One day, I came to class and after my normal class activities, it was time for prep talk which I decided to enlighten my pupils about an African street child, the joy and the fun they had. I used my childhood as an example for them. How I played with sand, built cars using cartons and the likes.
However, there was one boy who didn't bulge in. Like always, he was cold with teary eyes just like someone who had something to say. At the end of the class, I told them to all go home, write an essay about their own childhood.
The submission day came like every other day and all my pupils trooped but the mysterious boy. I decided to go through their assignment when school activities were over and while going through, I saw the name of the mysterious boy on one of the submissions as he wasn’t in class then curiosity made me read his first.
A STREET CHILD
To be a street child would mean you have to live by the rules day-in day-out, if you can’t beat them, you join them. We fought daily, bloods were shed, people were stripped off their breath right in front of my eyes. It was hell in all its glory.
“I’m a street child, sometimes some days would smile at you and you could be passing by just to find a naira note on the road, with that, your day is made.”
I’m just lucky to have this education that has given me an upper hand among my peers. But really, we suffered the same, we lived in dirt that bedbugs were closer to our body than our cloth itself. In all its forms, we defined suffering.
I’m obviously still in my prime but life has taken me beyond so as I write this, I’m hopeful that God has seen how much of hell I’ve already been through and takes me to the opposite…...
I managed to get up from my seat and I bumped into the headmistress on my way out, her countenance told me all I needed to know and my mind wandered away. To every street child out there that thinks death is the only solace: there is still more to achieve, no matter your background, life has a better place for you and YOU JUST HAVE TO MAKE A RESOLUTION TO GET THERE.
Yes o my brother. This life get many enjoyments, na who die loose o. And they say follow your heart,but do not forget that even the Heart no dey the right place.