The next day, I brought a cloth from home and covered the name tag. I didn’t want to see my name anymore. But I didn’t quit my job. I couldn’t. I had rent to pay, and my life, even without Chidera, had to go on.
Time passed. Months, years. He climbed even higher in the hierarchy, was invited to international conferences, received flowers and praise from everyone. I continued to polish the floor with my head down. But every evening, I silently prayed for forgiveness. Not for myself. For him.
One day, the company organized a donation program for underprivileged children. They asked me to help with logistics. Among the boxes of toys and uniforms, I found a notebook with the names of the supported children. I opened it without knowing why. On the first page, in hurried handwriting, was a name: Chidera Okoye.
I felt like I was collapsing.
Unbeknownst to me, he was donating money monthly for a child with the same name. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was his conscience. Or maybe it was just a cruel coincidence.
That evening, I left a letter on his desk. Not with names, not with accusations. Just a question:
“Have you ever thought about what you would have been if you had stayed? If you had been a father? If you had held at least a small hand in yours?”
I didn’t wait for an answer. The next day, I resigned.
I left the company with the same worn backpack I had come with to Lagos, but with a lighter soul. I took the train to Enugu and stopped in front of that mango tree, now old and dry. I sat down and closed my eyes.
— What God has written, no one can erase, Chidera.
And beyond all the losses, that remains my truth.
This work is inspired by real events and people, but has been fictionalized for creative purposes. Names, characters, and details have been changed to protect privacy and enhance the narrative. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental and not intended by the author.
The author and publisher do not assume responsibility for the accuracy of events or for how characters are portrayed and are not liable for any misinterpretations. This story is provided “as is,” and any opinions expressed belong to the characters and do not reflect the views of the author or publisher.
