I had a caring and responsible father. I liked him very much. One morning, I woke up greeted him as usual and went to school. On my father’s way to work, he had an accident in his own car and died. A lot of people came to our house to console us but my mother wouldn’t listen to them.
She couldn’t eat anything and was always in deep thoughts. I guess it was because she was thinking through where she would get money to support us and pay our school fees. She was always thinking anytime.
One morning, as we were sitting in a room with her, she suddenly stood up.I asked her where she was going but she refused to answer. She walked straight to the kitchen, took a knife and stabbed herself to death. My younger sister was still a baby then
My mother took her life just 48 days after my father left us to eternity. They both left me, my brother and my little sister.
Our grandma took us to her house. That was where we lived and we helped her with everything including house chores.
I also started helping others with fetching water, sweeping their houses and washing their clothes for them to give me some stuffs in return.
A woman came to our house one day to see my grandma. She needed a house help. My grandma agreed and asked me to live with the woman.
I helped in her house as a housemaid, so that’s how I ended up and that’s how my family scattered!
Currently, I am in school. Though, I don’t know how to read very well, I am still trying and learning.
I aspire to be a teacher. I want to be a teacher because of my little sister. If I become a teacher, she will be going to school with me everyday. At least we won’t pay anything if she comes to the school I teach in.
Bola, Nigeria.
Credit: Henry Anumudu
The School of Life 