SOMEWHERE IN AFRICA

chapter 5

When Mrs. Ortega Delilah, the devil came in and saw that all the ironing, plates and rooms where all done, she thought I didn't go out, so as she sat in the living room she told me to get plates to the dining.

She stopped at the eatery on her way back and bought food for her kids, she said she doesn't have strength to cook that evening and bought food instead,
She does not always have strength to do anything so they all ate the food she brought back.

I heard her husband ask her as they all sat eating at the dining

"Do Lauretta have anything to eat in the kitchen...?"

"I don't know...honey allow me to enjoy my food in peace...why are you asking me if she has something to eat as if I'm her mother...or is she a baby... Can't she sort herself out...?”

I wasn't bothered because I have already eaten, and I didn't want Mr. Ortega {who I use to call uncle until his wife warned me not to call him uncle again because he wasn't related to me, so if I want to address him directly, I call him "sir" instead} to have any issue with his wife because of me, or the Devil  in her will surface and transfer the anger on my body.

If her husband shout at her for any reason or at the kids, I will be the one to suffer for it at the end, she will beat me until my whole body is inflicted with wounds before she stops.

Sometime ago, her husband's two colleagues visited the house and saw me with body injuries, I guess they mentioned it to Mr. Ortega who decided to stop his wife's barbaric act on me, which wasn't totally stopped.

she still carry out her wicked act in different ways, which I even prefer the beating to some of the punishment she gives me. The highest beating I presently received from her now is to slap me or hit my head to the wall, my other punishment is starvation.

Her husband is not always around, and him being at home or out makes no much difference to me because he sees his wife doing certain things but never stops her, he just ignore and sometimes support his wife if she accuses me wrongly. They both have something in common, which is seeing me as nobody.

Emily cries sometimes when she watch me being beaten or ill-treated, she sometimes hides her food just to give me to eat. After she was caught giving me some of her remaining food, her mum makes sure she eats her food in her presence. She also punished me that day for collecting food from her baby, and I told Emily not to risk giving me anything or I will be the one to suffer for it.

Instead, anytime I'm asked to go and feed the dogs with any leftover or prepare noodles for the dogs, I will hide and eat out of it.

After they finished feasting and asked me to pack the remains to the dogs, I wasn't hungry because I have already eaten before coming home so I just picked some chicken laps that wasn't well touch, I hide and ate it, and gave the dog the rest.

“I will be leaving early tomorrow morning and I want you to make sure that the cars are cleaned up” boss lady  warned.

“Allow the gateman to wash the cars…” her husband suggested

“I refuse and insist she wash the cars herself” she spoke harshly.
Washing Mr. and Mrs. Ortega’s car wasn't a big deal, is something I'm used to doing and I have to do it tonight again.

I washed the two cars, I even dip hands inside the car tyres just to make sure there was no sign of dirt or sand in them.

It was very late when I finished washing the two cars, everybody had gone to bed by then, when I came inside and checked the time it was almost 2am, and I changed my wet cloth and went to sleep, because I always wake up by 4am every day.
I was happy she was going out early, that will enable me to meet up with my job appointment.