BORROWED LIFE Episode 3

Aminat (POV)

I had never felt fear like the day I saw her my mother walking through the college gates. She looked small, fragile, dressed in faded clothes that screamed of struggle. My chest tightened. I wanted to run, to disappear into the crowd. I told myself I was busy, that I could not see her now, that the lies were necessary. I sent a cold text instead: I am busy. Please go home.

My heart screamed as I watched her from afar, pleading silently. She searched, asked strangers for directions, but I stayed hidden. I rationalized my actions with ambition and shame; the life I built could not allow her intrusion. Later, a call came. His voice trembling, my father was gone. Death did not wait for lies to be untangled. I felt the pain, brief and shallow, and quickly buried it beneath laughter with friends. Mourning could wait. Life, or what I convinced myself was life, must go on.

Sadiya (POV)

I came with hope, clutching prayers and the remnants of courage I had left. I needed to see my daughter, to beg her to return, to remind her of the love she once knew. But she avoided me. Each step I took in search of her felt heavier than the last. The weight of abandonment pressed on me, and by the time I returned home, the house felt emptier than ever.

Two weeks later, my world collapsed entirely. Musa, my partner in struggle, my comfort in despair, was gone. Aminat did not come home. The house that once echoed with shared laughter now seemed hollow, every corner filled with grief and unanswered questions. I cried, but tears could not undo the absence. I whispered to the empty air, wishing she could hear me, that she would understand the cost of her absence, but the words vanished with the wind. The children looked to me for answers I did not have, and I had to be strong, though I felt shattered inside.

Even in grief, I kept my composure for them, swallowing the bitterness and betrayal that Aminat’s absence had left. I prayed that somewhere, in the midst of her lies and ambitions, she would feel the weight of the life she abandoned. I hoped she would remember us before it was too late. The echoes of our sacrifices lingered silently, a shadow she had yet to confront. The distance between us widened, but the bond of blood and love remained, fragile but unbroken, waiting for the day it might be tested to the point of no return.

Continue reading Episode 4