Too Late To Claim

Episode 2

Life they say, is full of many twists and turns and you never can tell what will be the outcome of every journey you take except to hope for the best.

My name is Jessica Vincent and this is my story.

From childhood in the village,life has never favoured me.

I lost my dad immediately I came into this world as a result, people referred to me as a bad luck child.

I grew up with my mom taking care of me.
I had no siblings nor external families neither friends because no family allowed their child or children to befriend a witch like me.

School was out of it because we didn’t even have enough to eat not to talk of pursuing education.

At age five,I was already known as the Pure water hawker in the village though most people are afraid of buying from me because of rumours that I killed my dad nevertheless I didn’t mind them as I continued to sell my water.

When business got tough,I trekked to the neighboring villages to sell since no one knew me there.

Rags were my best clothes.

Mother would go to the tailor shop and gather all the pieces together and sew me clothes.

My shoes were peeling and opened under yet I still managed.

Garri was our dialy food and we never tasted anything like meat or fish till I left there.
We had no bed.

At night, mother spread her old smelling wrapper on the cold floor and we sleep, that is if we are lucky with mosquitoes.

During dawn, our bodies ached with pains as a result of sleeping on the floor yet we don’t mind.

We washed our mouths with charcoal since toothpaste and toothbrush were for the rich and I go about selling my water.

It was really hard for a teenager like me.
Seeing other young children smartly dressed in new and expensive clothes.

Seeing other families eating and throwing away.
Seeing my friends going to school and gisting on what they learned in school.

Mine was nothing to write about except sorrows and pains.

Most times,I sat behind the house and cried my eyes and heart out.

You may think I didn’t understand anything because I was a small girl but I did.

Mother cried too but she never showed it instead she encouraged me to focus on God and pray always.

She assured me that God understands everything and it was just a matter of time.

She told me never to leave God’s hands and never to stop trusting him
“He knows the Best Jessy and he will make everything beautiful in his time.” She would often say to me.

But when is that time ever going to come??