2 am in the middle of the night, the door opening wakes me up. Mama must be back home. She must still be heartbroken by daddy’s action.

Just over a year ago, mama found out that she was just one of Daddy’s many girlfriends, and after her letting go of her opportunity to shine in the world for love, she was crushed. Now she comes home late; sometimes, she’s not alone. I hear claps and moans of many men at night. I worry about mommy, but all she can say to me is, “Why did I have to be pregnant with you?”

She gets angry when she sees me. When drunk, she says I look like the man who ruined her. “I had everything. I was going to rule the world, then love blinded me.” This was all I could hear from her, from the multiple times I’ve fetched her in the streets, so drunk she can’t walk straight.

I try to be a good boy. I try being her light. As much as she beats me, swears at me, tries to strangle me, and embarrasses me. She is my one and only mommy, and I hope one day she wakes up and realises that she may be 37, but life is far from over.