Atlas of a Broken Boy

The story follows Bob, a young Nigerian man (20–25), born into a respected yet emotionally fractured home. His childhood is marked by domestic violence, neglect, rebellion, and academic disengagement. Though his family has social standing, Bob grows up feeling misunderstood and invisible, carrying scars from early brushes with delinquency and the cold silence that replaced the chaos in his household. By his late teenage years (17–18), Bob becomes withdrawn and stoic, adopting a nihilistic outlook as a way to shield himself from emotional pain. His home is quieter now but remains hollow—its silence a constant reminder of wounds never healed. Preparing for his WAEC and JAMB exams, he retreats into the virtual world of online gaming, where he finds an unlikely refuge in a global community. Within this space, he bonds with Tiara (an Australian gamer), Chance (a Ghanaian gamer), and a mysterious clan leader known as Deathstar. These friendships become lifelines, giving him laughter, validation, and a sense of belonging absent from his physical world. As Bob completes secondary school, he chooses a distant private university, not simply for education but as an escape from his toxic home environment. This decision marks the beginning of a new chapter: a journey of self-discovery, confrontation with his past, and search for wisdom, belonging, and freedom. The narrative explores themes of trauma, alienation, the healing power of community, and the fragile line between escapism and survival. Through Bob’s eyes, the story reflects broader Nigerian realities—domestic dysfunction, youth disillusionment, and the search for meaning in a society weighed down by unspoken struggles.