The first lie Amara told was beautiful, it slipped out of her mouth like a song, it was smooth and sweet that everyone believed it.
“My dad owns a shipping company in Lekki" she said adjusting her neatly ironed uniform as the girls in her new school gathered around her.
“Eh! Are you serious?” one of them gasped.
Amara nodded with a small smile “Yes, that’s why we just moved here”.
It was not entirely her fault, at least that was what she told herself but her real story did not sound as exciting. Her father is a bus driver who worked long hours while her mother sells vegetables in the market and their small one room apartment in Ajegunle barely had enough space for the three of them.
However here, in this new private school on the mainland, everyone seemed to have a story that shined. Their shoes were polished, their bags were expensive and their conversations were filled with places Amara had only heard about on TV.
She did not want to be invisible so she borrowed a better life.
At first, the lie worked like magic that within a week, Amara became popular. Girls who had never noticed her before now sat beside her during lunch.
“Amara, which country have you traveled to?” one asked
She paused for a second, then smiled. “London and Dubai ”
“Wow!”
The excitement in their voices made her heart race, not with fear but with something else called Power. For the first time in her life, people were listening to her and admiring her.
Then, she began to add more details.
She talked about vacations she had never taken, clothes she had never worn and a house she had never seen. Each lie built on another, like blocks forming a tall, dangerous tower.
However at home, reality waited for her.
“Amara, help me wash these vegetables” her mother would say.
“Yes Ma” she would reply, tying her wrapper and kneeling beside a basin of water.
Sometimes, as she scrubbed tomatoes and arranged peppers, she would imagine her classmates seeing her like this. The thought made her chest tighten.
So the next day, she lied again.
One afternoon, her closest friend in school, Chioma leaned closer to her during lunch and said
“Amara, I want to come to your house this weekend” Chioma said, “I have never been inside a rich man’s house before”. Amara’s spoon froze halfway to her mouth
“My house?” she repeated
“Yes, you always talk about it, let me come now” Chioma laughed.
For a moment, Amara could not breathe, she just forced a smile and said “Ah… this weekend won’t work oo, we are traveling”
“To where?” Chioma asked
“Abuja,” she answered quickly
Chioma’s eyes lit up “Then I will follow you!”
“No no" Amara said, shaking her head
“It's family only"
Chioma frowned slightly but said nothing more
.
That night, Amara could not sleep because the lies were no longer easy. They were becoming heavy, like a load she could not drop. Every question from her friends felt like a trap waiting to catch her but still, she did not stop.
The turning point came two weeks later.
It was Career Day at school and parents were invited to speak about their professions. The classroom buzzed with excitement as students prepared to introduce their parents.
Amara’s heart pounded as her class teacher, Mrs Ogun, read from her list.
“Chioma’s mother—bank manager"
“David’s father—engineer"
Then she paused,
“Amara’s father—shipping company owner"
The class turned to look at her, smiling.
“Amara, we are excited to meet your dad” Mrs Ogun said while Amara forced a laugh “Yes ma".But inside, everything was falling apart.
That evening, she sat quietly as her father removed his worn out cap and sank into a chair.
“How was school?” he asked smiling tiredly
“Fine” she said softly
She wanted to tell him everything. She wanted to confess, to explain how the lie had started, how it had grown beyond her control but the words refused to come.
Instead, she said, “Daddy… will you come to school on Friday?”
He looked surprised. “For what?”
“Career Day.”
He hesitated. “Ah… my work”
“Please,” she said quickly, her voice almost breaking.
He studied her face for a moment, then nodded. “Alright. I will come”
Friday came too quickly and Amara stood at the back of the classroom, her hands cold, her heart racing. Parents filled the seats, dressed in fine clothes, speaking confidently about their jobs.
Then the door opened and Amara's father walked in. He wore his best shirt but it was still simple. His shoes were clean but old. He held his cap nervously in his hands as he looked around the room.
The whispers started immediately.
“Is that her driver?”
“Maybe he came early to pick her.”
Amara felt her chest tighten.
“Amara” Mrs Ogun called. “Is that your father?”
The room went silent, this was the moment she hoped never happened.
She could lie again, she could say no, she could protect the life she had created but as she looked at her father standing there, unsure yet present just because she asked, something inside her broke.
“Yes” she said, her voice shaking.
“This is my father.”
The whispers grew louder.
Mrs Ogun smiled politely
“Sir, please come forward”
Her father walked to the front, his steps slow but steady.
“My name is Mr Okeke” he began, “I am a bus driver”
The word echoed in the room.
Amara lowered her head with tears slipping down her face.
“I drive people every day” he continued, “It is not easy but it is honest work and I am proud of it because it feeds my family and sends my daughter to school”
There was silence, no laughter, no mockery, just silence.
After the presentation, Amara could not look at anyone. She packed her bag quietly, ready to run home and hide forever but then Chioma touched her arm.
“Why didn’t you tell me the truth?” she asked gently
Amara swallowed hard and replied “I was afraid you wouldn’t like me”
Chioma shook her head. “I liked you before I knew anything about your father"
Amara blinked.
“You didn’t need to lie" Chioma added softly.
That day, Amara learned something she would never forget.
A lie may give you a beautiful life for a moment, but it cannot give you peace and sometimes, the truth you are ashamed of is the very thing that makes you worthy of respect.
So from that day on, Amara stopped borrowing a life by lying, she chose to live her own original life peacefully.
Note: All pictures were generated on Meta AI
