Migration

Chapter 2

As it is Sunday my parents with my siblings went to church while I was at home. So as soon as they left I get up do everything I am supposed to do and the go straight to Tayitu's house. I really want to know what she thinks about going abroad.

I knock at their door and the door opens revealing a half angry half sad Tayitu. We are not that close. I really don't have any friends cause my parents don't allow me to go anywhere other than to do something they have ordered me to do.

"Good morning"

"Good morning. What do you want? "

"Why are you so irritated?"

"Please don't tell me you haven't heard. They are sending me to Saudi Arabia."

"I came to talk to you about this. Your father told my father and now my father wants to send me there too. We have to run away"

"What? You're kidding right? I can't just run away. They are my family. And besides the man who will deal with the documents will come to our house today. I think you will be sent too."

"I am not going anywhere. I will do anything but crossing orders illegally is not one of them."

"What are you planning on doing? To run away just like your older sister? You don't even know where she is or how she is doing."

"I am sure she is living a good life there in the city."

"Please. She might have survived on her own running away but us? If we even think of running away we have not one to go to."

Realising that the time has gone by I say goodbye to Tayitu and then head home. Five minutes after I come home my parents and my siblings enter the house.

I serve them breakfast as they haven't eaten, wash the dishes then just as I am about to go get some additional water from the lake my father stops me.

"We will go to Abebe's house tonight to meat up with the man who will help you with your documents. "

Did he just say documents? I don't even have a passport. I want to scream at him. But I can't. Cause you know girls should shut their mouth and take in whatever dirt gets put on their heads. Ugh. I hate my society.

"Is she talking to herself?"

My father suddenly asks my mother.

"Yes. I think she has gone mad."

OMG I think I was moving my lips as I was talking to myself.

"What are you saying there?" My father asks.

"Nothing."

"What were you saying." My father asks in a more strict tone. I just keep quiet.
He stands up brusquely making my heart skip a beat. I just stand there frozen.

When he is at a fair distance from me he slaps me so hard I get the burning sensation. Of course as my society demands children must be beaten as it is the only way to be mannered.  When it comes to women don't even get me started. We are seen as dirt. We don't have any rights.
Anyways,  back to the present.  After he slaps me

"I will teach you a lesson you will remember."

And with that he takes my hand and leads me to my and my siblings' room.
My siblings were playing in our room. My father commands them to leave and as soon as they do he literally throws me to the bed and rushes out of the room.
But I know that this isn't going to finish here.

After some time he comes back with a thick rubber band.  Oh,  that rubber band.  I used to get a piece of that rubber every time I did something wrong. The last time I was beaten with that rubber was when I was 15. And now after three years it is once again in my father's hand.

He starts hitting me with it on my back, giving me a burning sensation. It feels like a stinging feeling you get when you put alcohol on a fresh wound.

I cover my face using my hand as defence so that he doesn't hit me in the eyes. After giving me one last whip he says

" Next time you will think twice before talking to yourself and refusing to tell me what it is. "

When he leaves the room I let go of my tears that I have held while he was beating me.
Why did he want to have children?  So that I we would be his guarantee? So that he could send me to some country I didn't even know existed until I was told it did. 
I wish I was never born.

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