This is it

chapter 6

Weeks past when it was finally the day for my new mama and papa to come. They had been writing to me for weeks and writing me questions for a while.

They sent me pictures of their ranch and horses and said I can ride them whenever I feel like. And then they showed me their children, one little girl called Lucy and to mother is pregnant with another.

They looked happy, unlike my family..

My parents had never been ones to show defeat, neither shame. They worshipped no God because they said they were there own person. Everyday was the same for me, come home and wash all the clothes,then do my homework, cook a meal, clean my room, sweep the floors and buy fish.

That's what I had to do every week and every moment, I would be severely punished if I did otherwise. My parents believed in true punishment. If I complained that my back was hurting, I would be whipped ten times on the back by mama. If I asked for help in homework, I would be beaten for not concentrating. And if I got a gold star on a maths test, mama would make me sleep outside with no food for. Being a know it all.

Life got harder as it went along, they would beat me for the stupidest of things from a piece of carrot not being peeled to one strand of fabric not being clean. The beating got so awful that once, I wasn't allowed to go to school because my nose was too big and my eyes were so swollen I couldn't see.

I remember my fingers cracking every time I moved them and my mouth swimming in blood. The loud thumping in both my ears and the immense pain in my body.

" You idiot!" Mum would yell as I spelt a word wrong, this word was "Punishment." I was only three and my mum was trying to each me the word that would be used f I stepped out of turn. She wanted me to fear this word, but I saw it merely as a word on paper.

I tried to write it, but with the pen shaking in my hand, it slipped. Mum slapped me round the head and made me try again.

punnishmant. I wrote, mum looked it over and held the paper in loose grip. I smiled, thinking that she would praise me for trying so hard. She didn't.

" You foolish girl! I will teach you the one way you will truly remember the book!"

She shook me by the shoulders until I fell to my knees, then she grabbed a book and whacked me round the head several times.

My body went hot and I began to cry, I cried so much that mum got worried the neighbours would hear, she took a cloth and stuffed it deep into my mouth until I could cry no more and instead just focused on breathing.

I could feel the blood pumping round my head and the sickness rising in me. I wanted to die, for the first time. When I was only three.

The next next day, we were given a letter.

To Nemdi, Noni and Indasola.

I'm having a wonderful time and my mum and dad are very nice! I have a little sister and she dribbles a lot and I always laugh! I made a friend called Katie and she is really funny. We went to Disneyland! And I went on a rollercoaster for the first time and I got sick and fell asleep on mum on the way home.

Mummy tried to make Ox tail but it didn't go well and tasted plain but mummy laughed because she thought it was yucky too! So she made me mushroom soup instead. That was Delicious, I've also started school again and everyone is really nice and a boy called Jonathan thinks I'm cute?

But I told him that I'm not a baby so I can't be cute and then he laughed and said I'm very very cute.

Write to me soon! Nkechi.