The Secret Life of a House Girl

Chapter 1: Genesis

My future was decided on the day a strange woman came into our home, sitting amongst us while discussing business with my mother under the low light of our dark green kerosene lamp. I sat in the bedroom with my younger brother and sister finishing off our dinner of beans and garri. The hot meal had been placed on one large silver plate and the white garri had swelled up and swallowed our two sugar cubes causing it to be a bit tasteless, but we had to manage. 

I was attentive to the food, eating it so It wouldn't get cold but at the same time my ears were highly attentive, listening for snippets of their hushed conversation at the other side of the thin curtains which we used as a door. I watched as my siblings ate, my younger sisters sluggish movements as she lifted the spoon to her lips with the same effort as it took to lift a bucket of water. Ruth was not the biggest fan of beans but knew she would be in trouble if she skipped out on dinner. On the other side of me David was eating quickly, taking advantage of Ruth's sluggishness as he planned on filling his stomach. They were both young and exposed, exposed to the struggles which came with an underprivileged life but still unaware of their surroundings. They didn't feel the unease in the air, the uncertainty that this strange woman had brought along with her. 

Having enough of the hot beans, I stared out into the other room where my mother and the woman were seated. I took in her appearance which was partly shielded by the darkness but some parts were illuminated by the lantern. Her body was covered up by a dark blue top, wrapper and a head wrap which sat atop her curly black wig. Time passed and they all went to sleep, I stared out of the window as a slight breeze brought in a coolness to fight the heat in the room along with the familiar high pitched buzzing of mosquitos eager for victims. 

My mother had said this woman was an important visitor, that she was the key to a better life for all of us and thus should be regarded highly. The woman did not come empty handed and brought gifts of a small bag of rice and vegetables, something we looked happily at because it was nearly christmas and all we had in the kitchen was a small nylon bag filled with weevil infested beans and a small jar of salt. We would've had to manage this until the end of the year, because mama had to pay for Ruth and David's school fees. With the introduction of the rice we would be able to have a good end to the year.

In the morning my mother revealed to me what had been discussed. The mysterious woman had been long gone but it was revealed that she would be back soon, but she would be taking me with her the next time. I was going to have the opportunity to further my education in exchange for working for a family in the city and the woman was a family friend who had come to know of my plight. My mother was a widow as our father passed away from an illness several years ago and his death had opened up the wickedness in the hearts of men, characterised in the form of the ill treatment we received from his side of the family. 

We couldn't access much help from my mothers side as most of her family had deserted her due to the man she had chosen to marry, amongst other issues. My mother had fought like a lion, her will to survive awakened by the hardships she faced to this day. The soft exterior was gone and she pushed all of us to do our best at whatever we put our hands to. She had done everything she could to get us all an education, ignoring the people who said that educating female children was all futile because marrying us off would get more money. She had hawked, sold her most valuable items, begged and borrowed just to be able to keep us alive and educated.

I was to go along with this woman to the city just before the New Year began and although It pained me that I would be leaving the life I knew behind I saw that it would be a chance to help my family and lift up the financial burden from the slumped over shoulders of my mother. Staring into her tired eyes which had dark bags under them, I caught a glimpse of the woman buried within,  she let out a small smile. I took in her lanky appearance which resulted from skipping on a few meals, her brown skinned face characterised by worry lines and frown lines at the sides of her full lips.