
Episode 1
JOYCE
âJoyce! Joyce! Where is that good for nothing girl?
Mother shouted and walked to me, I stood immediately being terrified.
âSo you are here and I have been calling you since?
She shouted with a knock on my head.
âNo mother I did not hear when you called meâ
I replied massaging the knock she gave me on my head.
âYou are now deaf and dumb that will not hear me abi?
She shouted.
âAm sorry mother!
I replied.
âThis your ears are they blocked, next time I called you and you did not answer me immediately I will deal with youâ
She shouted dragging my ears.
âAm sorry mother, it will not happen againâ
I pleaded.
âSorry for your stupidity! Hurry up with that thing you are doing and prepare dinner am hungryâ
She shouted.
âOkay mother! Am almost doneâ
I said.
âFool!
She shouted and went inside.
I donât know why mother hate and despised me so much, any little thing I did she must find fault to it.
I have apologized and tried to make her to love me like my other sisters but all to avail.
Since father passed away she has made my life so miserable, I donât know what I have done to her anywhere to warrant this ill maltreatment.
Done with the watching and rushed inside the kitchen to prepare dinner before mother will start shouting again.
Thirty minutes later am done with the food and dishes it out.
âBia this girl! I hope what you prepare is sweet because I donât want to eat nonsense ooooo?
Lucy the one I senior direct shouted at me, I ignored her and served the food.
âDidnât you hear what she said? Stupid child!
Mother shouted at me.
âThe food is sweet you will like itâ
I replied.
Just about toleave,
âBia Joyce! What is this? Did you want to kill me?
Mother shouted as she thrown up the food.
âWhat type of food is this, did you want to kill us with pepper and saltâ
Lucy shouted.
Pepper and salt! No mother! I did not over added pepper and saltto the foodâ
I said.
âWait oooo! Are you calling me a liar?
She shouted.
âNo mother thatâs not what I meanâ
I said.
âJoyce you called mother a liar abi! You prepared poison for us to eat and die, it will not work for youâ
Lucy shouted.
âLucy did you really have to say that? Itâs just a mistake it can happen to anyoneâ
Rita the last born said.
âWill you shut up that your brat! What did you knowâ
Lucy shouted back at her.
âJoyce come here!
Mother shouted.
âNo mother! I know I did not over added salt nor pepper to that food, am very sure that I did notâ
I said with my whole body shaking.
âI said you should come here! I donât want to repeat myself again because if I do Joyce, you know how it use to be nah!
Mother shouted.
âMother is calling you, you have enter one chanceâ
Lucy laughed out.
I went closer to her.
âYou opened this your dirty mouth and called me a liarâ
She shouted and gave me a slap on my left cheek.
âNo mother I did not do it someone meant how done that just to frame me upâ
I cried out holding my cheek.
âYou want to kill me? It will not work for you, you will be the one to die, you see this poison you must eat it and finish it, they will not be any food for you until this poison is finishedâ
She shouted and poured the soup on my face.
âMy eyes! Pepper! My eyesâ
I cried out.
âMother! You donât have to do that to sister Joyce nah, I donât like the way you are treating her as if she is not your bloodâ
Rita shouted.
âWill you shut up that your mouth before I will shut it up for you!
Mother shouted.
âJoyce you have not seen somethingâ
Lucy shouted and laughed and poured wash hand water on me.
âHaba! Sister Lucy did you have to pour that dirty water on sister? I donât like the way you and mother is treating sister is not good ooooâ
Lucy shouted.
The pepper was too much for me to bear so I ran out immediately.
âMake sure you enter inside that kitchen and prepare something good if you like again you can over add pepper to it, stupid child, good fornothing human beingâ
Mother shouted to my hearing.
I rushed to the kitchen and washed out my face, the pepper was so hot.
âI know I did not over added pepper and salt to that soup, I tasted it very well before dishing it outâ
I said still cleaning my face.
âSister I know you did not do it, I know very well is sister Lucy that over added the salt and pepper just to frame you up, wipe your tears and stop cryingâ
Rita said wiping out my tears.
âWhy did mother hate me so much? What have I done to her that made her to have this so much hatred on me? I have done everything humanly possible to please her and for her to love me like the way she loves you and Lucyâ
I cried out.
âSister stop crying, it torns my heart when I see you like this, I know that one day everything will be alrightâ
She said.
âRita you are the only one that loves and cares for me in this houseâ
I said as I hugged her.
âI hope you are almost done with the foodâ
Mother shouted from inside.
âYes my mother! I will soon bring itâ
I shouted to her hearing.
âSister I need to help you out so that you can finish on time before mother will come out and started shouting at youâ
She said.
