The Forgotten Child

Thirteen years ago, his mother abandoned him on a refuse dump. But he was lucky. An old woman was on time and she witnessed all that transpired. She picked the child and took him home to nurse. August 2007, the old woman died and her daughter took the lad to live with her. Now, there is a problem, a big one. A few days ago, the lady, Mrs. Omowunmi Oriami, dragged the boy, now 13, to Festac police station in Lagos. She told the police that she came to sign off on the boy because, with him, her life was in danger. Mrs. Oriami is in her late 30s. Her mother, the old woman, had named the boy, Emmanuel. She told the police that since she took over the custody of Emmanuel, she had not seen any good in him. She said the boy is speedily turning into a dangerous criminal. So, she had come, not only to hand him over to the police to save her own life, but also, may be, police could do anything to pull him back from the path he was treading. To formalize her request, she approached the police with a withdrawal letter. Mrs. Oriami narrated how Emmanuel became a member of the family. “Emmanuel was picked up by my mother at birth and has kept him till she died in August 2007.” According to her, 13 years ago, while her mother went to dispose of some garbage in her Ketu, Lagos neighbourhood, she heard the cry of a baby and she went closer to discover that there was a young lady trying to breastfeed the baby. She waited by the side, with the thought that the young woman might be mentally unstable. After breastfeeding the baby, she noticed that the lady wrapped it in a blanket, dropped it and murmured a word, as of prayer, and turned to leave. “When my mother saw her leave, she rushed after her and dragged her back. It was then she told her that she was about to travel to get married and that if her husband gets to know that she had a baby, the marriage would not hold again. Then I was the only child of my mother, so she promised the girl who introduced herself as Ifunanya that she would take care of the baby if she would come and breastfeed the baby regularly. I saw her come severally. “Then she came one day and told my mother that she could no longer come as people suspected that she was actually coming there to take care of a baby. She said that she wanted to concentrate on her new marriage and we never saw her again nor do we know how to trace her. My mother adopted him and named him Emmanuel. He grew with us till my mother died and I took him in to live with me and my family.” The problem now is, according to Mrs. Oriami, “ever since my mother died and I took him in, I have had no peace. He has been involved in all kinds of criminal acts, like child molestation and absconding from home frequently. And each time, I will go about looking for him with fear that, if any of this happens to him, I would be accused. That is why I brought him here to sign off his custody.” After listening to her, Festac DPO, CSP Usman Ndandabo, shattered by the story of Emmanuel, ordered that proper investigation be conducted to ensure that this was not a case of child trafficking. He told Saturday Sun that the child would be handed over to one Evangelist Jacinta Nworie, pending when a permanent custody would be secured. “I am grateful that this woman was wise enough to bring him to the police, rather than driving him away. Most of the criminals out there are victims of circumstance that end up surviving the hard way. I pray that with constant correction and love, he can still be useful to the society.” But the lad had an opportunity to state his case. Emmanuel, who speaks good English, said he wants to be a pilot, even if it means going to steal to achieve that. The boy insists that his life changed when the old woman, whom he knew as mother, died. [b]And why is he always on the run? He said: “My life has never remained the same ever since the woman I grew up to know as mother died. It was then I knew that I was picked from the garbage. Any little offence I commit, my aunty (Mrs. Oriami) will remind me of my history and threaten to send me back to where I was picked. I am sorry that I have been a bad boy; it’s just that I find peace hanging out with some of these street boys. Most of my friends do not have home or parents and they tell me that one day, I would be thrown to the streets. That is why I decided to learn how to survive out there, in case that time comes.” Asked what he was told about his mother, Emmanuel said: “I was told that she dumped me because she wants to marry again. She is heartless because even if she does not want me, she should have dumped me in front of my father’s house or even in a Catholic church. I heard that most of the Rev. Fathers in the church were dumped. Maybe today, I would have a better life. She has no excuse for making me suffer and I hope her husband finds out the kind of person she is.” Would he want to look for her and trace his roots? He said: “I am not interested. All I want is for God to raise a helper so that I can actualize my dream of becoming a pilot. When I become a pilot, I will fly away to a new country where no one knows my past and would rob it on my face. I don’t want to end up like my father who got my mother pregnant and ran away.” Bothered by his last response, Emmanuel was asked if he knew that, with the kind of friends he is keeping that he might end up like his father. He shouted: “God forbid! I am in primary six, but we have been taught about s*x. I promised myself that, although I hang out with these boys, I will only allow them teach me the way to survive, not the way to get small girls pregnant.”