In His Shoes

Daniel works long hours as the only earner in a Lagos household that includes his wife Imelda and their son Dylan. Rent and school fees and electricity bills pile up faster than his salary can cover them. Imelda presses for another baby and insists they attend the Glen Gala, a luxury event Daniel knows they cannot afford. He asks his employer for a salary advance and the request is denied. The refusal deepens his sense of failure. Imelda responds with scorn. She belittles his masculinity and mocks his inability to provide the life she wants. Daniel tries to explain they are living beyond their means and suggests they move to a cheaper home. Imelda laughs at the idea and humiliates him in front of their son. Daniel's mental state collapses. He drives recklessly through the city streets. A bottle of pills sits in the glove compartment and he considers swallowing them all. He leaves a note on the kitchen table and walks out the door. Imelda tells Daniel's mother that her son ran away and calls him a coward. She refuses to help search for him. The mother-in-law calls the police and they question Imelda as a person of interest. Left alone, Imelda faces the immediate fallout: the electricity is disconnected because the bill is unpaid, and the security guard leaves after weeks without wages. Dylan is expelled from school for unpaid fees while rent notices stack up on the counter. Imelda asks her friend Naima for a refund on the Glen Gala tickets but Naima says the money is gone. Imelda sells her jewelry and borrows cash from her sister Nina to buy food. Daniel reappears after his mother finds him wandering near a bridge. He confesses he planned to take his life that night, crushed by years of emotional abuse and the weight of being the family donkey. Daniel's mother mediates a raw family meeting in their sitting room. Daniel says he is making his peace and offers Imelda her freedom because he believes she does not love him.