Suzie and Vic learned in the best schools in town. A Scania school bus picked them up and dropped them home every single day. I studied in a local school. Nobody packed me lunch.
When Suzie and Vic carried their lunch boxes full of pizza and pilau, I carried my empty stomach—but with hopes that maybe one day, doors would open. Most of the time, I was punished for arriving late to school. How could I explain that I had to finish house chores before getting a chance to go?
My life in primary school was a total mess, but my grades were always great. I always topped in class.
I remember the period I was nearing my KCSE examinations. Those were the darkest days of my life. Mother didn't give me time to read. My sister occasionally hid my books. Mother and daughter teamed up to ensure I didn't even get a minute to flip a single page. They would change clothes five times a day so the heap of laundry kept me tied up. They would carelessly use utensils just to add to the number of dirty dishes. They would walk with their shoes on the already mopped floor so that I had to mop again and again.
Vic often sneaked in to help with the piled work. The wise men once said, "Hard work pays," and I think I held on to that. Late at night, when everyone was asleep, I would use the torch Vic gave me to go through my books. My head hurt a lot—probably because I hardly slept.
I reduced from 48 kg to 44 kg. My ribs could be counted from a distance. Everyone in the neighborhood thought mama and my sister treated me well. It could be seen from the family photos, with the broad smile that hid what only the heart understood.