[/b] Meanwhile, Emmanuel was handed over to Evangelist Jacinta Nworie who has promised to accommodate him pending when an alternative would be provided. Evangelist Nworie said that she was moved to accept him, after listening to his pathetic story. “I have decided to take him in and enroll him in a school, pending when a permanent foster parent would be found. If his perception about life cannot be corrected, then we risk breeding another criminal for the future.” http://sunnewsonline.com/national/article/picked-garbage-13-years-ago-0 Am tempted to believe the child, I don't know about you. Re: The Story Of An Abandoned Child by EfemenaXY: 9:58pm On Jul 14, 2012This is such a sad story. It just goes to show that when two irresponsible adults decide to bring a child into the world, it's the innocent child who suffers the most. I find that woman's reasons for her action (she doesn't deserve to be called a mother!) unbelievably selfish, ignorant and f[i]oo[/i]lish. Now, I've seen a couple of threads praising the efforts of single mothers (in our Naija)doing their best to love, raise and sacrifice everything physically and emotionally for their kids - and yet you get posters damning them for their selfless acts. This story just goes to prove that life is not all black or white. There are shades of grey too. It's really sad to know that there are people out there who are more than willing to give an arm and a leg, just to have a child. What we see instead is a case of an undeserving human blessed with a child, who decides that in order to save her face, it's best she denies and abandons her child. This world is indeed an unfair place. This child did not ask to be born. Based on a true story, The Abandoned Child is a heart-breaking memoir of an abandoned newborn baby left to die, his tempestuous upbringing, and how he came through the other side. It’s a freezing winter’s night in 1954. A baby boy, a few hours old, is left by his mother, wrapped in nothing but two sheets of newspaper and hidden amongst the undergrowth by a canal bank. An hour later, a late-shift postman is walking wearily home when he hears a faint cry. He finds the newspaper parcel and discovers the newborn, white-cold and whimpering, inside. After being rushed to hospital and against all odds, the baby survives. He’s baptised by the hospital chaplain as Richard. Everything feels as though it’s looking up; Richard is put into local authority care and regains his health. However, after nearly five blissful years in a rural care home filled with loving friends, it soon unfolds that his turbulent start in life is only the beginning… Based on a devastating true story, this inspirational memoir follows Richard’s traumatic birth, abusive childhood, and search for the truth. Many years ago in a Tao village, a woman became pregnant, but she wasn’t married. She was very worried about what the people in her village would think, and so she asked her mother to abandon the baby in the forest after it was born. Her mother did what she asked and left the little baby boy in the forest to die. Fortunately for the baby, an old man was fishing nearby and heard the baby crying. He hurried to find the baby and saved him. For many years the old fisherman and his wife had wanted to have a baby but couldn’t, so they decided to raise this baby as their own. When the boy became older and played with other children from the village, they teased him and said that he was not the real child of his parents. They said he was abandoned in the forest. The boy argued with the other children. He knew that his parents loved him very much. As he got older, he became more responsible and helpful to his parents. He helped his mother with the chores and his father with the fishing. He grew into a smart and handsome young man. One day, he went to the farm to work in the field and met a woman. She exclaimed that she was his mother. He didn’t believe her but the woman continued to say that she was his mother. Later, the young man asked his mother about what the woman had said. His mother decided that he was old enough now to learn the truth and she told him everything. When he knew the truth, the young man decided to prepare a big meal for his friends and family. This was to show respect and appreciation for his parents that had raised him. He gave his parents the largest serving of the best foods. He also invited his birth mother and gave her a small serving of food as well. This showed that he did not hate his birth mother, even though she had abandoned him. To the Atayal, the rainbow is a bridge that links the human world and the spiritual world. The rainbow bridge was originally a man named Buta. Buta was a great man and a skillful hunter. He was known for always following the teachings of gaga, the code of moral values and customs of the Atayal. His fellow villagers respected him for it and often asked him for his advice. On his death bed, Buta told the villagers that his spirit would become a rainbow and that he would watch over them from the sky. He also told them that as a rainbow, he would serve as their only bridge to the spirit world. Buta told his people to obey the teachings about gaga and promised that if they did, he would allow them to pass the rainbow bridge and enter the spirit world. In those days, Atayal men were expected to be brave hunters. They needed to be able to kill boars, deer, bears and even to hunt the heads of their enemies. Women were expected to be good at weaving and farming. When a brave man died, the Atayal believed that all the spirits of the people and the animals that he had killed would come and accompany him on his journey over the rainbow bridge to the spirit world. The man’s ancestors also came and praised him for all that he had achieved during his lifetime. Lazy cowards, on the other hand, could not pass the rainbow bridge. The passage would be too difficult and dangerous for them. Frightening animals, such as hungry snakes and other beasts, would be waiting for them under the bridge. When such people tried to cross the bridge, the bridge would shake violently and throw them towards the hungry animals below. Those who tried to find a way around the rainbow bridge to go into the spirit world only ended up wandering lost in the wild forever. They Atayal believe that Buta’s famous shout became the thunder that often appears with the rainbow. Thunder serves as a reminder to all the Atayal people to follow the teachings of gaga and lead good and virtuous lives. According to the legend of the Paiwan, Pali had a pair of red eyes. He killed every living thing the very moment he saw them. Fearing for their lives, people from his village always kept their distance from