Fate of an Orphan

Wished he could turn back the hands of time but obviously, it was impossible, he tried his best to get the series of thought off his mind but he couldn’t, each time he remembered all that had occurred in his life, it’s sent a cold shiver down his spine and broke him into tears. The unfortunate death of his parents by a car accident, five years ago, made him feel like he was alone on Planet Earth. Richard was the only child of his parents who had him seven years after their marriage and passed on 12 years later and as fate had it, he was left to be taken care of by Uncle Ben, Richard’s father younger brother. Uncle Ben was a kind and caring man, he worked at the Nigerian Ports Authority, blessed with three children. It was more like saying four children because he took Richard as his child but was so unfortunate that his wife didn’t feel the same way. She felt he should be treated differently as her children because, of course, he wasn’t her child. It had been five years of Richards stay in Uncle Ben’s house. It was quite full of experiences quite challenging but overcomeable, as a result of Richard’s good attributes. Ever since his uncle brought him to the house, he sensed a lot of things, although he was still recovering from the greatest shock of his life, but his uncles condolences and the love he gave him by taking responsibility of him calmed him a little. As soon as he began to stay in the house, he realized the true proverb that says “No place like home’’ He had just one true brother who was David, David was the only one who kept him company and showed him love like a true brother unlike Esther and Andrew who were his elderly ones. Uncle Ben would have been in the best position to solve this but the nature of his job kept him away from home for months and the few times he comes, they pretend to be nice to him just so he won’t suspect anything. They will then threaten him with all manner of punishment so he won’t tell his uncle. It would have taken Richard nothing to tell his uncle but he wouldn’t want to destroy a home so he decided to obey them. It all started the first morning of his stay, when Richard woke up early and decided to do some chores in the house. He was cleaning the furniture’s in the parlour when his aunt came out of her room looking like she is ready for work, the sound of her footsteps alerted Richard as he stopped cleaning and turned to greet her. ‘’ Good morning ma’’ Richard greeted with a simple smile on his face. “How are you” She answered even without looking at Richard’s direction and didn’t even wait for his reply but headed towards the door and left. “I’m…fine” Richard said slowly with a very low voice and the smile left his face immediately. “She didn’t even look at me, talk less of…. Ooh, maybe she is late for work…maybe” Richard soliloquized as he turned back to continue his work. “Hey Richard, how are you” Uncle Ben said, also coming out of his room. I’m fine da…. Hmm I’m fine Sir, Richard stuttered for words with a felicitous look on his face. He was embarrassed. He didn’t mean to call him dad. He just missed his parents so much and was used to called them whenever his name was being called. “Hope you slept well” Uncle Ben furthered, “Yes sir, thank you very much sir”, Richard answered. “Hmm, I understand how you feel boy, but you know what, you have to be strong”, Uncle Ben encouraged him with a one sided smile and a pat on Richard’s shoulder. “No one said the race in life was going to be easy. It knock us down each time. But it’s left for us to either stay down or get up and fight. So, My son. Promise me, you’ll get up and fight. Promise me you’ll have the courage and not back down no matter what happens” “Okay sir.. I promise”, Richard answered, his head slightly bowed. “That’s great…I will be travelling By 12 today, just wanted to let you know” Uncle Ben told him. “Okay sir,..Safe journey sir”, Richard said as Uncle Ben patted his sholder, then flipped around and walk away. Uncle Ben is such a nice man, he sounds like my dad in a way, Richard soliloquized after Uncle Ben’s exit. His cousins were currently in school, they were boarders actually. He was to resume the next term but he wouldn’t be a boarder, but a day student as he had always been. Richard has always been this ambitious, hard working young boy right from time, Although, he never took first position in any of his schools but the teachers always commends his effort. He was in his second term of Jss2 when the whole incident occurred, so he was to wait till the next term to resume at his new school. Later that day, his uncle had already travelled to Abuja, so he was alone at home till evening when his aunt got back from work. She sighted him from the gate at the balcony reading, having done all his chores but unknown to Richard that she was coming. She later passed him and banged the door, it was at that moment he realized that she was back so he hurriedly packed his books, as he was about getting up to go in and greet her, she came out, a livid look on her face. Richard was about greeting her but was interrupted by her questions. “What are you doing here by this time, reading? Reading for what? You didn’t even greet me, you pretended like you didn’t see me right?” She yelled Richard tried to defend himself but she kept showering on him series of irrelevant accusations, “No.. No ma….” “Shut up” she cut in, Richard was shocked. “Will you get inside, you b****y orphan,” she said as she pulled him by his shirt into the house. Richard ran into his room, dazing into the air like he had been talked to by a ghost…It was unexpected of her, how could she do this to him? b****y Orphan? As he thought of all she had said to him, he couldn’t help but break down into tears. He wept for almost an