Janet Solomon's Diary - Episode 4

Diary Of A Hustling Single Girl - Episode 4

I thank everyone for staying with me this far. I hope you continue reading through as my story still has a long way to go. And besides, my aim is to make the society key into my situation and learn from it. 

(You can read earlier episodes here)

Some have already commented, advising me on how to deal with my problems; others have asked that I continue so they learn one or two things from it.

The story continues…

That second time killed me. And nobody was there for me to cry to. I was in a world of my own. I felt the effects of loneliness for the first time as a small child. It wasn’t a nice experience at all. Not everyone would go through that and survive it. Sometimes, I say:

“If I was older, I would have committed suicide, or even murder suicide”.

I felt so much physical and emotional pain that as a child I didn’t understand. The only thing I understood is that – no one wanted to listen to me. Yet I didn’t understand that.

Big Daddy that did this to me did not even look my way again. It was like I was looking at the same Lucifer that I was told of in Sunday school, right in the house.

He told my aunty several other things about me and she hated me the more.

“This girl...hmm…It seems all these beating didn’t teach you anything. I would soon send you back to your parents, because I might not be able to condone all these nonsense”, she said to me on one particular instance that I forgot to sweep her room.

After close to two months, Big Daddy had to travel. I later found out that he was out of the country on business issues.

“Thank God he is out of the house”. I said to myself.

At this stage, I talked to no one in school, had no friends in the area except one housemaid across the street that always thought we should be friends – I think it was because she was going through hell where she works and sought a companion, and probably concluded I was a housemaid too. I felt like one actually, even worse.

To a lot in the outside world, it seemed like I was living an angelic life because my aunt warned me not to inform any one that she beats me that way. She instead told everyone in the area how she treats me like an egg.

After a while, Eseoghene and I became good friends. It seemed I was back on my feet again, but I was not. I only pretended. I kept dreaming of that night, so I, in response, sought succor in my new found friend.

After I finished my primary education, I wrote the common entrance and passed exceedingly beyond expectations. My aunt seemed happy for me.

She took me to the market for the first time and bought things for me. That was the first time my mood was lightened up in the aunt’s presence. But it was short-lived…

That same night, I told her to take a rest that I was going to cook something special for her. She hesitated but gave me the opportunity. And so, I entered the kitchen and cooked something that tasted really nice – at least I tasted it myself.

She had invited someone over to spend the night, and he ate my food licking his hands.

“Hmm… this your food sweet oo!”

“Uncle I cooked it”.

“You try jare”.

My aunt’s mood changed immediately. She was not happy that I responded, because she wanted to take the victory cup to her room. She didn’t say anything on the table again and kept looking at me with a devils eye.

My joy disappeared from my heart, for I knew she was back to her old ways. But I didn’t know she was going to deal with me that same night. My confusion came back in droves. Big Daddy Jake was away from the house and here comes another uncle in the house with my aunty. Is that how it’s supposed to be? I quickly snapped out of my thought remembering that I have committed a big offence of trying to take my aunt’s glory.

Aunty came into my room that night and beat Jezebel out of me, and I wasn’t allowed to cry so the uncle in her room wouldn’t hear my voice. She couldn’t wait till the next day.

“If I wait till tomorrow to beat you, I might forget, and its necessary you understand that discipline is better than advice”.

Discipline here meant serious beating.

I didn’t sleep through the night and in the morning went to see my friend. It was when I got to the gate that I knew that she left the previous day back to her village. She was sent away.

I was alone again and my aunt was back to her old ways.

“What kind of childhood was that?”

To be continued…