Celestina and the seven children

 Once upon a time, a Father leaves his seven Children with his wife as he travels overseas in search of greener pastures. One can only imagine what it is like to care for seven children. I cannot say for sure why his wife in-turn leaves the seven children with a maid named Celestina. Celestina is now in- charge of the house and the upkeeps of the children. Their lives are in her hands "so to speak". Celestina not knowing when the parents of the children will return, she waits for days, days turns into weeks and weeks into years. A kind and concerned neighbor suggests to Celestina " why not have these children hawk bread around, and since you live in a student environment, they will makes sales enough to feed them daily"  Celestina loves the idea, and so she says to the two older boys, the eldest name was Pram and the second boy's name was Sam. " You guys will have to go to the bakery to buy bread" the boys went to buy bread, one Crete each, they return home, Celestina ties the loaves in nylons, arranges them on a tray and ask the boys to put it on their head and go straight to the hostels to sell. The boys did just as Celestina instructs them to do. Questions 1. Will this new business provide food for the kids 2. Will Celestina make a living out of the children 3. How long will they continue to hawk in order to survive. Please, follow my blog for new episode everyday. Pram and Sam go straight ahead to the hostels to sell bread I the hostel. Sam sells everything: goes to the bakery again to buy more and he sells everything for the second time. When it was getting dark, Sam and Pram meet each other on the road, Pram was still having some bread to sell.  Sam says to Pram ' how is it that you still have bread?, I went to the bakery again, and I sold everything' . Pram is feeling down. When they get home, Celestina is very happy with the younger one, and she praises him for been smart and teases the older one even threaten to punish him the next time he doesn't sell all the bread.... What a day it has been for the two boys! Trying to survive through this new way of making money The Adventure Continues The two boys are on their way to buy bread from the bakery. After buying, they tie them in nylons and off they go to sell in the campus. As they go , they advertise saying " sweet bread, hot bread". Someone calls, " sweet bread" the boys with other children their age run to the door of the one calling. Getting there the buyer is confuse, four kids at once, and the buyer says "who came first" the children answers, but there was something different about the two boys, which the buyer notices . So she say's "you speak good English, why are you not in school ? " The children answers " no one to send us to school"  The buyer buys from the two boys, taking two loaves each from them and say's " always check on me when you come around the campus"  Now, the boys have started gathering customers. The day ends and they go home to Celestina. Celestina says " how much did you sell today? And calculates to be sure the money is complete. She adds " I heard you left the bread I asked you to sell, and went doing house chores for some students" in surprise the younger  boy replies , " I  did no such thing I  have been selling , and I sold everything" . Celestina turns to the older one and say " why didn't you sell everything today? He replies " there was no much sales" Celestina replies " Okay, today I will punish you, no food for you " . What a day!! Questions 1. Will the older boy continues to hawk? 2. How will he manage the new punishment?  Episode two The senior boy goes hungry. Celestina did not give him food to eat.   The senior boy leaves the house in search of work. He gets a job at the cafeteria as a sales boy. He knows, he has younger ones to care for. He tries to work hard and comes home weekends to see his younger ones. One of the days, Celestina sends one of the children to get money from their elder brother, the elder brother gives him heads of fish. And says to his brother " I don't have money, you guys should manage it, this is what I can give". His younger brother goes home. When Celestina receives it ,she says " why, your brother is lazy. What will we do with heads of fish"?  Celestina is feeling very angry. She throws the head of fishes and says ' your elder brother is good for nothing, he has money, but he does not want to give, he is very self-centered'  The children ate nothing that evening. Whenever the children are hungry they begin to think about how it use to be when their mother we still with them, they had everything they needed everything was bought in cartons and bags. The had so much to eat that they even give some out to friends and neighbors but now they don't have anything to eat let alone give out it was a terrible situation. The next day, surprisingly, their maternal grandfather came to take the second boy with him. He says to Celestina ' I will take Sam with me, and I will come from time to time to check on these other ones'  The second boy is now free from all of Celestina's maltreatment. But as he leaves his heart was with his younger ones. He plans to take revenge on Celestina, for all the harm she is doing to them. The next day Celestina calls the other children and says ' your elder brothers are not here anymore, this means that you three will have to continue selling bread, and your grandparents must not know about this' The three children start selling bread as well. Sometimes they have to eat from the dust bin, because they are hungry.  