My Experience With My Aunt

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"Busayo, be patient. The days remaining for you can't be compared to the years you have lived with her. It's just a matter of time."

They will keep saying this to me anytime I complain of where I stay and how I was treated but everything came to an end one day and I was so much happy I was finally free.

I stayed and lived with my Aunt for 20 years. It was after I finished from Secondary School in year 2010 and because of my behavior then. Perhaps, I should thank her for taking me away from my parent then because they could not handle me anymore. I was almost getting married to a tout on the street but God had a beautiful plan for me. My Aunt requested I come to stay with her so she could change my life. My Dad agreed to it because he feels it was the right thing for me, but I never wanted to, until one morning, they helped me pack my bags and threw me inside the bus with my Dad. I was really fighting so hard with him and struggling to jump out of the bus because I can't afford to leave the useless life I imagined for myself.

We got to my Aunt's place in Ibadan on a Friday afternoon and she welcomed me in with smiles. That was the first time I started to know my relatives. My Dad left the next morning and left me alone. I started my life in Ibadan with this woman who I thought I would enjoy my life with. I was very lazy and I can't imagine myself coming to live with a strong workaholic woman.

MY FIRST INSULT FROM HER

It was on Sunday after my Dad left on Saturday and we were getting prepared for Church. Since I was still new in that house, I wasn't used to things as it would take me time to learn and adapt to the new environment. I wanted to take my bath and I just wore one of her slippers at the doorstep. Little did I know I was in for trouble.

When I came out from the bathroom and saw me with her slippers, she said a statement which really hurts me

"Why did you put on this slippers to bath? Can your parent afford this?"

I didn't..... I wanted to complete the "know" when I heard such insultive statement from her and I became so angry and I was like "was this where my Dad brought me? Will I live to continue taking this insult from her? If you want to insult me, pls do and don't ever include my parent".

I said this in my mind as I don't want to create a scene. I acted the gentleness in me. Only if she knew who I was before coming to her place. I didn't say anything and I said "I am sorry" and we went to Church.

My Aunt is a drycleaner and that is what she used to survive. Though she makes money from it but the way she treats poor old women who only come to survive by washing clothes and then she would pay them for that day. But the way she acts to them would be more than the money she would pay them but knowing your purpose and you can't afford to lose your Job, you just have to dance to her tune and accept the insult.

My elder sister had lived with her before but she didn't stay long, just 7 months. In her history with those that had lived with her, I was the only one who stayed long with her. 20 years with her was hell and I kept enduring it.

WAKING UP AT MIDNIGHT

This is the worse moment for me. As a drycleaner, she doesn't want to keep using the Generator she has to Iron clothes and so she makes use of Light. So whenever light comes, we would wake up and keep ironing till light goes off. Have you ever ironed clothes from 12am to 12pm non stop? You know I said my Aunt is a workaholic? When light comes at 12am, she would wake me up to come and iron customer's clothes. This is the time I am always enjoying sleep. I would murmur within me because I dare not complain to her. According to her, she feeds me, so why won't I work for her.

If you don't work for her, no food for you in that house. Many times she would keep saying "can you eat this kind of food at your parents place?"

My parent aren't rich or poor, at least I wasn't born with a silver spoon. If only they could take care of us very well, we won't be scattered around my Aunts. All their (my parent) children aren't with them because they couldn't take care of us. We were splitted among his sisters and this gave them room to talk to us anyhow and even send us home by insulting our parents.

Then, I would cry whenever she wakes me up at 12am and would keep ironing till when they takes the light.

I have always prayed for light not to come in the midnight and most times, they obey me and won't come. Even after ironing till daybreak, we would still bring out dirty clothes to wash. I never complained even when I needed to rest.

Many times, she won't allow me sleep peacefully at night. I thought I would enjoy my nights when light do not come and she always had her way. Without informing me of any vigil, she would just come into my room around 1am and would say we should pray and hold a vigil.

If there is no light at night, we would observe vigil and if eventually they bring light during the process, no more sleep till daybreak. I have cried many times and prayed none of my siblings come to stay with her.

You can't open your mouth to complain because I don't want to hear another insult from her.

Whenever we are through Ironing and washing, and we eat. Mostly, we eat our first food at 11am or most times, we would eat in the afternoon because we were always busy washing and ironing.

If you dare open your mouth to tell her you are hungry or tired, it would be as if the ground should open up to swallow you but I never complained but kept dancing to her tune.

One day, I woke up and asked myself "am I a slave to her?" Why didn't our parent worked hard to take care of us? But I didn't want to offend God through them. I kept mute.

They finally bought a small phone for me incase she is out and needs to call me to do something. When she goes out, I am always happy and would wish she could just travel on a long journey because her presence everytime is hell to me.

There was a day she punished me and didn't give me food on a Saturday and Sunday. She went to church and left me at home. She locked everywhere including the cupboard where she keeps her food. I was denied all access to go out to find something to eat.

I was very hungry, then and I picked up my phone to call my parent. I hanged my hands on the window and was looking outside like a prisoner being locked inside the cell.

That day, my parent visited Ibadan and had to wait for my Aunt to return back from Church.

Even though we aren't rich, my Dad would never allow us to get punished and be denied food. Food is important at least.

She requested for me and now, she is punishing me with food because of a little issue. My Dad was angry and she apologized and said she won't do such again.

To be continued on the 2nd of August as I don't want to bore you and make it long.

Thanks for reading.

|July 31, 2021|