I watched my aunty bid me farewell as she handed me to a senior who promised to watch over me. Slowly tears rolled down my cheek, I was too young to be away from home. I held my polythene bag tightly against my chest, it fell like the whole world was crumbling, a year without seeing my parents felt like forever but it didn't take much time to get over it, "if other kids could be this happy, then myself will be happy" I said to myself as I look at the kids who seem to be the same age as me playing around the hostel.
In 2005, after completing my primary education, my Aunty suggested I continue my school in a boarding house. I was 12 years old then, we all agreed but it dawned on me that I was being seperated from my parents and everyone I was acquainted with when she turned her back to leave dropping in the school. I grew up suffering from an illness that didn't allow me to work at home, so, all my chores were done by my siblings and parents, leaving home meant no one was going to do those works for me again, everything that concerns me was now my responsibility. I didn't know how I was going to cope but somehow I managed not to run after her as I sobbed silently.
A week later, I started to make new friends in school, wake up as early as 4:00am for morning devotion, wash my clothes, and fetch water. Even though life in the boarding house was unbearable for me the first week, I still managed to find what gave me joy. I was small, delicate , and innocent, these features made most seniors treat me differently. After 2 months, I started to do my chores without any stress, I no longer relied on anyone for something, I preferred working to get it. It was those moments that I knew what it meant to be hungry and how hard it was working to put food on the table.
It was while I was away that I learned to deal with my fears, I knew my parents weren't there to protect me and if I was going to survive out there, I needed to be bold. I failed, dust myself off and moved on. There were moments I cried but they also made me stronger. Staying in the boarding house made it easy for me to live anywhere without feeling the heat of being away from home.
I stayed in the boarding house in my junior secondary school, then continued as a day student and later stayed in a boarding house in my SS 2- SS 3. All those moments made me who I am today, strong, bold with at least some knowledge about life and responsibilities.
