My teacher had told us the story of King David. Despite his heroic feats, he ran away when the need arose. I took the bold step and fled from home at the age of ten, and no one cared.
I lived on the street and lived by its principles; if you can't beat them, you join them. I could not help but join them, beginning from petty stealing to pickpocket. Furthermore, I was tutored by my fellows on how to survive in the jungle. One thing I learned from them was the bonding, we protect one another.
I was happy in their midst because I was protected from the likes of my fathers. Occasionally, we offer ourselves for menial jobs and were paid. As time went by, my close allies and I resolved to do menial jobs and quit stealing. The teachings from the church came to bear on us.
“We can go back to school,” Fidel, one of us, suggested one day. We welcomed his idea and enrolled in the nearby public school. Then, I was twelve and had never been abused, and my self-esteem was building up gradually. Fidel was sixteen, but he looked twenty. His early exposure to street life led him to strength training and increased his muscles. Lydia and Alex were very close to each other, and we respected that.
After seven years, we graduated from the high school and were faced with the university education. From our income from the menial jobs, we were aware that we could not accommodate the bills and Fidel proposed, “Nne, I suggest that you go further, while I support you.”
I was touched by his level of sacrifice. He loved to address me as 'Nne' because he sees me as one. He never had the joy of motherhood because he was gotten out of wedlock and teenage pregnancy. His mother believed that he was an error and abandoned him to his fate. When he had his way, he fled from a supposed home where he was a public goat that was fed by all, but dying of hunger.
“I propose that you go, Fidel. I will support you,” I responded. Although, we do not have any romantic attachment, but we were aware that we had special places in our hearts for each other. After much argument, he took a deep breath and brought the argument to an end, “We will go together. We can seek help when we are stranded.”
During, my Sunday School Classes, we were taught that it was of vital importance to help others. After the registration and acquiring accommodation, we were penniless. With the school workload facing us, going for our menial jobs was unfeasible.
“There is a church nearby, we can ask for help,” Alex suggested. The idea seemed good to us, based on our Sunday School backgrounds. On Sunday, we dressed up and left for the church. It was strange to us because some of us had not attended church for almost sixteen years.
“Did you say that you need help?” The Priest inquired when we met him after the church.
“Yes, Priest. These are our admission letters,” we responded, and displayed our papers.
“Your parents should be responsible for your school and not the church,” the Priest informed us dismissively, and we left his office dejectedly. We had grown lean as a result of improper feeding and too much task.
“What do we do?” I asked as we trekked back to school. Alex and Fidel were too depressed to answer my question. Fidel spoke for the first time when we got back to our apartment.
“Nne, I will visit the hideout.”
“What for,” I asked anxiously. “To borrow some money,” he responded.
“Would they have? Even at that, would they be willing to part with their hard-earned money?”
“There's no harm in trying.”
“If you say so.”
After they left, I felt empty. I realized for the first time that I have a thing for him. Nevertheless, Lydia and I waited eagerly for their return, but they never did.
“Why did my Sunday School Teacher say it was imperative to help each other? Why did the Priest send us away without any assistance, not even offering us menial jobs?” I pondered.
We could not visit the hideout either after waiting for them for a week due to lack of funds to travel. The hideout was about one hundred kilometers away from the university. We were unable to contact them through a phone call because we had none. We resorted to menial jobs again, like washing clothes for lazy students, sweeping and disposing garbage for shop owners. Likewise, we were able to sustain ourselves until one month when Fidel and Alex returned. Although, they came back wealthy, but they were downcast.
“Nne, I will tell you the source of this money if God shows me mercy and pardons me,” he explained with guilt in his eyes. To avoid overburdening him, I swallowed my questions.
“It is all right, if that is what you want.”
Going forward, he commenced a barbing and a laundry shops. On the other hand, Alex and Lydia and established an eatery and life was easier. Thereafter, we completed our university education. Although our results were not fantastic, we were fine. Now, Fidel had expressed his love to me and I gladly accepted. Likewise, he confessed the source of the money to me.
“What made you to believe that God had shown you mercy and pardoned you?” I inquired
He laughed softly and gave me a peck on my temple and said, “I pledged my love for you as a bait. I promised to accept your refusal of my proposal as a punishment from God. Now that you have accepted me, I feel pardoned.”
We shed tears of guilt and joy together, and he made a solemn promise, “Our children will never go through this.” “Amen,” I concurred aloud.
Our life became more stable and we planned our wedding. He took me to the family he could identify as his. The few people around, whom he could not identify his relationship with them, gave us a cursory greeting, but we were not bothered.