They did not ask to be born but there were born anyways and their parents could not take care of them either out of selfishness, carelessness or foolishness. We are the ones who paid the price for the promiscuity and the plan less nature of our parents. We are the ones who pay the price for the decisions of our parents. The consequences of their actions are very high and we pay the price.

I was not the last born and I was not the second born, being a first born came with a lot of responsibilities but no advantage was given to me in life. I went through childhood with tears not because my father did not have but he always thought I never needed money. He rather gave it out as if he ran a charity home were people came for free soups, the money being the soup. He knew I looked at him with pain and each time I complained he never let me know he was giving outsiders. He warned my cousins to stop telling me that he gave them money frequently. When I asked him, he never gave me. He always concocted some excuse. I looked on and wondered what would happen if I had the courage to tell him off. I couldn’t, I was scared, scared of the consequences. I sat at the corner of the living room, unobserved as my father discussed the problems of his family. He immediately pledged N1m. My mouth was agape, a fly could freely fly in and out. My school fee was just N80,000 and he had been unable to pay it. I always owed school fee and was always sent home, disgraced before he lifts a finger to pay. That was my story until I met Chi-Chi.

Chi-Chi was the last born and she suffered for it. No one cared for her wellbeing, yet her Father owned a lucrative business. He rather spent the money on girls and told her to fend for herself like those girls were doing. She had never worn a new dress, her clothes were always fairly used and her siblings did not bother with her. They said they were busy taking care of their immediate family. Well, she couldn’t blame them, everyone has responsibility and she was just unfortunate.

Chidima was also unfortunate, she never knew her father but her mother disliked her from birth. She refused to touch her the moment she was born. She was hurriedly weaned and thrown to her grandmother. Her Grandmother reminded her of how stupid her mother was to get pregnant after sex orgy. She was never taken care of, her grandmother was too busy taking care of her numerous men friends. So, she decided to fend for herself in a decent way. Men irritated her and women irritated her more. She was just too tired to continue the blame game, mother father or grandmother to her, they were all guilty.

So, we sat together thinking of what to do, could we revolt against our circumstances or should we just accept what the circumstances of our birth has made us to be. We were victims of the society, victims of our parents, victims of our aunties, victims of our uncles, victims of our grandparents, victims of our siblings. We have always been victims and we knew this after we saw the way we were treated differently from every other person. We decided to curse the day we were born then we remembered it would do us no good.

‘Let us sing.’ Chidima suggested.

Chi-Chi nodded in agreement but I doubted.

‘We have never done that before.’ I said. I was certain it would be a failed venture. We were way too young to be independent. I was just 15 years and Chi-Chi was 17years. Chidima was 14years but she was the smartest. We all met at the secondary school and immediately bonded because we were dejected. As they say, misery loves company and since then we have made decisions together, moaned together, laughed together, this was rare. We were always miserable. The problems from our homes kept us in misery. Every afternoon, we spent time in the uncompleted building beside our school. To us, that was home. Home was where we could lay our hearts bare and hear the truth spoken to us. Home was where we felt free to talk without provoking anyone’s anger.

10years later, we looked at each other and smiled sheepishly, we wished we were four, at least no one would marry outside the group. Our band was successful and our parents and relatives came running to us. They wanted to associate with us but it was too late, the damage had been done. We had no emotions for them. To us, they were like flies buzzing around our heads. So we took it upon ourselves to help children who were like us or worse than us. That was our story, our passion, our gospel and our life. We never wanted to see another child suffer because of a stupid parent and we vowed never to have children because they may be unfortunate just like us. Lacking in parental love because we are engrossed in saving the world and everyone else but them.

Written by Flora Martins