Being Like a Slave Within my Arms
Growing up, I had four siblings, and I happened to be the third child and I was in a boarding school.
Whenever school was to vacate, I began to cry while other children jubilate because I knew I was going to pass through hell while at home! I was staying with my parents yet it felt like I was adopted!
Back home from school, I would clean, cook, go to the farm, and even take care of my siblings, even as the third child. I was treated like I was the first because, whenever my mum came home and any of my siblings were not seen or even crying I was beaten seriously.
This happened until I became tired of home and wished school resumed already, all my holidays were bent on beatings and hard work. One day I wrote a letter to my mum asking if she was my real mum and I got the beatings of my life, my dad was never home so he never knew what was happening.
I was in SS3 and I told God to help me pass my JAMB and WAEC at once so I don't have to stay home and wait for another year and he heard me.
On the day of my exams as mum was taking me to the venue, she hit me so hard on my face saying if you wish go and fail because I will show you that I am a tigress as usual. Again I cried in my heart" God you can see and I know you have been seeing everything".I went into the venue set for exams and as I was battling with the questions, I excused the invigilator and said sir there is no passage here to read and answer the English questions, he replied you were meant to read it at home before coming.
With my head bowed down I said: "God you have to help me, you know I didn't know of this because all I had to do was to work and look after my siblings". After the prayer from God, I did some guesswork and went ahead to answer the exam questions.
After a week, the result came out and I scored 240 which was over 60% average cut-off mark. With excitement, I went home to meet my mom who was already seated with a cane to flog me if I failed.
I didn't even bother to look at her face, with excitement I gave her the result and all she could say was you are lucky, fast forward! I also wrote my WAEC and came out with flying colors and was given admission to study at the University of Nigeria Nsuka (UNN).
Part of this post is also available through peakd.com