Tears Of An African Child

EPISODE 2

After the death of my mum, the pharmacist who was already married took me in as he was a close friend of our family, his wife welcomed me, i felt like i was in paradise i took their two kids as my siblings, that people who don't know the family could hardly tell i was not their biological child.

This continued till i was 17 years when i finished my secondary school, i got admission into the university to study Political Sciences, i was the happiest in the house my adoptive parents where so happy for me. i got into the school and was one of the best in my Faculty, i was friends with everyone but all that changed so so soon as after school session i came back to the house.

One day i went to my adoptive father's shop to assist him in the pharmacy as i was coming i saw people running helter skelter, i was surprised i ran into the shop and saw my uncle's shop and goods in flames, heavy flames for that matter i rushed in picked a bucket fetched water and joined the other people to try to quench the flames, but the flames were increasing it was as if we were adding petrol to the fire, my adoptive father was outside crying outside, i went to console him but ended up joining him to cry, sympathizers rushed and told my adoptive mother what happened, in less than five minutes she was already there i saw her and directed her to my father, we all cried as if the world has ended, indeed the world ended for me that day.

After the incident my mother changed her attitude towards me and and blamed me for everything that happened in the family, she will get provoked easily and beat me mercilessly, i would cry and hope my real mother will come back to take me home so we can be happy again but my dreams never came to fruition, some nights i will cry and refuse to eat hoping that my problems will end but it grew worse cos after that i will develop headache in the morning and fall sick.

My father never ceased to care about me but he was not financially buoyant enough to shoulder the responsibilities, he would gently call me and explain to me how he is managing to make ends meet.

My mother never ceased to torment me day in day out, she will beat me at the slightest provocation and i will cry and only pray for a better tomorrow.