At school, it was embarrassing to hear my schoolmates talk about how lovely their parents were. I couldn’t talk because mine was only my mother – thank God at least I had a parent. At the sound of the school bell for the day’s dismissal, my heart began to beat fast because it was time to retire to the benches which we joined together as our bed – thank God I had a place to lay my head.
My mother was and is still a primary school teacher, so there was nothing to brag about before my schoolmates and playmates – thank God it’s a blessing to grow up under the auspices of a teacher. Our house was the school kitchen; there was no television, radio etc– thank God we had a shelter. My mother, as a teacher catering for the needs of her two sons without the support of their father or a husband, usually plucked mango and guava leaves and boiled them together with lemon grass for us to drink whenever we fell ill. Her small salary couldn’t be spent on hospital bills– thank God for herbal remedies.
On the two different occasions that I went to my father’s house to spend the holidays, all I received was maltreatment from my stepmother – thank God that she unknowingly succeeded in helping to make me who I am today. The only place I could constantly go to be a "holiday-maker" was the village where my maternal grandmother wouldn’t cease chastising me. At the village, there were no toys, biscuits, ice cream, etc – thank God for the opportunity to learn the ways of my tradition and for the wisdom that I gained from my grandma.
I stayed with some of my relatives and I had some awful experiences as well – thank God for the knowledge of the fact that there is nothing as sweet as home. Though I didn't get the things I wished for as a growing child; envy, self-pity and low self-esteem were never a part of my life. I knew I would be a great man someday – thank God for exposing me to the secret that I was the egg of an eagle that got hatched by a hen.
A lot of people are very insensitive to the ordeals of people like me who are victims of a broken home; close family members and close friends who are supposed to serve as a source of solace are insensitive to my feelings – thank God for opening my eyes to the challenging truth that my destiny is in my hands! Your case may be worse than mine, but always know that life is what you make of it!
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