IS SHE MY GRANDMOTHER?
EPISODE 1
My parents died when I was 12. I was in Primary 6. It was after I finished my common entrance examination in Lagos that a fatal accident occurred. I was in the vehicle with them when the accident occurred claiming the lives of my parents and leaving me behind. My parents loved me so much while they were alive because I was their only child. I was the apple of their eyes.
After the death of my Parents, my grandmother took me. My grandmother lived at the outskirts of ogun state. I can’t really call the place a village because it was a developing area. There was a land where she She grows crops, rears animals for sales.
I hadn’t spent a month with her when she began to show me the stuff she was made of. She would instruct me to Hawk her wares from morning till night without giving me food. Even at times, if I don’t sell up to her desired amount, I won’t eat that day.
At first, I thought she was just a disciplinarian but this persisted for a long time. She didn’t even consider the fact that I wasn’t used to that kind of life in the past and it would take time for me to adapt to my new environment. The new environment made me sick. I had fever, and I complained to her. She gave me paracetamol repeatedly because she was always strict with spending her money. The fever persisted because I needed proper medication, instead of her to help me do that, she sent me to Hawk for her even in my weak state.
As usual, I carried the wears; orange,banana and other fruits. I dare not refuse to heed to her instructions because I do, there will be no food for me throughout that day. I hawked the Fruits round the town. I was very weak and helpless. That day wasn’t a good day as there was no sales. I had to hawk further in order to sell the fruits because returning her wares unsold is a great offense to her, she would beat me to stupor.
I continued to hawk with an empty stomach even while I was also sick. All I could remember was that I fell into a gutter and all the fruits sank into the dirty water. It was a woman that helped me. Her name was Mrs Juliana. She took me to her house, washed my body, gave me food and some drugs after I told her I was feeling feverish. She did a lot for me so I couldn’t ask her for money or any other thing so I left.
When I got back home, it was very late. I saw my grandmother waiting for me at the entrance of the house. I knew there would be trouble for me. I started panicking. When I moved closer to her. little did I know that she hid a cane behind her, she latched me with the cane severally on my head without giving me any opportunity to talk.
After flogging me, there was marks and wounds on my face and body couple with the fact that I was still recovering. She demanded for her money and I explained what happened to her but she gave me a resounding slap out of anger.
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TBC
