Good-day DAD” i greeted fearfully as he approached me,but he simply gave me a terrible look, spat and shook his head, “you are no daughter of mine, you are a big disgrace to my family, just look at yourself and what you have done to your future” he muttered with an angry tone, walked into mum’s shop cursing angrily. I was extremely disheartened and down casted. “dear lord open up the earth and swallow me, please” i knelt and cried. People passed by and watched me silently, some laughed, some murmured inaudible words, some scoffed, some sighed in pity, some shrugged and cursed my parents, but none came forward to help me. Not even my younger sisters. By 4pm that fateful day, i returned to my land-lady’s shop with a broken spirit and a weak body. There were tears in her eyes as she saw me walk in. She quickly offered me a chair before giving me a plate of rice. ‘Oh i really would have died that fateful day if not for her’. I can never forget all she did for me.
Our land-lady fondly called Mama Joy by everyone who knew her was a very kind hearted old woman, who managed to raise her three children all alone with the little profit she made from the small street corner “food- Joint” she owned. Her husband{our landlord} was just a well known drunkard and gambler who spent all the money he made from his old house, drinking and gambling. He really made‘pool promoters and agents’very wealthy with his stupidity. Mama Joy was thus forced to fight for her children alone, perhaps that was the main reason she felt and understood my plight.
“don’t worry my dear, i’ll talk to Gabe when he returns this evening, i really don’t understand men nor boys of nowadays” she assured me as i ate with a broken spirit.
“what will i do if Gabe refuses to listen to her” i wondered fearfully, “perhaps mama Joy will allow me work for her” i reasoned with a dry smile, “but where will i be sleeping” i asked myself sorrowfully. I really was very worried as we waited for Gabe to show up that fateful day. But to my extreme surprise, he came home by
9:30pm, dragging a young strange woman who looked like a whore with him. I was broken hearted, dejected and in tears. Mama Joy simply shrugged and held me. “that’s some of the things we poor women face in life, don’t let it bother you” she calmly advised. But something deep down told me i had lost Nnamdi forever. The little hopes i had were dashed that moment.
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“what do i do now?” i sobbed uncontrollably, “nothing my dear, absolutely nothing” mama Joy calmly replied and held me. “where do i lay my head tonight? Where do i go from here?” i asked unhappily, “my dear, do trust in God he alone has control over our destiny, don’t give up” she calmly advised. But i really was very heart broken and scared, because i knew i was lost in an unfriendly world where my own family rejected me. “my husband really won’t tolerate you staying with us, but i hope you can manage my store {storage room}, it’s very spacious and there is an old mattress in it” she said to me as i sobbed. I instantly looked at her hopefully, i never expected her to help me further, thus my delight and happiness as little hope fell on me. “you can stay there till you get a better accommodation, you can also come work for me in my restaurant and make small money for yourself, at least with it you can make better plans for your future. I just wish i’m a rich woman, i would have helped you more” she murmured. “oh don’t bother ma” you have done more than enough for me, something my own mum couldn’t do” i answered gratefully. That was how i found myself under Mama Joy’s care. I slept in her store at night and worked in her restaurant during the day. I worked tirelessly as i tried to discard my sorrows and earn something decent for myself. Gabe never for a day lifted a finger to help me nor ask of his daughter’s welfare, even though we do see each other everyday, Instead he continued making me jealous by bringing different girls to his room. His actions hurts me a lot but i pretended as if i didn’t care. I held my pride, suffered silently and never begged. Three months i suffered and toiled under Mama Joy’s care, until September when a good looking middle aged woman who patronized her restaurant came into my life, offering to help me raise my child. Her sweet tongue and behavior really convinced me of her good intentions that without second thoughts, i accepted her help against Mama Joy’s reservations. A week later I moved into the woman’s house without giving it a second thought. Little did i know that misfortune awaited me.
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Source: ANONYMOUS
Interesting
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