Days in okija
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.mum started working for people so we can feed and not depend on her family for feeding we have been here for close to a month now and mum decided we need to start schooling...she saved up and her brother "bro nonso" helped her complete the money so she could pay for our school fees and uniforms.
I was so excited because I love school,my brother wasn't, he hated school for many reasons but the most serious one was....being alone in class with bouch of different faces he has never seen before, well mum doesn't care because he has to go weather he likes in it or not.
First day at school.
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We registered and I was put in nursery 2 while my brother was put in nursery 1 then there was no kindergarten.
Luckily for him my class was just few spaces away we saw each other if we turned slightly, I love the uniform it has *st Benedict in the back" I was an intelligent kid I answered every question correctly and teachers applauded me but.....I was one that wasn't liked for long by people I just have that fast spark and it goes immediately I forgot to add we came to school with our big sis Nmasi (cousin) she also attended the school.
Soon after we went for break I didn't play cause I didn't know anyone we came in and unknown to me they were doing inspections for dirt in uniforms, no one told me I just sat down and I heard "kpai kpai kpai" in my back I froze....she hit me with a big stick on my back I wasn't expecting it so I was in shock turned slowly and looked her deep in the eyes as tears started streaming down then I said...."aunty I did not even go out for break you were here you saw me and I just started school today"
She looked shocked for a bit and then hissed and said "tell your mum to wash your uniform or wash it yourself dirty girl"
That was the first evil thing someone did to me and I will never forget her face and the way she said it, I cried bitterly and she threatened to beat me again which I didn't listen to, my mum never lays a hand on me, she my use her hand to smack my cheek a little or do small hittings but she never beat us.
We went home that day and I told my mum, she came to school the next to warn the teacher well it did work because the teacher hated me more even though she never touched me again after mum came to warn her....
At home.
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Everyone treated us right, I made a friend ifeoma, she was my senior, taller, bigger and higher class than me.
I took her as my friend but I don't think she liked me because soon enough she started beating me for every slight provocation, I told my mum and my cousin sister Nmasi went to beat her up, she beat her well and did her the same things she did to me, putting sands in my eyes, mouth,ears and hitting me hard I wasn't a strong girl.
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My mum was working hard on the other hand.soon Nmasi started changing, beating me and my brother up for no reasons, starving us when mum wasn't home well I don't like when one mess with my bro when I'm around so I take his beatings too.
She warned us not to tell mum that if we did she'd kill us and knowing who she was I knew she would do it so my mouth was always shut until mum found out by herself.
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. It was mango season and we had a tree so Nmasi picked two big ripe ones and kept inside my mum also picked one, my brother took one from Nmasi's own and licked thinking it was my mum's it was evening when this happened.
"Who took the mango I kept inside"
I answered
"I don't know ooh"
She saw chidera's mouth and rushed, slapped him across the face while my mum was there she stood up Nmasi raised her hand to slap him again when my mum caught hold of it and there and right there gave her a beating of her life.
She gave her back her mango and warned her never to lay a finger on any of us again, she cried inside promising to destroy my brother....grandma thank mum for beating her up because she has done too much already she needed it.
Our cousins came back during Xmas period and it was chaos you know children drama every where, fight, drag age and all that I refused to believe onyi was older than me because I was bigger than her.
We went for masquerade together, went to oras river to swim and fetch water...I was enjoying our stay because Nmasi no longer beat me or my brother again she was just there as the house big sister.
We did a lot of mischievous things together you know fought, went out without telling anyone and get punishment from brother frank for it, we played ncho it's a game, we played swell, we played a lot of games and still I never learnt how to swim cause once I swim I will alwyget sick the next day....it was the best Xmas we had, we went out telling people (gbaram Christmas) they gave us money or sweets.
All these while my dad was back looking for apartment for us back in IMO state because they don't have a house yet, he bought new bike on the process and then when he saw one he invited mum to come see it and I insisted on going with her....I wanted to see too I was seven years old now so I'm a big girl.