hour. Richard wondered what could have warranted such acrimony she had for him. After that happened, Richard thought still concluded that maybe she was offended by someone before coming home but as time went by, it began to get worse even to the extent of accusing him of stealing and going out for work. She wouldn’t wait to hear from him, but begin to beat him mercilessly. Richard waited patiently for his cousins to return. He felt things would get better for him as soon they came The day finally came when his cousins arrived from school, Richard was is his room when his cousins voice, greeting and exchanging pleasantries with his aunt, so he hurriedly got up and looked through his window to see them. He stared at them conversing for a while. So many thoughts ran through his mind as he stared at them but all together, he felt this relief inside of him as he hurried happily to meet his long time awaited cousins. “Hello!” Richard said to them. “Hi” David who was the youngest of them replied and ran towards him and hugged him tightly while Esther and Andrew stared at him without saying anything. “You must be Richard, right?” David asked with a smile on his face, “Yea I am”, He replied. Immediately, Richards Aunt dragged Esther and Andrew into the house and shut the door. Richard was shocked at the way Esther and Andrew stared at him mockingly and at the same time David acted differently. He was deep in thought that he wasn’t even listening to David. “Hey Richard, come on in” David interrupted his thought as he took him by the hand to go in. They both went to Richards room and chatted for almost an hour when Esther barged into the room even without knocking. “Hey David” Mom is calling you” she said with a frown looking at Richard’s direction. “Okay, I’m coming”, David answered “Now!” Esther said aggressively, “Okay…”, David replied with shock on his face as he got up and left the room with Esther. Richard already understood everything going on at that moment but was still wondering…..could it be that mom has poisoned their mind about me?, but…why does David still play with me, if so?.... Richard wondered after with a drop of tears flowing down his cheek. He later cheered up and slept off. It was 8pm when Richard woke up and found David sitting beside his bed looking pitifully at him. “Richard” oh you are awake” David said.. “Yes I am.. If I may ask, why were you staring at me that way?” Richard asked, “Hmm” David sighed, I’m just putting myself in your shoes, like, I really feel your pain.” David continued. “Don’t worry about me” , Richard replied him. “I’m so sorry, I know you have been going through a lot in the hands of my mom, but I urge you to be strong through it all, David said, “I know, but… Why are you doing this like.. Why are you this nice to me, your brother never did like this neither did your sis” Richard asked curiously, “Uhmm, it’s just because I have a good conscience and I put myself in people shoes.. See don’t bother yourself okay?” David said. “But… won’t she be mad at you doing this? I mean your mom? Richard asked… “She already is.. I mean she had always been a……hmmmmm”, David sighed without completing his statement. “I don’t get you!” Richard said, “Don’t worry”, it’s gonna be fine, David replied him then went back to his room leaving Richard in a confused state. Esther who was 16 and Andrew, 14 united in the maltreatment of their cousin, Richard. When their mom was at work, they would lock him up in a room and as if it wasn’t enough, they would even starve him. Even if they wanted to give him food, they would intentionally offer him food in amounts that couldn’t satisfy him. And if David offers to give him, they would beat him like he had done something very wrong. It was on a Wednesday when Richard's Aunt had a day off from work and stayed at home. She sent Esther to go get some stuffs from the market around 12pm, so it was her, Richard, David Andrew that were left in the house. David wasn't really sound in terms of school activities so Richard was studying with him in his room when Andrew called out, "David!, your food is already dished out, go get it in the kitchen". Immediately, David took Richard by the hand, "Let's go and eat" David said. "He called you, he didn't call me" Richard said. "Don't worry....we will share mine", David said as he dragged him to the kitchen. It was when they got to the kitchen that David saw that there was still more food in the pot. "Oh Richard, there is actually more food for you" David said with a smile of relief. "Really! " Richard answered surprisingly. "How sure are you that it's for me?" "Yhh", David said and hurriedly went to dish out Richard's portion of the food and handed it to Richard. "Woah!,This is too much, like, I don't eat much like this" , Richard said with shock on his face. "sssshhhh, Don't worry take it", David whispered... Richard, still with shock and fear turned and headed for his room with the food, unknowing to him that Andrew was behind the kitchen door and had overheard their discussion, so he planned to hit the plate off Richard's hand and pretend like he didn't. So as Richard turned away from the kitchen, Andrew pretended to raise his hand to take something he never kept up, and then it all worked out as planned, the plate fell off Richards hand to the ground and it got broken with the jollof rice littered on the ground. "Ahhh,...what have you done" Andrew shouted pretending to be innocent,..."You have just broken my mom's plate, besides, how dare you take food with no one's permission" Andrew continued. Richard with all the shock and fear just stared at him, he knew he was innocent but still couldn't defend himself, ran out immediately to see what was going on. "Oh my God", he exclaimed, "What's going on here, like, what