I am not your ex Mr. Rasheem

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger

Sarai POV:

My alarm clock rang and I jumped out of bed, oh my goodness I can't believe it was Monday already. I hate Monday because the hospital gets really busy and short staffs

I took a shower and got dressed in my nursing uniform before going into the living room to meet my best friend Lisa.

Hey girl let's go to work, “Sarai do you always have to cry every Monday? I hate Monday Lisa and you know why. Monday is my worst day apart from my job but my mother was killed on Monday and I hated it.

FLASHES BACK TO SARAI CHILDHOOD:

My father is white and my mother is African American, my grandmother is Fulani, she moved here from West Africa and got married to a black American. And they had my mother Hisha, my grandmother passed away from an old age and my grandfather passed away two weeks after my grandmother.

My mother was 18 when her parents died, she was in medical school at that time. She met my father in medical school and they got married after graduating.

I grew up in a happy and loving home, my parents were respectful to others and treated others with kindness. On my tenth birthday, my father Clearsand Harris died from a heart attack leaving my mother to raise me alone.

Sarai! Hurry up let's go so I can take you to school, mama I'm not feeling good my stomach hurts. Oh my poor baby I told you not to eat too much sweets yesterday but you didn't listen. Go lay down so I can call your school ok baby? Alright, mama. I remember staying home with my mom and playing around our house before her older sister from her dad's side came to visit and ruining our moment. Hi Aunty Rita, hey Sarai you growing up too fast. That was the last time I saw my aunt.

As years went back my mom and I lived alone and continued to do things together, I turned 12 years old and my mom wanted to celebrate my birthday but I refused because I just wanted to be home with my mom so we could cook and play game like we used to do when my father was alive.

That evening my mother told me she and my father had opened a trust fund for me just in case anything happens to them so I can use it to go to school. She told me I'm the only one allowed to go to the trust fund when I turned eighteen.

After four months I could see that my mom was depressed about losing my father. She stopped going out with her friends after my father died and I know she has been holding on because of me.

Sarai let go you are getting late for school, here I am Mom I've been ready since morning. I was waiting for you to call me downstairs. Sarai, I love you so much, and thank you for keeping me strong. I love you Mom and you are the best, now let's go get in the car.

My mom dropped me off at school, after school I sat down on the stairs waiting for her. All the kids in school had left it was just me and a few teachers. It was almost evening and my mom still had not shown up, she was never late to pick me up so what going on with her? My teacher came running to me with tears in her eyes, Sarai your mother will not be able to pick you up today so she asked me to take you to my house.

But my mom did not call or text me to give me that information, so I can't go home with you. Sarai, please listen to me, what happens to my mom? Oh Sarai I don't want to tell you this but you are big enough to know the truth. Your mother got hit by a drunk driver and she did not make it. Sorry Sarai but your mother died before they could take her to the hospital.

My whole soul left my body and I couldn't cry, today is Monday and we were supposed to go do her hair for her birthday. I screamed so loud till I passed out. I woke up in my bedroom but my mother was nowhere to be found, I walked out of my room to the living room and I saw my aunt and her husband sitting there. Sarai, are you okay? I shook my head and went into my mom's bedroom and laid down on her bed and cried some more.

On Saturday we buried my mom right next to my father, after that day I became a slave in my grandmother's all because of Aunt Rita and her family. Right after my mom's burial I was taken to my grandmother from my mom father side of the family house. My aunt asked my parents' lawyer if my parents left any money but he told them no I knew the reason why but I was not going to say anything.

I became a slave in the house, I cooked and cleaned after everyone, sometimes in the middle of the night my aunt's husband would come into the little closet I slept in to try and rape me but I always fight him off and make noise so everyone can wake up, he and my own cousin Aden could try to rape me but I always fight back because I will not let them destroy me more than what they have done to me.

I tried telling my Aunt Rita about her son and husband trying to rape me every night but she never believe me. In fact, she beat me to the point where I passed out and refused to give me food for three days. I never stop going to school, I have one friend in school and her name Lisa. Lisa and her parents live ten minutes away from my aunt's house, Lisa always brought food to school for me and I even get to meet her parents.

Lisa's parents were good to me but I never ran my mouth about my abuse at home and I told Lisa not to tell them. Every time my aunt or her husband beat me up Lisa could always beat their daughter Aisa up too. Aisa hated me and she and her twin brother Aden were four years older than me but I get to clean after them.

Today I'm graduating from high school and I can not wait to run away from this house, Lisa and I graduated together and I decided to enter the nursing program.

Lisa's mother Emily told me to choose one of the nursing schools In Pennsylvania and I don't understand why because we live in Ohio. She told me her parents live in Pennsylvania and they agreed to let me stay with them until I graduated from school.

I was only sixteen years old so I was worried about living with people, I'm tired of being abused and trying to protect myself from rape always. I have never had a good sleep since my mom passed away and I get to moved in grandmother house. I have to sit down and lay against the wall just in case my aunt's husband or his son tries to rape me at night.

I got accepted into the program and I had to go take the test, Emily took me and Lisa and we took the tea test and we passed. I took my little clothes that I had all thanked to Lisa, and I told my aunt I was leaving her house to go live on campus, her whole family laughed at me and said what kind of school allows a lazy dog like in? You are not smart enough to go to college so you better go in the kitchen and cook.

I already told you that I'm leaving and if you try to stop me I will call the police and tell them about all the abuse I have been going through. Sarai! Who going to believe you? My body is my proof and my best friend's parents know as well.

If you leave make sure you don't come back here, we are the only family you have, you are not my family. You all are evil and heartless. My family is dead, thank you for all the pain and suffering because what did not kill me surely made me stronger. Goodbye. I walked away from them and never looked back.

I'm now 19 years old and I'm a nurse practitioner at one of the best hospitals in New Jersey.

End of Flashback.

Lisa and I went to our floor and got a report on our patients before starting our days I always have a busy day so I'm used to running around all day and meeting my patients.