in her heart, but it wasn’t strong enough to show her the way yet.
The house was too quiet without Chidi. He hadn’t come back after stomping off into the rain, and that scared her more than if he’d returned. Where was he? Drinking at Mama Nkechi’s bar? Sleeping in a ditch? Or plotting something worse? She shivered, pulling her wrapper close. She knew him: his quiet wasn’t peace—it was danger waiting to jump out. Her eyes kept flicking to the door, expecting his fist to crash through.
Ngozi’s footsteps broke the silence. She shuffled in, her doll under her arm, her face puffy from crying. “Mama, is Daddy gone?” she asked, climbing onto a stool. Amaka nodded slow. “For now, yes.” Ngozi pressed her lips tight, too wise for her age. “He’ll come back,” she said, soft but sure. Amaka’s chest hurt. She touched Ngozi’s braids. “We won’t let him hurt us again,” she said, her voice stronger than she felt.
But how? She had no money—Chidi kept every penny. Her salon days were far away, and her old friends had stopped coming around, tired of her excuses for the marks. Then she thought of her sister, Ifeoma, in Surulere—a busy, safe place with her husband and three boys. Ifeoma had begged her to leave Chidi years ago, after seeing a black eye at Christmas. “Come to us,” she’d said, fierce. “He’ll kill you one day.” Amaka had waved it off, too ashamed. Now, those words felt like a rope to climb out.
She stood, legs wobbly but sure, and pulled an old suitcase from under the bed. It was beaten up, patched with tape, but it would work. She packed Ngozi’s clothes first—small shirts and skirts folded neat. Then her own: a few wrappers, a blouse, slippers. She stopped at an old photo in a drawer—her and Chidi on their wedding day, smiling under a mango tree. Her throat tightened, but she tossed it back. That Chidi was gone, turned into a monster she didn’t know.
A motorbike roared outside, and she froze. She peeked out, heart pounding. It was just Mr. Tunde, the neighbor, heading to market. She breathed shaky, but the fright pushed her faster. She grabbed some garri and a tin of milk—enough for a day or two. Ngozi watched, eyes wide. “Are we running, Mama?” she whispered. Amaka knelt, holding her face. “We’re going somewhere safe, my love. Where Daddy can’t find us.”
Continue the story on the comment section