These little children were inexperienced so, they misplaced money most of the time.  One day , the children went to sell bread, coming back home the girl among them realises that her money is not complete. She gets home, and explains to Celestina, she says ' I misplaced some money' Celestina says 'really, how?  Miarra says' I don't know how it happened'  Celestina says  'you will pay for it, I don't want to know how' on top of that she flogs Miarra and as usual did not give her food that night. This created fear in the children so that anytime they realise that the money is not complete, they will remain in the hostel either begging students to give them money or doing house chores for students in other to replace the missing money. And sometimes Miarra will have to runaway to her grandparents place. One day the children went to sell as usual and Miarra misplaced some money, because she was so afraid. She did not dare to come home. She found a way to locate her grandfather's house, but she couldn't, this is because she was very little when her mother takes them there . Her mum takes the children to visit him regularly when she was in the country with them. Miarra slept in a shop that night she was so scared. The next day she continued her search for her grand father house, she does not even know the name of the street. But she says to herself when I see the house I will know it. And fortunately for her she was able locate the house. She got in and saw her brother Sam, she only spent one night as Celestina was also looking for her, she decided to go to her grandfather's house. When Celestina got there she says to the man that Miarra left the house and they have been looking for her. Her grandfather asked Miarra to go with Celestina. It was a terrible and pathetic situation. Questions   Will the older brothers come back to save their younger ones or will they remain under Celestine's control forever? It was a bright afternoon, someone knocking on the gate, Celestina opens the gate guess who- it is their older brother- Sam. He has become almighty and fearless. He says to Celestina ' where are my brothers'?. ' You have sent them to hawk as usual isn't it'? Celestina was amazed at the gut's of the young man, a boy she use to whip, has now grown to challenge her. Celestina speaks in high tone saying ' how dear you' and Sam gave her a slap and said to her ' you were employed by my mother to take care of us, but now you made us rather work hard to care for you'. 'You should know your position here, you are a maid and not our aunt. I will inform my younger ones to stop selling bread for you'. Sam leaves to meet his brothers and only sister. He knows just were to find them. Look! He sees one of his brothers and his younger brother is very happy to see him and Sam knowing that sometimes his younger ones are denied food, asks his brother ' are you hungry'? His brother replied ' yes' Sam takes two loaves of  bread and gave one to his younger brother.  His brother says ' no, aunt Celestina will discipline me' Sam laughs and says ' she is not your aunt, but your maid, she should be the one hawking this bread, eat and nothing will happen' for the first time in years the younger one by the name Manor was able to eat bread with some confidence. Sam meets his other younger ones Jades and Miarra his sister. Sam says to them ' let us go home' the younger ones replied ' we are not through selling' Sam says ' you will not have to sell bread or any other thing anymore, let's go home' Sam leads his brothers and sister home .  When they get home, Sam gives Celestina a rather severe warning, he says ' I don't want to come here next time and don't meet my younger ones at home, if you send them to sell anything for you, they will not go' turning to his younger ones he says ' anytime Celestina sends you to hawk, don't go, if she forces you, eat all her bread, she can't do anything' The younger ones feel relieved and free from Celestina's control . Now Sam takes power away from Celestina and gives it to his younger ones. What will become of Celestina? The next day Celestina calls the three children and says ' I know your brother ask you not to hawk bread or anything else, but please do not let your brother know about it. We have to continue selling this bread , we need the money'  Now the children feel more at peace and relaxed. Celestina is using a soft tone and technically begging the children. The children agree to help Celestina. Celestina says to them,  ' I will send you people to your grandparents often to get food from there, so that no one will suspect that we are still hawking'  The children agree. They went to the bakery to buy bread and off to the campus to sell. As usual Miarra misplaces some money