DIARIES OF TIRED YOUNG NIGERIANS - The Faded Dream

DIARIES OF

TIRED YOUNG NIGERIANS

The faded dream story

Iamdanielkemka

Sometimes, life can be so tiring and frustrating that you feel like giving up or throwing in the towel. In Nigeria when you hear someone say ‘abeg, I don tire, I no know wetin I go do again’, it denotes that the situation has gone beyond the norm, and sometimes they are forced to do things they never imagined they would just to survive. But before you cast your stone, wait till you hear their story.

Jelila Adeniyi is from Oyo State in Nigeria. She lost her father at the age of 13. She has 4 siblings of which she is the third. 

Not too long after her father was buried, a distant relative Aunt based in Lagos, came to pick her up from her family home with the promise of giving her a better life, to cater for her welfare and ensuring that she completes her education if she agrees to move with her to Lagos, since staying and schooling in the village has little or no benefit for her. 

Of course, with the full consent of her mother, she relocated to Lagos with this Aunt of hers who runs a local suburb restaurant.

Now in Lagos, Jelila wakes up as early as 4:30am every day of the week except on Sundays to fetch water, cook and prepare for the day at the restaurant. This she does without receiving any penny. Unfortunately for her, she eats just once or twice a day if she is lucky. She works tirelessly till evening before she can rest for the day at about 11pm.

She had to insist on learning fashion design from a local cloth designer having worked at the restaurant for about 5 years without payment but that is all she could do.

7 years down the line, Jelila is yet to find her feet, her teenage hood lost, her dream of completing her education still a mere wish. At 21 she hasn’t been able to complete her secondary school education not because she is not brilliant but because her aunt refused to send her through school despite all the mouthwatering promises she made to her. 

Now Jelila has to hustle her way to fend for herself, she has to look for a ways to make money for herself to be able to change her clothes, make her hair, change her undies and pad regularly.

There was a time she was accused to stealing something from the restaurant and she was made to pay for it. Since she is not being paid she was deprived of food but she was able to survive with the help of some concerned neighbors.

Sometimes she is made to sleep at the balcony which is also where her luggage actually is. She has gone through series and series of verbal abuses which has really affected her self-esteem and has made her to become psychologically aggressive and vulnerable. 

Jelila is confused about life, she is physically and emotionally trapped, not knowing what to do with her life. She can’t return to her family because life over there is not any better. As a matter of fact, her family thinks she is enjoying herself in Lagos. 

She recently met a guy called Ezekiel George from Akwa Ibom State in Nigeria, who has been so nice to her. He has been a source of help, comfort, succor and a source of encouragement to her. His house is a stone away from her Aunt’s shop. She met him when he came to eat at the restaurant and in the process of their conversation they became friends.

In the cause of meeting with him, she noticed some changes in her body, she noticed some reactions such as vomiting and dizziness, she was secretly advised to go for test which she did and recently found out that she is already 6 weeks pregnant. 

Now, the issue is that Ezekiel, who is not always around due to the nature of his business, is not aware of the pregnancy. Her Aunt who doesn’t even care about her but is ready to beat and disgrace her if she founds out is not yet aware because she is too busy to notice.

Jelila is in a dilemma because she doesn’t know what to do. A lot of negative thoughts have been flooding through her mind. Some concerned friends have been making both good, bad and stupid opinions and suggestions to her based on what they think they know.

This is something she has never experienced before and therefore does not have any clue whatsoever 

If you have a useful suggestion for Jelila, what should she do at this crucial moment of her life?