I saw a tweet about some kids taking their own lives because they were so scared of their parents finding out about something, and I could relate deeply. In 2009, I was in 100L and after my first semester, I found out I was owing CU school fees. I say 'found out' because we had paid everything in instalment at the beginning of the semester, but due to an error on my part, one of the transactions didn’t go through, and I didn’t realize it at the time. I believe it was around 100k naira as my total fees were 405k. This wasn’t easy for my parents to pay. Back then, when you deposited your fees at the bank, they’d generate an E-tranzact PIN to pay your fees online. If you lost the PIN, it was almost as bad as losing the money you paid to the bank. I wasn’t great at keeping documents, so I had thrown away the paper the PIN was printed on. When I got home for the holiday, the scared 15-year old me couldn’t bring myself to tell my dad because I was so scared. The shouting that would follow would make you wish you were dead. I wasn’t afraid of my mom, but I knew she’d tell him if I told her. I searched the house hoping to find the PIN but had no luck. I kept telling myself that the only solution was to die. Looking back now, I can’t believe I considered ending my life over 100k. Fear and depression had me in a chokehold. That fateful day, I went out to buy what I planned to use. On my way to the pharmacy, a random person smiled and asked how I was doing. That simple act made me reconsider my decision. When people tell me I smile a lot, I just think back because it literally saved my life. I still didn’t tell my parents, but something pushed me to call the bank. They told me there was a way to regenerate the PIN if I brought in certain documents. The issue was eventually resolved without any hassle. Now that I have a child, I can’t imagine raising him in fear. Fear can lead to so many bad decisions, especially for kids who don’t know better. Please, break the cycle.