but she is not worried at all; she goes home to tell Celestina about it and Celestina says' do not worry, you have tried , it's just a little money , just be careful next time'  Celestina sends two of the children to their grandparents' place to get food. When they got there food items were given to them that will last a week. After a week Celestina sends the children again, this time she thinks of a way to make trouble with the children's grandparents so that they stop giving them food and then she will gain full control of the children once again. Celestina says to Miarra ' when your grandma sends your cousin to bring us food or check on you, I will tell him that the last time I sent you to get food from her, she poured water on you and whipped you with a broom' Miarra says ' ha! But she did not do that's Celestina says ' you must do a I am telling you to do, otherwise, I will punish you'  Question Will Miarra do as Celestina says or will she stand on the truth?  Well, Miarra does not have a choice than to lie against her grandmother. When her cousin Josh came visiting, Celestina began to give eye signal to Miarra, also demonstrating with her hands that she will whip her, if she doesn't say what she has asked her to say. Suddenly Celestina says ' Miarra what did you say your grandmother did to you, the other time I sent you to her'? Miarra said 'she poured water on me and beat me with a broom. Josh say ' Miarra you are telling a lie, grandmother didn't do that, she can't even do something like that, why are you lying'? Miarra felt bad, there is nothing she can do.when Josh got back home , he told the grandmother. His grandmother said ' really, that girl is a liar'  Celestina has succeeded in planting a rift between Miarra and her grandmother. Episode 3 The next day, the three children sit together and Miarra says ' when is mother and father coming back'? The two boys reply ' nobody knows. I wish mum was here ' says Manor.  And they started shedding tears. Jades says ' I have a song' Miarra says ' really ! Sing let's hear' and Jades starts to sing.  Chorus ' saying me don't like this abroad broad  broad'(x2) I don't jealous abroad broad me no offend abroad. Rap Say who is the king , who is the man, no matter what it takes I am stronger and big Who is the king, who is the man , just a minute I am stronger than that. And the three of them laugh and Manor says ' I can sing as well' Jaded says ' OK so, let's hear you' and Manor sings a song he composed himself. This really helped, from then on the children Always sing to easy their pain. The next day Miarra wakes up missing her parents, she starts crying, and begging that God should bring back her Mother to her, she will beg saying ' mum, please come back, please, we are suffering so much. Come back mum' Miarra would cry this way day after day, but nothing happens, her mum or dad is not coming back to her.  Celestina says to Miarra, ' I know you love to travel to my state, right? Miarra replies ' yes' so, Celestina and Miarra travel to her state , which was the Eastern part of the country. When they arrived there, Celestina's family welcomes them and they ate and slept that night. During the night Celestina got up to discuss with her parents telling them that she plans to leave the children so she can get married and raise a family of her own as she is not getting younger. Her father says ' if you leave the children who Wil take care of them, and how will you get your money. Also remember that the woman is a nice person , she took you as her own daughter. She didn't just send you to get trained as a stylist , but she also spent alot of money  when your brother was arrested. I don't think you should leave the children like that ' Celestina  says ' I have tried , I have to leave them, the woman might never return, as for my money , that's the reason I came with her daughter, we are very poor and we need money to survive, why not we use her for rituals' and the mother said ' OK, that makes sense' her father says ' no, you won't do that, you will have to take her back to her brothers'  The both parents argues . The next day evening Celestina's mother put a d**g in Miarra food that will make her sleep. Miarra slept for two days while they were still contemplating on using her for rituals. Celestina's father continued to refuse. Miarra wakes up after sleeping for two nights. She goes to the backyard and greets 'good morning sir' and the people laughed saying this is not morning, but evening and Miarra says ' so I have been sleeping for two days , I don't understand. Aunt why didn't you wake me'?  