The day my own father called my career a 'side hustle'

I went home to Mushin last weekend to drop some money for my mom. My father sees my laptop bag and he asks, 'Temitope, when will you finish that your phone thing and look for real work?'

I just stood there. The same phone thing that paid my brother's school fees this term. The same phone thing that fixed their generator. The same phone thing that bought the food in that kitchen.

I didn't argue. I just smiled and said 'soon, Daddy.' But on the way back to Lekki I cried inside the danfo. Not because I'm not successful. Because he will never see it.