GLORIA'S TALES 2

The festive periods was close, the first term school sections were over as Gloria's mum and siblings prepare to travel to their home town for Christmas, first Julie wanted to reach her own hometown being Gloria's maternal home, to see her family before heading to her husband's hometown, they both are from the same state and local Government, Gloria's parents both met at the northern part of the country where Gloria's mother was working before getting married and relocating to Sangota then Lagos, During this festive period, almost everyone came home to celebrate and see loved ones, cook together, eat together, argue, go out for visitation and also sometimes fight. After spending a week at their maternal home they went to see their father at their paternal home and also spent weeks there too, although Gloria feels board at her paternal home because most of her cousins do not come home and her father's sisters don't like her mum then, at this point, Gloria's mum had no friends, its always one meeting to another with quarrels and arguments, just as if her fathers sisters are having issues with all the married women in the family but Gloria's mum was hated the most because she was an outcast, she tried to make them love her but they always tell her to leave their brother, they call her all manner of names, some times threatens to take her kids from her but her husband would decline as he can't fight them because of his profession, this problem lingered for long as julie always finds it difficult to reach her husband's home town because of that. It got to a time that Julie's husband no longer have time to see her untill their is a holiday or she travel with her kids to his home town, Gloria would stay months without seeing her dad and when he comes he only spends few days and he lives, but it all looks okay as her mum never gave a complain, fight or report him to anyone, some times Julie cries at night as she keeps her pains to herself, no one understands what happened and why he decided to leave alone, it got to a time he askes Julie to send Gloria home for holidays to stay with him, but once Gloria gets home, he sends her to either his sister or his church members to stay and when the holidays are over he goes to pick her up and send her back to Lagos to stay with julie, Julie started struggling on her own with her kids, she sold footwears, clothes and even different kind of fish to feed and train her kids, sometimes Julie get support from her neighbors and friends who comes to visit her, things became difficult for her in Lagos so she decided to relocate down to the east with her kids, Gloria at this point was okay with the decision as her only girlfriend Ij and Ij's sister traveled to london for studies. Gloria was grown and at this point at the end of her primary school, Julie was excited as she got a job in a boarding school at the east as a matron, and her salary was good, so she immediately relocated to east with Gloria and her siblings, Gloria finished her primary school in the east, and entered secondary school, this time she was so good to school that she got gift of different kinds and also recognized in her school as an intelligent girl, she goes for competition for the school, debates quize, she was also selected to go to the governor's careers seminar heald at the government house for student, even when it was time for waec, Julie changed Gloria to another Government school at her SS2 where she became the senior prefect of the school for girls, she was giving a certificate of merit as a dedicated student. At this time Gloria's father was still stay on his own and visits anytime he wants, it was time for her to take her waec, there was no money as her mother work could only pay for her school fees and that of her siblings, she was sad, it was almost late entry for waec and she could pay, her principal called her in front of the teachers in a meeting and asked why she hasn't paid, she explained what was happening and how it was difficult for her and her mum, the principal then asked her to come with her mum the next day, she went home and explained to Julie what her principal told her. The next day her mum followed her to the school, the principal then told Julie, because your daughter is a good girl and one of the best students, the teachers have decided to help pay her waec alone but she can pay for the neco, my mum was so happy that she cried at the principals office, Gloria's form teacher consoled her and julie left, Gloria was very happy and read her books always promising she won't let them down,. Gloria was 13yrs at this point, and was about to take waec, but she looks like one whose almost 20 because of her composure, manner of approach and communication, at the end of that term, Gloria traveled to onitsha to see an elder cousin who promised her NECO fees, when she got there it was her first time to travel and get to the direction of the house...............,.....