Choices

He had a discussion once with a woman who was raped by five men at the age of thirteen

She was then working as a housemaid

With a bleak future and miserable present

She said she cried for a long time after the incident

Prayed earnestly to God that she would not get pregnant

Went to her mistress’s room

Took enough money that could serve her as transportation

And went to the motor park to board a bus to their village

It was her mother that put her to work as a housemaid

Her father had begged her to go back to the village with him two years before when his divorce with her mother became final

She was the one who chose to stay in the city believing her mother had the capacity to raise her

As soon as her father left, her mother started maltreating her

She didn’t know why, perhaps because she looked a little like her father

He mother just couldn’t stand her guts

At first her mother put her to work in a local canteen where she was fair game for pedophiles

Many people spoke with her mother that the environment was not conducive for a girl child

Drugs and other substances abusers hung around the canteen

Her mother turned a deaf ear

On the day the police and other relevant agencies came to raid the canteen

Her mother was slapped seven times by a police woman who couldn’t believe an 11 year old would ever be placed in such a place by her own mother!

Her mother cried and begged

Eventually she was released to her mother

Right after then, her mother placed her with a domestic staff agency

Her mother didn’t even consider the fact that she was supposed to be educated

When she was eventually employed as a housemaid

She thought her luck would change

Her madam had only one child

He was an undergraduate

She had the house all to herself whenever her madam went off to work

She had learnt how to read and write in primary school

She started spending more time studying by herself

Her madam’s son came home on holidays

He was like a big brother to her

Even helped her sometimes with her studies

Several months later

Her madam threw a birthday party for her son

Many people came around

While the party was going on

Her madam sent her an errand

As soon as she turned the corner towards some uncompleted buildings close to the house

A hand grabbed her

Carried her

They were all grown men

Right there on the bare floor

They unleashed mayhem on her

She fought them until she couldn’t

One of them said “Don’t injure her, don’t leave any marks on her, if you do that people will ask her questions and she would tell!”

Once done, they left her there

She kept remembering her father’s face while they were mauling her

Why hadn’t she gone back home since?

Why had she insisted on staying in the city when she had a father?

By the time she got back home, the party was still on

She went had her bath, changed and left for their village at 4pm

She got to the village three hours later

Her father was not surprised to see her

He said he knew she would never find life easy with her mother

But he didn’t want to forcefully bring her back to the village with him

He enrolled her in the village school two weeks later

She was the oldest student in primary 5

She wrote her Common entrance Examination that year

Got into high school

Education in the public schools were free

She studied hard and gained admission into the university at 19

She studied law

Her father died the year she graduated

She travelled abroad

The bar association of her country organized a conference

She attended

She met the son of her former mistress at the conference

He didn’t recognize her

She recognized him

She approached him later and introduced herself

She told him her story

H was shocked

They became friends

He developed deeper feelings for her

He proposed

Her mother came calling

She wanted to be Mother of the bride by force

She allowed her

After the traditional and church marriage ceremony had been conducted

She told the bouncers not to allow her mother and her entourage into the venue of her reception

She had a beautiful day

She is now a mother of four

She said it is all in the mind

If you want to be a victim, you can! People will pity and listen to your story and some will be sorry for you

If you want to be victor, you can! You will be pulled down but you must rise every time and win in your mind

If you want to be bitter, you can! You will make the life of everyone around you bitter

If you want to be joyful, you can! You will make everything grow around you

Whatever you want to be, it is just a decision away!!!

PS: In the end, you are the sole person responsible for the quality of the life you live through the decisions you make