TIA'S DESTINY

*Tia*

was in my room and I heard mom screaming in the house, it sounded like she was arguing with dad.

Mom (screaming): I should have aborted it, it would have prevented me from having a child who looks like you, you idiot.

Dad: Oh but had to abort. That you think I wanted to have a child with you? A rude, rebellious, upstart, materialistic, uneducated woman. Do you think I wanted a child?

Mom: Materialist, what do you have to give me first? A drunkard, idiot, funny, do you think it's with you that I aspire to end my life? Did you take a good look at me? A beautiful woman, me Nadine MBOUROU, am I going to end up with a laughing stock like you? But you are sick!

Dad: You make me laugh Nadine. You beautiful woman, what are you still doing here then? Get out of my house! Leave with your bastard daughter, disappear from my life. Do you think I have your time? A child you had while setting me up, do you think I'm interested in being his father? On the contrary, you will relieve me if you break up with her.

Mom: I pity the woman who will agree to marry you.

Dad: And I pity the man who is going to take you as a wife, and moreover with a child in his arms. I pity him already because you are the worst woman in the world. (Laughter) You really set me free, thank you! I will be able to live my life with a normal woman.

Mom: That's what I expected. Fuck you Roger, don't you understand? Unable ! Man who has a small kiki but it's you who wants a good woman, idiot!

Dad: Little kiki who got you pregnant, right? Excuse me, get out of my house before I throw you out like a slut.

My tears started to flow, I'm 8 years old but these words, I understand them almost. I know my parents are separating.

Mom pushes the door hard.

Me: Ouch!

Her: Did we tell you that we eavesdrop? Little impolite, stupid like her father, (hitting me) imbecile...

She continued to insult me, hit me, put all her rage on me "the mistake of her life".

Her: You pick up your things and we get out of here!

Dad (disembarking): What business? What I bought with my money won't get out of here! Since your mom wants to get on people and be rude, let her go buy you some new clothes. But what my meager money has paid for will not come out of here.

Mom: Roger, you really are a poor guy. It's that she'll stay naked then because I'm not going to spend my money on such a fool.

My tears just flow and I say nothing. I wonder where we're going to live? If I don't take clothes, what will I wear? Why do my parents treat me like this?

When I want to take my CE2 notebooks

Dad (slapping me on the back): I said nothing gets out of here!

I cried even more.

That same night Mom and I came out of the house, we walked over to Granny's (Mom's mom) house and when we got there

My aunt: I said that here, didn't I? Nadine? Marriage without rings is over?

Mom: I didn't ask you!

My aunt: And you still make the big mouth? When you come to this house, who's gonna pay the bills? It's you ? Ah yes I forgot you are going to use your butt to pay for that, right?

Grandma: When you had to go to school, nothing! You really disappoint me Nadine!

Mom: I'm not here to listen to your stories. I just want to sleep.

Grandma: Are you coming to be a big mouth in my house? Know Nadine that if you want to sleep here, you will pay and participate in the charges. Otherwise, I'm just keeping my little girl, and you're getting the hell out of my house.

This is how we ended up living with grandma.

Grandma treated me well and she was the only one. My aunts made fun of me because of my thinness and dark complexion. And above all I was not the super intelligent child like theirs, I was average and I studied hard.

I was learning in a local public primary school and it was granny who paid for my lessons with the proceeds from her business.

During the holidays, she introduced me to sales by putting me a small table in the yard where I sold small things while she went to the market to sell her goods.

My mother ? I don't even know if she was aware of my existence! She spent her life outside and she came home with food, which she never gave me.

We ate once a day, I was not allowed snacks or anything else. Yet when you saw my mom on the way, you could swear she had money.

Clothes ? I had very few. And since I was the "bastard" of the family, my aunts sent their children's used clothes for me to wear. They were floating on me of course, but I had no choice. And when they saw me dressed like that, it didn't seem to bother them, on the contrary, they laughed.

I had a lot of pain when I was 8 years old.

I understood then that no one really loved me, except Grandma of course.

The day after I turned ten, Mom came to tell us that she had found a man ready to marry her.

My aunts: Oh that!

Grandma: Who is he?

Mum (smiling): His name is Bernard OLOMO, he is 42 years old and he works at the Ministry of Finance (eyes shining)

Grandma: Um, I want to see it here first! And I'll give you my answer!

Aunt 1: Really!

Mom: Positive or negative, I'm getting married! If you think that in this family, you are going to block my marriage, you are putting your finger in the eye.

Aunt 2: Who here first has the time to block a marriage that won't last long? Can you keep a home Nadine? You have no shame ? Clean up, nothing! Cook, nothing! Even your thing you call child there is already learning to cook at 10 years old. You, your only job is to be beautiful!

Mom (sneering): And my Bernard likes it! My beauty ! You are jealous ? (pawing) and in addition, learn to cook why? Since I will have a cook? Everyone has their own destiny ladies, don't be bitter!

Aunt 1: Because you think we can envy you Nadine? My head is full, I lack for nothing, I'm married and fulfilled, I can't envy a person who only knows how to count on her beauty and her buttocks!

Mom: At the same time, you're not going to rely on what you don't have (laughing)!

Aunt 1 (standing up): I'm going home mum, I'm not going to listen to bullshit any longer. Happy household and take your child with you, or throw it at Roger his father. We don't just have to do that, take care of a child who was conceived by two unconscious people. Bullshit.

The house gradually empties and I sit with tears in my eyes. I did not ask to come into the world so why am I despised so much? Why don't I have parents like other kids my age? I thought to myself.

Grandma: Don't cry Tia, I'll take care of you, we'll get through this!