Like a Father

My aunty was strict but her husband was a complete opposite of her. I never saw him raised his hands on his children and wouldn't do that to me, he was always the one to calm her down each time she boiled. Aunty was always angry so even when she smiled, i got scared.

Everything i did to please her all turned against me, nothing i did was done well because she would always find reasons why i didn't do it well. Its either that the rice i boiled was over or under boiled, or that there was more salt or less salt in the food i cooked and when i washed cloths, its either with a less detergent or more. Slept late or before time and woke late. She was just too rude to me.

I tried my best to understand her but you see, she hates me and it all started from the very first day i stepped my foot into their house. My parents were poor but managed to see me through primary school and the fact that i wanted to go to school was the only reason why i was sent to their house as a help in return to acquire education.

She always coursed me and my entire family but i took her husband’s advice to accept her ill treatment towards me as the sacrifice i had to make to gain my desire, he assured me that he would sponsor me right through to university, an assurance depicted by Aunty. I called her Aunty because i can’t call her Mummy, we had no blood relation,i was just a common house girl, daughter of the poor carpenter.

She found pleasure hitting me and when she ever decide to use the cane, then it would be all over my body. Her husband always defended me so it wasn't a surprise when he took the cane from her while flogging me for mistakenly braking a glass cup, her daughter who is a year older than me had broken more glass cups but got no lashes.I saw hell in her hand for the three years i spent with her. Like she usually said;

YOU WONT KNOW THE DAY YOU WILL RUN AWAY FROM MY HOUSE.

I actually ran away but i knew that day and still remembered it because I woke up and left the house that early morning. However, her husband traced me to my family and began taking care of my education while i lived with my parents, he provided everything in abundance for me and suggested that i take up medicine when i was about to enter the university. I had always wanted to be a nurse but he was my mentor and guider so i accepted his advice and he stood by me like a father. Sent me to London for my speciality immediately i finished from the medical school. I can't thank Mr Ernest Brown enough for what he did in my life but all i can say is that he is my Guardian Angel