The following morning, Nkechi arrived at school earlier than usual. She had barely entered the classroom when Mrs. Okafor noticed her. She called out to her 

“Nkechi.”

“Yes, ma.”She answered 

“Come here.”

(Nkechi walked towards her teacher.

Mrs. Okafor studied her face.)

“You didn’t tell me everything yesterday.”

(Nkechi looked down.)

“I told you what happened.” She replied 

“You told me what John said. But you didn’t tell me why you didn’t tell your mother.” The teacher replied back  

(Nkechi was quiet. Mrs. Okafor waited. Eventually, Nkechi whispered,)

“Mummy has too much to worry about.”

(Her teacher frowned slightly and asked.) “What do you mean?”

“My mother is always working.” (Nkechi swallowed.)

“She wakes up early. She goes to the market. Thrn She comes back and cooks. Sometimes she doesn’t even eat until late.”

(She looked at her fingers.)

“My daddy leaves very early too.”

“And come back late?” Asked her teacher. 

(Nkechi nodded.)

“They are always looking for money.”

(Mrs. Okafor listened.)

“I don’t want to add to their problems.”

(The teacher’s heart sank.)

“Nkechi, you are not a problem.” She said 

(Nkechi looked up.)

“But if I tell Mummy something happened, she will worry.”

“She is your mother. She is supposed to worry about you.” Mrs Okafor responded 

(Nkechi shook her head.)

“You don’t understand, ma.”

“Help me understand.” 

(Nkechi hesitated Then she said quietly) 

“Sometimes I hear them talking about money at night. I hear Mummy crying sometimes.”

(Her voice became smaller.)

“They think I am sleeping but I hear those conversations”

(Mrs. Okafor’s expression softened and spoke softly to her )

“And because you know they are struggling, you feel you have to make life easier for them?”

(Nkechi nodded.)

“That’s why I don’t tell them everything.”

(There was a long silence.)

(Mrs. Okafor reached across the desk and held her hand.)

“My dear, children are not supposed to carry their parents’ burdens.”

(Nkechi’s eyes filled with tears.)

“But I am their first child So I should help.”

“You can help your parents.”

(Mrs. Okafor squeezed her hand.)

“But helping them does not mean keeping dangerous things to yourself.”

(Nkechi finally began to cry. Mrs. Okafor let her. Then she said something Nkechi would remember for a very long time.)

“The people who love you need to know when you are in danger. Let them help you.”

That afternoon, Mrs. Okafor made a decision. She was going to speak to Nkechi’s mother. Not because she wanted to accuse her. Not because she thought Mama Nkechi was a bad mother. But because something was happening around her daughter. And someone needed to make the mother see it.