Short story

HOPE by Ajisafe Moyin

Oladuni, please take good care of yourself. I beg of you. Please do not hate your father, I know he is not in his right state of mind. Please aim for the top. I know life has been unfair to us, but just strive for the best.

Mummy, please don’t leave me like this. I beg you. Open your eyes, let’s fight this together please. I said crying. No amount of cry can bring her back. My mum was sick for over 4 months. I tried all my possible best, went to different places but all to no avail. I was confused about the whole situation. What do I do to her body?

I can’t keep her in the house, I can’t dig six feet hole, my father is barely around, I have nobody. I was really frustrated.

I had gone to different government and non governmental organization but they keep promising they will do something about my case. When my mother was sick, I prayed to God for help countless times but it was like the heavens were shut or the angels were attending to other people.

My mother told me that I could tell God anything, I talked and talked on different occasions but no response. Why is my life like this? Am I born to suffer? Is this my destiny? Is this fate? This are questions I ask myself. Maybe I am cursed?

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For days before my mother died, I had not taken anything food. The little I got from the farm were eaten by my mother. This is the third day of my mother’s death and I have not taken anything food only water. Even her corpse is beginning to smell. We don’t have neighbor’s because we were leaving in a place that people think was a cursed land. We did not have option because we needed shelter desperately.

I wanted to hate my father for all what he did but I could not because he leaving us was not absolutely his fault. He was more than frustrated but he could not provide for his so called family that he loved so much. He left one morning saying he was tired of life and that he could not continue again.  My mum could not stop him for reasons best known to her. I loved my father so much that I wanted to do everything in my capacity to make him stay.

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I dozed of one day after thinking about my situation.  I had a dream  which I was supposed to find comforting but I was scared than hell. I really did not know how I was supposed to go about it but I wanted my mother to be happy with me since that was the least I could do since I could not do anything about her death.

I packed a few clothes, because I was heading to the city. I was confused because I did not know where I was going. I mustered the little courage I had.  I walked for days and lost count. I slept anywhere I could sleep not minding the consequences. I was getting weaker day by day  because lack of good sleep, food and enough water.

The few people I met on the road avoided me like plague. I could not blame them because I was probably looking like a mad young girl.

Day after day, I started seeing people very well unlike before. Vehicles were moving, I could see market displaying different things. I could not buy any because I did not have a means of exchange. My mother taught me not to steal no matter the temptation.

I was dreaming every blessed day about my mother  telling me to have hope and believe in myself. I held on to the word HOPE. I was getting more weak that I could barely work and my vision was becoming blur. From my day to day experience, I learnt that people get to mind their businesses, not minding the needy and less privilege around them which was very painful. If I were in their shoes I will definitely help others.

I was about to cross the road one fateful day and I realized that a vehicle was coming at a full speed. I wanted to run back but I was too weak. Before I knew what was happening, I was on the floor. I was unconscious.

The next day, I woke up on a hospital bed. I remembered what happened to me. A doctor came into the ward and he told me that I was not actually hit by the vehicle but it was because I was very weak. The doctor said Mrs. Maryln Maduka brought me to the hospital and she has settled all my bill and that she will be here any moment from now.

I waited anxiously for my helper. I wanted to thank her for bringing me to the hospital on time.

Later in the day, Mrs. Maduka arrived. I told her I was very grateful for her help. She asked me about my parents and I narrated everything that has happened to me until the day she met me.

With tears in her eyes, she told me about the foundation she own and she promised that Daisy girl foundation will sponsor my education, provide accommodation, food and clothing.

I was very happy and speechless, I could not thank her enough. Daisy girl foundation gave me the HOPE to live again.

MANY YEARS AFTER

I was invited by Mrs. Maduka to talk to the girls about having HOPE and believing in themselves. She told me I was in the best position to talk about it.

I narrated my story to the girls. I feel good when I tell people about my life in the past.

Have HOPE, believe in yourself and help others. No matter how little the help might be, people tend to appreciate it much more than you can ever expect.