happened?" David asked curiously. Richard who was still in great shock to just kept mute, looking confused, "Can't you see, he just broke mom's plate and here you are asking such a silly question", Andrew said to David rudely, "How did it happen" David asked...It took no time as their noise alerted Richard's aunt who hurried to see what happened. "What's going on here?", She asked. "Mom, this i***t was about stealing from the kitchen and he broke your expensive plate, Andrew lied, "Noo, that's a lie Andrew", David interrupted him. "Shut up!" Andrew shouted at David. Immediately, Richard aunt got angry and started to rained on him, slaps. “You this b****y orphan, you killed your parents and then you want to ruin my home right, it won't work.” David tried to defend Richard but was interrupted by a slap from her, Andrew had already ran outside laughing. David stood there wishing he could do anything to stop the beating but there was nothing he could do but to cry, he then went to his room with his hand on his face, recovering from the slap. He broke into tears because he felt he was the cause of it all as he suggested giving Richard food. The beating lasted for a long time after which she ordered him to clear the pieces and clean the mess and also gave him a punishment of starving him for the whole of that day. Later that day, David came to Richard crying and begging him. "Richard I'm sorry, it was all my fault" David said with tears in his eyes. "No, it's not your fault, you were only doing the right thing, you don't have to be sorry" Richard said also crying but cheering David up. "Are you fine now?" David asked, "Yes I am, although my feet still hurts" he continued,.... I stepped on one of the pieces of the plate while trying to run... "Ohh sorry, so sorry" David said looking sobar. "it's fine, I'm fine l, don't worry Bro" Richard said and parted him on the shoulder. Richard felt helpless in that house, he mostly cried because of the great loss his parents, he misses them so much, but each time he remembered David, it sends a great relief to his heart that at least he has someone who still cared a lot about him. He was still wondering why and how David could still be nice to him despite all the bad reputations and lies put on him by his aunt to her children. It was already the weekend before school's resumption, Uncle Ben had already made plans to enroll Richard into the school but he wasn't ready to come back to yet so he decided to send the money for Richard's enrollment. "Mom you have a call" Esther said, "Okay dear", she replied as she hurriedly went and picked the call.. "Hello! Honey" She said smiling, "Hello my dear, How are you and everyone at home?" Uncle Ben asked, "We're all fine", she replied. "What about Richard", he asked. "Hmm he is fine" she said with a sudden change in mood. "Is everything okay?" Uncle Ben asked. "Yhh everything is fine, everything is good", she said with a fake smile on her face. "Okay, I sent you a hundred thousand naira so you can enrol Richard into the school, Uncle Ben added, "Ohh.... Okay... She said with a sudden change of mood again as she looked at Richard's direction. "Are you sure everything is fine?" uncle Ben asked curiously. "Um…everything is..... is fine, maybe it's the network" she lied, "Okay good" he replied and then she hanged on immediately and called Esther and Andrew to tell them about their dad's suggestion. "No ooo, Richard can't come to daylight academy, he can't mom" Esther said grumbling, "Yes mom, he is not coming to our school, I can't imagine that orphan coming to our....no mom he can't period!” Andrew added in the same mode. David was listening to their conversation being the door of her room. Esther suggested they tell dad about their opinion but her mom stopped her because she knew he won't agree, he took Richard like his own, so Richard's aunt decided to do what was on her mind and with telling her husband. Esther, Andrew and David were to leave the following day, which was a Sunday. David went to Richard's room that night to have a last conversation with him because he knew that Richard won't follow them to school. "Hey Richard, I will be leaving for school tomorrow", David said to Richard who was lying stomach down on his bed. "Yea, I will too but on Monday, your dad wants to enroll me as a day student" Richard replied smiling, as he sat up. "Really!" David said surprisingly at first and sat down beside Richard on the bed. "I'm...not really sure of that" David continued as the look on his face turned sober. "Not sure as how, your dad told me that", Richard said in a confused state, “What is it? Why are you looking gloomy?” "Uhmm....” David stuttered, not wanting to tell Richard, so as not to hurt his feelings. But he knew he had to. Richard would find out eventually. “I overheard Esther and Andrew trying to convince mom not to allow you come to our school and…” He paused for a second “The way she reacted, I guess she agreed....” He said sadly as Richard stared at him “I'm not sure though, I just hope their plan won't work" David said, Richard was just kept mute and surprisingly looking at David having heard all what he said. "Don't worry bro, everything will be fine, you will go back to school and I hope it's going to be ours but if not...... Hmmm.. Just be strong okay?" David encouraged him. Richard sighed. "Okay..." His voice trembled "I'm going to miss you so much Rich" David said, then hugged him. Richard hugged him back. It was such an emotional moment for Richard as dangerous tears surfaced his eyelids. Richard was about to reply him but was interrupted by his aunts call, "Richard!" "Yes ma" Richard answered, speedily cleaning his eyes then hurrying to meet her, David then returned to his room preparing for his school resumption.