Òyì nke e mepụtara

For a second, I thought — maybe he would stop Maybe he would turn it into a joke. Maybe— “I wish you were never born The words didn’t echo They didn’t need to They landed exactly where they were meant to On me And for a moment… everything slowed down No one laughed No one reacted My stepmother gave…

For a second, I thought — maybe he would stop Maybe he would turn it into a joke. Maybe— “I wish you were never born The words didn’t echo They didn’t need to They landed exactly where they were meant to On me And for a moment… everything slowed down No one laughed No one reacted My stepmother gave a small nod, like she agreed My sister lifted her phone… and started recording Recording Like this was something worth saving I looked around the table Forty people Forty witnesses