WHY I MUST LIVE

Nnenna walks out of an old duplex, with a tray of an unpeeled melon. sits on a bench in front of her home. Nnenna a thirty-five, married to Mazie Okorie. a civil servant, still in the government depth record, four months past still haven’t received salary, then talk of pension, force to be a brick-layer just to survive with his family. At forty-five years moves around town, looking for work, after his retirement. They were blessed with five Kids Kaima, Emeka, Ugo, Mary and chinasa walks in. In their school uniform, backpack hang on their back. At once Nnenna heart was troubled, she knew what had brought them home that early. She has to go to the school and pleaded with the principal “to let them stay for two weeks”. At the agreement time, she promise to pay, she still disappoint. They have to spend most of their school days at home or rum around the school, till they get tired. Kaima would always want to wait, “wishing they will be call back”, but end up having a fight with chinasa who never want to take the risk of losing any of them. when they are chased out of the school, she has to fought and urge with Kaima and Ugo, before she could drag them home. Kaima wants to stay because she doesn’t like missing lesson and note writing in the class. Ugo just want to play around they play ground with his friends During break. Emeka always want to be out of school to get away from bullies and flog he receive from senior students, as well as the teachers. Mr Carson. the mathematics teacher, Emeka in his class. he wishes he fall sick to miss classes, just to avoid him. Even when he pretends to be solving some class work he gives, he still comes him up, to answer the question written on the board, as expected he always end up solving it wrong. He received a very hot s***h of cane at his bottom. You won’t be in Mr Carson class and be dumb. you must sit up and be smart, if you fail one class work you will receive two lash, you fail two that is four stroke. Imagine when you fail all the five classwork, “you won’t want to dare”, you bottom will be burnt with cane. Emeka believes everyone hated him even his own family, he has to keep his pains to himself and cry out his emotions alone with no one to console him. He lives his life feeling less self-esteem, feelings like a failure and a disappointment to his family. Mary smart and obedient, whatever decision take by her siblings she's ok, she is loved by everyone, of cause she’s the last born, she don’t torrent from any one, not even her teachers, she don’t accept been underrated by anyone. When the Social Studies teacher, Miss Patrick flog her for fighting back. “Aunty, I didn’t do anything to her, I was on my own, she came and drag my book from me” she said in tears. “you should have report her to me” Mrs Patrick said “you didn’t ask, you just came in and start flogging me” she retort as the tears keep flowing, Mrs Patrick knew she was wrong but she scowl her Thinking it will end there “I will tell Sister Chinasa” she brutal “will you shut up or I will give you more stroke of the cane” she yells at her leaving “who is chinasa rubbish,” she left the class. Mary murmured they whole day not that the cane was painful but because she was punished for fighting for her right. Chinasa was her second mother, she always gets her back and avenge when necessary or pet or buy her sack