She was only four years old when her mom, a domestic worker returned from work to see her missing from home and was told, that an older sibling came for her to spend some time with her other relatives.
Her mom thought, ok, it was all wonderful to have the older one help out but little did she knew, it would have been a very long holiday.
She had what would have been considered, an upscale life in comparison to her hometown. She was sent to good school, had proper shelter, lots of food and wore nice clothes and given nice amount of responsibilities.
She was only ten years old. Her days of a slavery has just began. She needed a childhood, but only knew abuse.
She was given tasks from morning to night, while the others play and have fun.
The tasks given at times, were so heavy and overbearing, she would most times broke down in tears. Why me Lord, Why me?
In the evenings after school, she would be commanded to go do the laundry for their uniforms.
Her weekends were like a nightmare: The butcher shop on Fridays. Clean the fresh fish Saturday mornings, so it could be prepared for midday and evening. yes, they operate a small business from the kitchen of their home. She started cooking proper restaurant food at age 10 years old. No wonder why she is such a good cook now.
She struggled through her younger years with her guardian. She could not make the errors children make or she would be beaten or embarrassed in front of strangers. If only her elder know the pain and embarrassment she felt being belittled repeatedly.
The thought of leaving , going home, has struck her mind quite often but was so afraid it would be coming out of frying pan into fire. It all goes back to the gingle, "there is nothing good where you are from," she never heard anything good about her original home.
It got worst, that poor little virgin girl was accused of sleeping with her brother-in-law and that was when all the days of her life became night. She couldn't drive in their car to school anymore. she had to catch the bus to school. Poor child did not even know where to, neither which bus to take to school as she was always driven to school which was miles away from home. Her first day of taking the bus, she was lost in the city where she had no idea or where and how to get to school, but being an intelligent child she asked elder people questions and found her way to and from school via the bus.
It got worst. One Friday evening, after an heated quarrel in the morning with her elder and her significant other. She decided to ship her back home, which is almost 260 miles away at age 12 years 10 months. That night, no food to eat while all the others ate.
Day break on that Saturday morning, she was accompanied by a friend of her elder to the bus stop with 2 notes in her hand and the money for the driver tied up in a plastic bag.
As she board the bus, tears all filled her eyes as she say good bye to the only family she knew for those 8 plus years. It was all coming to an end but not sure how she would survive in an environment she heard was no good.
The bus came to a stop the driver said this is where you will take the next bus and give the driver this sheet of paper and he will take you to your destination.
When she arrived, she remembered the place as she visited her mom twice since living in the big city. Everyone was surprised but happy to see her, they wanted to know what happen, She told her mom as it is.
Her elder sister never came back to that home to date.
She struggled and she made it through all trials and now, she is one of that same older sister's closest friend as none of the 8 children she gave birth to is willing to play their role to their mother. Her errors were huge and her reason behind them never add up.
The moral of the story: Do not take another woman's child in your home if, you are not willing to share the love you have for your children with him or her.
No to physical or mental abuse of children.
