I stood at the edge of ikoyi bridge feeling the cold night breeze on my skin. I couldn't continue living with the pains I'm going through anymore every since the day I step my foot in Lagos. "The pains living with the bamidele family. I can't continue with The way auntie busayo kept maltreating me and the way Uncle Sam kept molesting me. I just want to end the pains I'm going through right now and forget about everything,I just want to end it all right now."I close my eyes and think of all the happy moments with my family, I'm going to miss them. My tears just kept falling with stop. I can't go back home with the way my life is right now. "How will mom feel when she finds out her only daughter is gone. She will blame her self for letting me come to Lagos to leave with my aunt who gave me to the bamidele family, I couldn't keep my promise to James and Justin my little brothers."I couldn't stop crying when I remembered everything I have went through in my life. The best option I have is for me to just end it right here in ikoyi bride. I was about crossing over when someone hold my hand from behind, I turn around and I saw the face of the only person who I didn't expect to see before I pass out.
Chapter 1 My family
My name is Sarah,I'm 16 years old.I have three brothers Daniel, James and Justin. Daniel is the oldest among us while I am the second James is the third and Justin is the last among us, my mom is the breadwinner in my family because my dad is very old and he have no job.
My dad got married to three wife, he left is first and second wife. My dad got married to my mom on his sixty. My mom is the third wife and she gave birth to three of us, my mom had Daniel with her before she got married to my dad. My dad have eleven children in total. my dad was once a soldier before he was among those who forth the Nigeria civil war July 1967. My dad is known as old soldier because he was once a soldier.whenever I ask my dad how he spent all the money he had before he will say " my daughter I was blind back then when I have a lot of money, I use to live in a hotel room for a year, going to different places with my friends. I didn't plan ahead." that is what he use to say. Sometime I wish I born by then my life won't be as hard as now.
My dad has a building of his own which he use to borrow money when I was little. The person he borrowed money from wants to take the house from him. The little money the house use to provide that's what dad use to take to court. He will give my mom little for food which is not enough to feed us for a month. Mom will be the one to feed us on till dad have any money. My dad senior children doesn't care about him they all want him dead so that they can sale the house for themselves.
My dad senior children didn't like him because he was bad towards them he didn't provide for them, he didn't know how they went to school. He wasn't there for them it was only their mom they had. It is only the second wife children that care for my dad a little bit, the second wife have two boys for him. Those are the ones we are close to, the senior boy is leaving in Lagos and the other one in Asaba. This are different states in Nigeria.
The both of them have money, they help my dad once in a while whenever they feel like. While growing up,life wasn't easier for us, My mom have been the only one catering for I and my brothers. There will be days we have to go hungry without food no one to call for help, my mom have to borrow money for her to feed us. It will got to a stage we have to live with my mom older sister who have five children. She leave in one room apartment with her five children, things is also hard for her and her children.
She doesn't mind us leaving with her in that one room she and her children are managing. Her last daughter is the same age as me so whenever we move in to there place we always play together. Her name's Sandra she have always be my best friend while growing up. They are times me and my brother won't have to go to school, whenever I see my friends going to school I feel sad. Sometimes I wish I was them.
My parents can't afford to buy us things we need most of the time, my friends were the ones giving me most of their clothes. We hardly eat three times a day. Most of the time we buy things on credit just for us to have something to eat. I remember when I was seven years old when my dad got arrested. Things was really difficult for us at that time my dad was sentenced three years in jail. Mom was emotional down, no one by her side by then and we were still little.
~~~~Flash BACK ~~~~
We were asked to leave my dad house because someone is in control over it now for the next three years. Police pack our things out side that early morning, my dad was token away by them. Mom was crying and begging them that we have no where to go to. Everybody was just looking at us that morning, I was just sad feeling ashamed of myself when I saw my friends looking at us and laughing among themselves, Justin was still a baby back then too little for that, I was carrying him but he won't stop crying.
I saw them as they took dad with them, I was sad because I won't be see dad for the next three years. Mom took us to Sandra place that evening, that was how we stat living with my aunt for over a year. We went able to attend school at that time, my aunt told my mom that she have to look for somewhere else to go to that she can't accommodate us anymore, mom was great full of the help she render to us. The little money mom have saved over the year that was what she use to rent a cheaper place for us, mom also put us in public school. I was happy I finally got a chance of starting school again, I have to step back in my studies. All my friends left me behind I was so sad. Even at that I was still happy I got a chance to start school again after so long of staying at home.
Mom will leave us very early to the market to sale her goods. I became the second mom to my brothers. I'm the one cooking for them, I started cooking at the age of eight because mom will leave very early and come back late at night, we all sit outside waiting for her to come. We continue living our life without any financial help from anyone, our mom is all we have at then.
That was how we spent the next three years without our dad by our side. It wasn't easy for us. When it was completely three years time, dad was finally released from jail. But we can't move in to dad house yet because the case is still in court but he can take half of his house rest for the main time.
~~~~~END OF FLASH BACK~~~~~