Reality TV star, Hermes Iyele has revealed how his family went through tough times after his father lost his job.
Naijaonpoint reports that the former Big Brother Naija housemate said his mother left and stayed away for seven years.
In an interview with media personality Chude, the 28-year-old spoke about how his father, who once worked with the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), became a commercial bus driver after facing financial problems.
The family had to move into an unfinished building during this period of hardship.
Hermes revealed that things became so difficult that his mother refused to join them in the new living condition.
She left one night and did not return until seven years later.
At the time, Hermes and his siblings were still very young and had to grow up without their mother.
He explained that even though the experience was painful, he has chosen not to hold any bitterness toward her.
According to him, their father filled the gap with care and did his best to raise the children.
He described his father as someone who loved deeply and tried to keep the family together despite the challenges.
Hermes also said his parents did not have a peaceful marriage, but he understands that his mother may have acted out of fear and survival.
He said: “My dad was working with UNICEF before he started driving a bus. We had to move into an uncompleted building, but my mum said she couldn’t move in with us.
“She left that night and didn’t come back until seven years later. We were pretty young when she left because things got hard, and she couldn’t cope.
“My father raised us with so much love. He was a lover. The thing about love is, it’s the reason I still have so much love for my mum regardless.
“My dad and my mum didn’t have a happy marriage. They had three children together. But I know that my mum did what she did from a place of survival. I can’t fault her for that.”
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