You do an excellent job of sharing your experience. A child tries to make sense of the world and that world is represented most significantly through parents. The mood here, the descriptions, are very good, very personal and relatable.
There are some issues of clarity. One that stands out is, how long was your mother away? Did she leave for just the one year mentioned, or did she stay away? It may be the case that this is so close to you that you cannot see the few lapses in clarity.
Thank you for sharing this with us, @ucngozi. I think a lot of readers will relate to your experience.