BUT Episode 3

Story by O'nezer

Episode 3

"I am from a Christian home attending a bible believing church" Deborah started talking.

"My father is an easy going person who doesn't like public displays. He tries everything within his power to avoid anything that will show him off to the world. 

"My mother is the direct opposite. There is virtually no department you won't find her. As she is leading in the children's department, you will see her in the welfare department. Before you know it, she is attending to sick people at the first aid unit and many more".

"The company my father worked with was sold out, so they had to lay off their staffs. As a result, my father lost his job. This new development really affected my family. My father was downcast. To make matters worse, my mother was a full house wife, so she could not provide financial support".

"We are 3, you all know that part and there's 4 years gap between me and my siblings. Part of the privileges we had back then was that once you are a member of staff of the company, you get a discount in school fees charge at the staff college owned by the company."

"Wait oh, is it Royal Mill?" Selina interrupted and for a minute, there was silence.

"You know the company?" Beatrice asked to clear her confusion.

"Yes its Royal Mill, what's up?" Deborah asked.

"No, continue what you were saying" Selina said with a smile on her face as she paid rapt attention to what Deborah was saying.

It was obvious that Selina knew something about the company, but we can't be so sure until she talks about it. 

"I was in senior class 3, while Becky my immediate younger sis was in junior class 3 when my father lost his job. As a result, he couldn't afford to pay for our final exams. In no time, we were asked to move out of the company's house. We were no longer entitled to any benefit.

"People can be wicked oo, they should have at least allowed you to live in the house nau." Selina cuts in

"My dear, that's not all oo" Deborah replied immediately 

"Continue, we are with you" both said as they kept munching their food at intervals. 

"So we moved into the church compound and we were only allowed to stay there for a week. We were hopeless and the struggles and pain was telling on my father. He will put on his suit every Sunday to carry out his ministerial duties, pretending all is well. 

"Dad tried running around to make sure that I at least finish from school and have my result but all to no avail. My mom had to sell some of her jewelries and cloths so as to feed and cloth us for a while. Dad was already looking older than his age within weeks"

"I was beginning to develop this hatred for the church because I was wondering how no one could come around to help us during our struggles. 

Activities inside the church varied. We would quickly wake up before people starts coming in and also be the last to leave church so that people won't know. Days like that made me wish mom didn't leave her job after giving birth to become a full house wife. She would have been an alternative to assist dad in his broke days"

"At a point, eating became a problem. Mom would starve so we could eat, I would also eat little so that my siblings could eat and not go out to beg. My dad loves his self esteem so much that he will rather die of hunger than beg for food and he will rather do all he has to do alone, so that no one will tell him they helped him. These and many more were the humiliations we had to go through, but as the usual saying, what doesn't kill you will make you strong"

"Yes! you are right, I am really trying to picture all you are saying right now. I may not feel your pain as much as you did but this is painful mehn" Selina said.

"See don't let me bore you with my story jare" Deborah said. 

But Beatrice definitely would not want a half story. Everyone knows how much she loves stories and this time, she had all the time to herself.

"Babe, continue it isn't boring" Beatrice said.

"Anyways, one afternoon like that, something happened" Deborah continued. 

"What happened?" Both chorused out of curiosity.

What happened?

Watch out for the next episode.