The Dark Diary - 5

My sisters and I became charley’s Angels to protect ourselves..

The abuse was too much both physical and verbal. How can they hate us that much ? the house became a war zone.


My elder sister needed help with her baby so my quiet sister left to live with her.

My immediate sister was shipped back to her ‘’inlaws’’. I was alone.

I was already preparing for WAEC that no one wanted to pay for.

My father said he didn’t have while he went partying with his wife and getting drunk every other night. I didn’t even expect him to give me.

I stole the money I used to pay for my WAEC inside the pocket of one of the drunkards that came to sleep in my father's house.

I got all credits that was enough to get me an admission then I had to buy jamb form. My customer was not reachable [no phones then].

I was walking around on the express and climbed the popular bridge to the other side where life was different and big. Igbo spare parts dealers with money and flashy cars.

I met ‘’him’’ and he asked where I was going and we sat somewhere and talked he doubted my age because of the way I was responding and engaging. I was 16 .

I was in a hurry to get back home for fear of the beatings I would receive.

Food they will not provide yet I step out and they call me a prostitute that I went to meet men. The man I am servicing dines and wines with them so the joke is on them.

The man I met told me what he was in to and told me I will start from somewhere and move up . I became a mule. Only God knows what and what I carried around in my worn out backpack everyday.

I made my rounds in the mornings when the drunks were asleep.

I gathered money for my form, bought it and took it home to fill. Nobody asked where I got the money from but they wished me success.

Life went on until I couldn’t find my benefactor where we used to meet. Did he leave for China like he always told me he would or did he get arrested? Another wahala for pikin wey no get mama....