TEARS OF MY PAST (CHAPTER ONE)My name is Okechukwu Ikpeazu but my friends used to call me ikpe, I was born and bred in Onitsha in a family of three, I and my younger sister were the only children of our parents, it was unfortunate that we were single handedly raised by our dear mother, sad to say that our father died when we were still tender. It was in the early year of 2016, in the month of march. The year was still young for It has not yet started raining, everywhere was still dry and dusty. That bright Monday morning I was in the bedroom preparing for school, the floor of the room was cold and damp and I was enjoying the coldness as my bare feet was on the floor. We lived in an old dilapidated building, in which we occupied two room apartment, the bigger room served as the siting room though there were nothing much in the room just two outdated cushion, an old wall clock which hung helplessly on the wall, faulty black and white television which had not be working for God knows when. The floor of the sitting room was covered with a shredded red carpet, at the center of the room was an old worn out table, the bedroom had a little bed which I and my little sister used to share with our mother, the bedroom was smaller, my clothes and my sister’s clothes and some shoes were littered all over the floor, a rope tied to each end of the room was where our mother used to hang her own cloths. My little sister Juana loved education but unfortunately for her few years after our father’s death things became so hard that our mother could no longer afford to pay both our school fees so it was resolved that my sister would be helping our mother in her akara (bean cake) business until I was done with my WAEC exam, the decision was hard on her at first but with time she was able to cope. Seeing my asister dropping from school because of me really hurt me but there was nothing I could do since our mother was the one who made that decision, left for me I would never go to school, I hate school and I hate to study too. As I was still in the bedroom reluctantly preparing for school, my mother then walked in.“Okechukwu you are still here lazing about, while other kids are already in school, what kind of a child are you, I suffer myself to woke up early every morning to make sure you go to school on time but you always end up going late, now tell me why that boy Ejike is waiting for you outside, I still remember I told you I no longer want to see both of you together. That boy is a bad news’My mother lamented bitterly “Mama Ejike is not as bad as you may think, he is not like other bad boys in this area”“Is he not the one that was caught stealing the other day?”“mama that’s just rumor, Ejike is not a thief, people are just jealous of him”“people are jealous of who?” My mother queried angrily“Mama people in this street are jealous of Ejike that’s why they are saying a lot of bad thing about him”“Are they jealous of him because he is handsome or because he has money or because his father is dangote or adeleke? why would people be jealous of such a useless person who broke into people’s homes to steal their money?”My mother was then furious“Mama one day you will see that Ejike is a good person” I tried to say more but my mother wouldn’t hear of it “Shut up before I lay my hands on you”My mother lifted her hand as if she was going to beat me and I raised my hands in defense“Before I close my eye and open it you are out of this house”Without wasting time, I jumped into my school uniform and picked my bag where it was lying helplessly on the floor and left the room. When I came outside the house I met Ejike still waiting for me and we both left for school. …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………It was around 10.30 am when I and Ejike arrived at king”s comprehensive secondary school which was a mixed school of boys and girls, it was unfortunate for the managements of the school that I and Ejike happened to be one of their students and also in the same class at the same time. Teacher Akaolisa was in the classroom when we walked in, we greeted him and was about to go to our designated seats when the teacher stopped us.“where do you two basket brains think you are going”Teacher Olisa asked angrily and the class burst out in laughter“Sir we are going to our seats”Ejike answered boldly“which seats? You think you can just walk into my class anytime you want. What do you think is the time now?”Teacher Olisa said and glanced at his watch“this is 10.30 and you are just coming to school”“Sir, my father sent us on an errand”Ejike lied.“Who is your father? and why would he sent the two of you on errand during school hours, mostly when you are supposed to be in class studying even though your brains don’t contain anything, Continuation........ are telling me that all this while you have been coming late to school

Prologue Maduka was in his country home with his lovely family when the civil war between Anbaji and haura ensued. Soldiers adopted him and his family were deserted but when he later escaped from the enemy's camp he embarked on a search mission of finding his family and he was determined to succced or die trying.