My dad has a plantain farm, and my mum is a petty trader . Respectable jobs, yes. But they come with constant budgeting, stretching every naira to its limit. I've never gone to bed hungry, but I've also never had what I truly wanted — not once. My dreams are expensive, and my pockets are humble.
In school, people think middle class means you're doing well. They expect you to pay your share during group outings, show up in decent clothes, and keep up appearances. But what they don't know is that I recycle outfits every few weeks and sometimes fake excuses to avoid birthday hangouts because I can't afford to contribute.
The pressure isn't just financial — it's mental. Everyone expects you to be someone. You hear it all the time: "You're a smart boy, you'll figure it out," or "At least you're not suffering like those on the streets." But what they don't realize is that suffering has levels. My own pain isn't visible, but it's real. It's waking up with a heavy heart, pretending you're okay because your pain doesn't look dramatic enough to be called suffering.
My friends from wealthier homes talk about traveling, new gadgets, and launching businesses. I listen, smile, and nod. Deep inside, I'm screaming. I want those things too. I have the hunger, I have the ideas. But where's the capital? Where's the connection? Where's the help?
Even within my family, there's this unspoken pressure to be the one who makes it. My younger siblings look up to me. My parents believe in me. They see me as the hope for something better. That faith becomes a weight. What if I fail? What if I stay stuck in this cycle?
I can't ask my parents for more money. I know they're trying. And yet, I still feel like I'm falling behind. Every week, there's a new reminder — a missed opportunity, a friend's success, a bill I can't pay. I feel like a machine forced to run on empty, breaking down silently while pretending to be fine.
And yet, I wake up and keep going. I keep dreaming. That's what the middle class teaches you — how to survive, how to fake strength, and how to carry pressure with a smile. I don't know how to explain , I don't envy , I just want to be financially free and comfortable because I am clocking 20 on the 13th of June , I am tired of being broke and not social .