How I’ve managed to save up to 30M is still a shock to me. My father lost his job when we were little, and he gave up on everything and relocated to the village. I grew up together with my two other siblings with a single mom, though one of us—a boy and the second child—was given out to a relative who eventually ended up destroying his life. But that’s a different story. Three to four years ago, my mom was really sick. I grew up as an inside child, so I didn’t know what to do, but this woman, who had been there for us since we were so young, was in so much pain. I was the only one who was really making small money at the time. I’m the third child; we are four. Back then, N10K was really a lot to us. I could no longer carry the load alone, and my mom’s family back home kept telling her to come back to the village. I thought that was the best for her.
Our firstborn is a girl, and she was still naive when she met a guy who deceived her. Now, she has three children for him and is a single mom because the man is not doing well for himself and chose to leave her with the kids. Well, I thought since my mom’s family was begging her to come back, they would find a solution. I really suffered in Lagos. It was even in pain that I lost my virginity because a man promised me heaven on earth. I told him about my mom’s condition, and he promised to help, but after everything, he only gave me N18K—this was three years ago. This really pained me because I felt used. I went to the village in December three years ago and saw that my mom was looking even worse; all her bones were showing. But I was still the only one looking out for her. I had managed to save a little, even though I later found out that her family treated her badly.
Even in sickness and pain, she still managed to hawk water and drinks. I was also suffering in Lagos because the woman I was staying with treated me badly. I eventually ran away, and that was when I met the man who took my virginity. Later, I went back to the village and saw my mom again, and the way she was looking brought tears to my eyes. I had saved up some money, and she was talking about an operation. I had the deposit, so I was deciding whether to bring her back to Lagos or let her do it in the village. She said either option was fine, and the doctor in the village was good too. She believed Lagos might be more expensive. My mom was bleeding through her nose in so much pain, but she told my siblings not to tell me. However, I saw how much pain she was in. I came back to Lagos and sent the money for her operation.
They did it that night, but she didn’t make it. They didn’t even find out what was wrong with her—it was a stomach problem, something growing inside her. Since my mother died, I met someone online who has been sending me money—up to $500 a month, sometimes $1K—and I’ve managed to save up to N30M or even more. My pain is that, despite all the suffering my mom went through, she didn’t get to enjoy the fruits of it. I had even rented a room when she was alive, hoping to bring her back to Lagos after the operation. It’s a room with a public toilet, and I’ve been staying here for two years now. Even with all the money I have, I’m too scared to get a new place because I don’t want to ever go back to poverty. I have more than N40M now, but I’m scared. The person I met online was the only one who helped me, though he has now stopped. Nobody else has ever helped me in life except him.
I’ve tried to learn new things, but it’s not working for me. Even with all the money I have, I’m still scared of living a good life because I’m the only one doing well in my family. My dad only calls when he needs something—he doesn’t even have a phone. I do a lot for my sister and her three children. Even our last born, a boy, doesn’t want to learn anything. I’ve tried to make him learn a skill and be reasonable in life, but he wants quick money, choosing to work as a bricklayer because they pay the same day. Anyone who sees him wouldn’t believe he’s my brother, but I’ve really tried my best and don’t know what to do at this point.
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