him. Therefore, Pali felt very lonely. One day, a boy named Balan approached him, asking Pali if they could play together. Pali happily agreed. Balan then visited Pali after sunset every day. Since they always played in the dark, Pali could not see Balan so there was no danger of killing him. Pali expressed how much he longed to see his friend and the rest of the world. Wanting to help his friend, Balan took a piece of thin film from bamboo and placed it over Pali’s eyes. This way, Pali could see the world without doing any harm. When Balan took Pali home, all the villagers ran away in the very beginning; but eventually, they accepted Pali when learning that he could no longer hurt them if his eyes were covered with a strip of bamboo. Pali also helped the villagers defeat their enemies by taking the film off his eyes and looking at them. One day, Pali and the kids from the village went to a valley. It was a hot day so all of the kids jumped into the river. Waiting on the river bank, Pali dozed off. A wasp came over and carried away the bamboo strip that was covering his eyes. When he opened his eyes, all the children he saw were killed right away. Only several kids who had been in the water were safe. They ran back to the village in fear. The angry adults came to question Pali, and they decided to exile him to the interior mountains. Living by himself in the mountains, Pali became lonelier. The only thing that cheered him up was Balan, who would bring him food. One day, some enemies from a nearby village lured Pali out and chopped off his head. When Balan found out that Pali had been killed, he quietly buried Pali’s body. One day, Balan saw a big betel nut tree standing right in the place he had buried Pali. The fruit on the tree was large and red. Balan knew that Pali had transformed into that tree, and that his red eyes had become the red fruit, which would watch over and safeguard his tribe. A long time ago there was a tribal chief who had a beautiful daughter named Baleng. Her tenderness and incredible beauty earned her a good reputation among the villagers. Therefore, Baleng received more admirers than any of the other young women in the tribe. However, she was not attracted to any of her suitors. One year during the millet harvest festival, a light breeze came and was accompanied by the sound of a bamboo flute. Baleng was deeply enchanted by the melodious music. The tune of the bamboo flute reminded her of a giant hawk, first soaring to great heights and then plunging to the earth until abruptly, the music stopped. Then a cold wind started blowing and became more and more violent. Then, a giant and spectacular snake appeared and slithered toward Baleng, but in her eyes she saw a handsome young man standing in front of her. She immediately fell in love with the man. News of this incident spread around the village the next day, but no one knew that the snake was the king of the Dalupalhing Tribe. A few days later, another big storm approached. In the storm, the villagers saw all the members of the Dalupalhing Tribe escorting their king to Baleng’s house. They all looked like snakes. The snake king revealed his intention to marry Baleng. Baleng happily agreed. On the wedding day, a huge crowd of people joined the wedding procession and marched toward Dalupalhing Lake. After the wedding Baleng left her village and went to live with the Dalupalhing Tribe. Years passed and Baleng missed her people very much. So, she sent her children to visit the villagers. One day, a woman who didn’t know Baleng’s story saw some snakes sleeping in her baby’s cradle. She was so scared that she tipped the cradle over and all of the snakes fell to the ground. Being distressed, Baleng spoke to all the villagers in their dreams, “I will no longer send my children to visit you because you’ve forgotten me.” She also added, “When you see an egret flying above the village, remember that it represents my everlasting memory of you.” Afterwards, when the people saw an egret flying in the sky, they were reminded that Baleng would always love and care about them. Once upon a time, there were ten suns in the sky. The Amis people could hardly bear the heat emanating from the suns. All the rivers ran dry. There was no water to drink, and no crops would grow. People barely survived. They thought that something needed to be done. The men volunteered to shoot down the suns and they prepared their gear for this undertaking. A long time had elapsed, but the ten suns were still ablaze. People in the village did not know where the men were. They completely disappeared. The suns were blazing; neither men nor women could do any work in the fields. No one knew what to do next. A woman named Laya suggested that women catch the suns by themselves. After Laya and the other women had discussed the issue, they decided to weave a net that was best in retaining heat without burning. They made the net as tall as the sky and as widespread as the earth, set to catch the suns. They climbed up to the very top of the trees and spread the net over the earth, waiting for the suns to go down. As the suns were setting, the women caught them, but they only caught seven suns. The remaining ones were frightened of being wiped out; hence, they asked Amis women to spare them. Amis women thought that the suns were actually helpful. After a discussion, Amis women sent Laya to negotiate a solution with the suns. Laya requested the suns not to appear together simultaneously so that people would not be scorched. She said: “One of you needs to disintegrate into the sky. One of the remaining suns would illuminate the sky during the day and the other at nighttime.” The three suns were willing to comply. One sun then blew itself up and split into what came to be stars in the sky. The second sun became the moon and only appeared at night. The last sun did not change and kept appearing during the day. Afterward, the crops were growing, the rivers were flowing, and Amis people had a good life. Amis male elders thought that the women were very competent so they decided they would listen to women on every issue. It was then that the Amis social system became matrilineal.