STANDING HIGH

how it all begins

My name is Isabella and this is my story......
I was born into the family of Festus
In the Easter part of Nigeria...
I was the 8th child of the family and the last born... I had four brothers and three sisters...
Because of the circumstances surrounding my birth I wasn't expected.. So it was in misery and pain I was born into....
To say we were poor was an understatement as we were in total penury.
Even up still now I keep wondering if there was anyone poorer than us back then.
My father died barely 2months after my birth..
It was later i was told he died of hypertension.
We were left with nothing, no farmlands except the mud house where we were living as my father had sold all his property to pay off his huge debt.
And ever since my mother had been the one catering for us.. Poor woman!!  The little  she could provide was never enough as we were too much for her alone.
She had to help people in clearing their farmlands and washing clothes for them to be able to feed us.
We couldn't go to school like the other children because we didn't have the money for uniform and books....
So we stayed at home and played or fought ourselves....
All through my childhood i only had one dress which was worn everysunday to the local church..
On normal days we walked naked and barefooted... Except for our torn panties we didn't  have any other wears....