I told her all she need to do before some mintues we were done with the food.
âBia! This good for nothing child! I hope this food is not rubblish?
I shouted as I dished out the food.
âMother the food is okay because the person that ruined the first food did not smell the kitchenâ
Rita said starring at Lucy.
âThatâs your luck,you know that poison food you cooked is what you will eat until its finishâ
Mother shouted as soon as tasted the food.
I did not utter any word to her and went back to the kitchen.
I dished some food and starred at it.
âHow can eat this food, Lucy have the guts to did this to me and even poured that dirty water on me, she should not worry I will soon get back to herâ
I said and started eating the food.
I have no other option but to eat because am dying of hunger, I have not eaten since morning.
âAre you eating this food sister?
Rita asked.
âWhat did you expect me to do Rita when you know I have not eaten since morning?
I said.
âNo sister! You donât have to eat that it meant cause you running stomach, I brought my food for us to share togetherâ
She said and sat beside me.
âYou brought your food? You know if mother seen me eating this food she will not be happy with meâ
I sounded.
âSister you donât have to worry, mother will not do anything beside she has gone to bed already so letâs eatâ
She said.
We ate together and tidy up the kitchen before going to bed.
LUCY
I added that salt and pepper inside the food to humiliate that stupid girl, who did she even think she is?
I hate and despised everything about her beside her presence disgust me.
I hope and wished she was not my sister.
I will surly deal with her for taking all praises that has always meant from me.
When father was still alive he shower her with praises and made me feel that am not important to him because she bewitched father and father took her as his favorite child.
Even when we are still in school everybody likes her and talk more about her which made me to feel so jealous and I vowed to make her life miserable with the help of mother being on my side she will help me to take my revenge on her.
I will surly deal with her in this house until she ran out from this house I donât even care if she is my sister or not.
JOYCE
I went to the sitting I met mother counting a lot of money, I need money to register for my JAMB, since I left secondary school I have not been able to further my education to the high institution, mother always tells me thatâs no money but when thereâs money.
I have to try my best hoping that I will succeed.
I stood there mopping at her, not knowing how to start up to avoid her from getting angry with me.
âYes what is it?
She shouted with a harsh voice.
âMother, isâŠâŠ.. Is⊠I wantâŠâŠ.
I stammered with my whole body shaking.
âSpeak up what is it? If you dont have any reasonable thing to say you better live my presence as you can see am busyâ
She shouted still counting the money.
âSister what is it? Talk to mother and stop being secardâ
Rita said.
âMother you know Jamb registration has started and I need money to buy the forumâ
I said with a cracking voice.
âYou need what? Did you give me money to keep for you? Wait oooo! Because you saw me counting money and you brought your smelling self to ask for money, if you need money you go out there and work, you see this money is for my daughterâs up keepâ
She shouted at me.
âBut mother Sister Joyce is also your daughter tooâ
Rita said.
âWill you shut up that your mouth?
She shouted at her and hit her on the head.
âMother am also your daughter, why is it that you always make me to feel like am nobody in this family like I donât belong here?
I cried out.
âYou are nobody to me and your presence irritate me so much, at the count of three I want you to get out from my sight smelling he goat, you need money you did not work for, stupid human beingâ
Mother shouted and slappedm me, I ran out immediately to avoid another slap from her.
Why is mother doing this to me, she donât want me to achieve my dreams in life? Why did she hates me so much? Where on earth have I offended her?
All I have ever wanted is for us to be happy and be in peace like one family.
I thought with a broken heart and tears rushing down from my eyes like a river.
LUCY
What is the meaning of all this? How dare her to spare her dirty clothes on this rope?
I shouted as I threw the clothes on the ground.
âNonsense!
I shouted and spared my own clothes.
âLucy why did you threw my clothes on the ground?
The smelling he goat shouted.
âWhy shouldnât I throw it? Have I not warned you serveal times to stop sparing your dirty smelling clothes on this rope?
I shouted at her.
âLucy this rope is meant for everyone so you have no right to threw my clothes on the groundâ
She ranted like a mad dog and picked the clothes.
âPack those smelling clothes and donât you ever spare them on this rope again, this will be the last time I will warn you, if I set my eyes on this dirty clothes of yours I will not only throw them rather I will burn them to ashesâ
I shouted also clapping my hands to prove to her how serious am I.
She laughed as she packed those her dirty clothes.
âLucy you have been finding my trouble in this house and I have been keeping silent and my silent dose not mean am a fool, am waiting for the day your cup will be filled, that day you will see the type of stuff am made ofâ
She shouted like a mad dog.
I dragged her back as she was about to leave.