The next day Celestina and Miarra travel back to the south. The brothers were happy to see their sister. After some days, Celestina went to the children's grandmother's house and says ' I want to return to my family, this is 3 years now, and the children's parents have not returned, I can't continue waiting, whenever she comes back I will come and take my money' The children's grandmother accepts that the children should come to them. Now Miarra is afraid she says in her heart ' how will I face my grandmother, how can I look her in the eye, Celestina has ruined my life. How do I explain to my grandmother that Celestina asked me to tell that lie, and will she ever believe that it was Celestina who made up the story? The children arrive their grandparents house. All five of them will now live in their grandparents house. This is the beginning of a new chapter in the children's life. Episode 4 The children's grandmother lives in her mother's house, this means that the children will be living with their grandmother and great grandmother with other relatives. They had uncles, aunts and cousins. It was a big family house, different people with different attitude and lifestyle. It has been three years since the children saw their mother. The next day someone came to call the children's uncle he says ' your sister called she wants to speak to you' the uncle, who's name is Oscar said, it seems it is Sam's mother. The children were happy getting there it was not Sam's mother but, his younger sister who is also abroad. The children were devastated to hear that it is not their mother. All this while the children have been at home while their cousins go to school. And so one day their grandmother who was a principal of a government secondary school came home from school and said to her son Sanjay,  'you will have to write your entrance exam into high school, I will get the form and pay for it tomorrow' Miarra heard the conversation and she knew she was of the same age with Sanjay do she did other grandmother ' grandmother please could you also pay for me so I can write the exam as well' her grandmother laughs and says'  what do you know, umh, you cannot even read. I cannot waste my money on you. If you must write this exam , you should contact your mother so she can pay for you , as for me , no I can't' Miarra starts crying. Went into her room crying and begging her mother to come back home. She cried for. Long time and aid to herself ' if my test could bring you home, you would have come back my now, if my tears could bring you home, I would have cried a river for you, but it cannot. I won't cry anymore, I have to face the fact, the reality of life. My mother and father are not coming back ,and what ever I become I will only blame it on myself and not them. I have to fight and work very hard to be successful in life. This is my promise to myself'. Miarra tips crying and came out of the room trying to control herself. The next morning Sam returns to his great grand mother's house leaving his grandfather's house to reunite with his other siblings. Now they are complete, all seven of them now live with their maternal grandparents. They also have cousins and uncle of the same age group with them and so they became Friends as well and did things together. Another day came and someone came calling that someone is on the phone wanting to speak with her brother. So, Miarra prayed and wishes it's her mum. When her uncle got there, he was asked to wait that the phone will ring again. He waited , after sometime the phone rang , he picked and greeted, it was his elder sister - Miarra's mother and her husband' So she said to her brother, I got this number from your younger sister, please call my children I want to speak with them. Miarra's uncle named Manna came back home and said to Pram ' your mother and dad were the ones that called they want to speak with all of you' , he said so , so excitedly' Miarra was the happiest, she was so happy when they got there their mother spoke to them one after the other. And each of them did not fail to ask saying 'mum, when are you coming back home'? And their mum replied  saying ' soon' . They also spoke with their father whom they have not seen none spoken to long before their mother left to meet him. They were happy to speak with their parents. So they parents promise to send them money to buy clothes, food and other necessities. The children felt like they are back to life again. Now they can contact their parents all by themselves. Their parents promised to call the next day. The children could not wait to see the next day. Excitement filled the air. The next day the children went to their relatives place to receive the call from their parents. As promised their parents called and told them that they have sent some money to them and gave them the details on how and where to collect the money. They also asked the children one after the other what they wanted, and each of them said what their needs where,they all want to go over to be with their parents. But, Miarra said to her mother that she wants to go to school and that the exam just written she will like to write the exam and continue her education. Miarra's mother said it wad fine and that she and their father will send another bonnet to enroll them in s book . She asked that they go find a good school and that the school should be one of the best as money is not the problem. The children were happy, they will once again go to school like their mates. The next day the Miarra and Manor went in search for school as the two senior boys are through with the secondary education. Miarra saw a school she liked , she said he recalls her two aunts went to that school