âCome back here am not done with you! Joyce or whatever your name is you wonât do anything beside you canât be more than a hanging towelâ
I shouted dragging her and well ready to fight her.
âLucy live me! I said you should live me! Eeeeeeeheeeh! Lucy!
She shouted as I was still dragging her for a fight.
âJoyce I said you wonât do anything! I will deal with you until run out from this houseâ
I shouted and pushed her on the floor.
She stood up immediately and gave me a slap.
I slapped her back, we started fighting and exchanging words, insulting each others.
JOYCE
âToday you have bitten more than you can chew, what sort of nonsense is this!
I shouted as I highjacked her and threw her on the floor and beat her up mercilessly, she deserve the beating.
âPlease sister live her, stop fightingâ
Rita cried out as she rushed and separated us from the fight.
âLeave me let show this stupid girl somethingâ
She shouted like a mad dog she is, struggling to give me a slap but Rita dragged her back.
âIs okay nah sister! Rita shouted.
âIt seem the beating I gave you is not enough and you want me to break those your cockroach legs for youâ
I shouted.
âYou have luck that am not in the mood to fight I could have design that your ugly face more for youâ
She ranted like a mad dog.
âWhat is going on here?
Mother shouted as soon as she came back and saw us quarreling.
Lucy ran to mother shading crocodile tears.
âMother is this good for nothing girl that call herself Joyce, I did not do anything to her and she started beating me like a goatâ
She cried out.
âYou said what? You mean this animal, this idiot have the guts to touch you?
Mother shouted.
âYes mother, see how my body isâ
She cried out.
âSo Joyce you want to kill my daughter for me eeeeh! I will first kill you todayâ
Mother shouted coming closer to me.
âMother she started it all, she was insulting meâ
I tried to explain but she took my explanation as nonsense to her.
âSo Joyce it has gotten the extend of you beating my daughterâ
She shouted and slapped me repeatedly.
âMother I donât like what you are doing, sister Lucy started it first, she was insulting sister Joyceâ
Rita said.
âWho did you think you are? That my daughter will not insultâ
She shouted continue slapping me.
âAm sorry mother, it will not happen againâ
I pleaded.
âI will show this stupid child something today so that next time she will not have the guts to lay her fingers on you again, Lucy get me that wire over thereâ
Mother shouted.
Lucy rushed immediately and brought the wire.
Mother flogged me mercilessly with the wire, I cried and pleaded for her forgiveness but all to no avail, I was rolling on the ground as she was lashing my body with the wire without no mercy.
âMother flogged her very well so that next time she will respect me in this houseâ
Lucy shouted and laughing at me.
âMother please stop flogging her like a common criminal, she is a human being like, for crying out loud she is your own daughterâ
Rita shouted and held motherâs hand as she was about to lash another strock of the wire on my body.
âWhat is wrong with this girl? Will you leave mother let her deal with this idiot?
Lucy shouted at her and pushed her out.
âLucy did you still have any atom of sympathy in you?
Rita shouted.
âGood for nothing she goat, the next time you will lay those your stinking witches hands on my daughter again I will not flog you rather I will drag your grave and bury you aliveâ
She shouted and gave me another strock of the wire and walked.
âYou have not seen something ooooâ
Lucy shouted and kicked me as she walked inside.
âSister please stop crying, its okayâ
Rita said with a tearing eyes.
âRita what have I done to mother, where have I offended her, why did she hate me so much and make me to feel that am not her daughter?
I cried out.
âSister stop crying, I know you are my sister and you are motherâs daughter but what I donât understand is why she had this so much hatred towards youâ
Rita said.
âYou know it was not my fault but mother takes Lucyâs side instead of mineâ
I cried out.
âSister stop crying, one day everything will be well,letâs go inside see how badly your body is, I need to massage it with hot waterâ
She said and held my hand and we went inside.
My whole body was filled with marks of the wire so so painful.
She boiled the hot water and started massaging my body.
âOuch! Take it easy Ritaâ
I shouted, the pain was so unbearable for me.
âAm sorry sister, I will take it so gentlyâ
She said.
Lucy came out and started laughing like a little witch.
âYou deserve every bits of the flog, I warned you but you did not listen, if you see me just clear my path because next time you raise those your hands on me, shai! You still remember what mother said, she will bury you aliveâ
She laughed out.
âSister donât mind herâ
Rita said still massaging me.
Later in the day, mother made me to prepare dinner without minding my present condition and even starve me on top but thanks to Rita who brought her food I could have die of hunger last night.
Choose Episodes Below;
Note: episodes already read are highlighted in red!
Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Episode 4 Episode 5 Episode 6 Episode 7 Episode 8 Episode 9 Episode 10 Episode 11 Episode 12
Leave a Reply