2 Chapter One

"Adamma?" Mrs Edna called her daughter by her first name as usual.

"yes mummy" Kendra replied.

"Is that you?" She asked happily

"yes. Good morning ma"

"I miss you so much. How are you doing my love?"

"I'm fine. How is....."

"Don't you miss me?"

"mmmmm..."

"Look at this girl o! So you don't miss me? Ok no problem"

"I miss you" Kendra finally said the word that was difficult for her to say.

"Your business. How is everyone doing?"

"we are fine. Mummy how are you?, I hope you are taking your drugs?". She asked, concerned. She knew the smell and taste of drugs was something her mum can never get used to.

"My dear do I have a choice? I'm trying my best. I hope you are doing well in your academics?"

"My dear I'm trying my best too. Do I have a choice? She replied, mimicking her mum.

"You are not serious. You better.....". Edna barely finished before she was cut off.

"your call credit has been exhausted and your call, terminated. Dial star....." Kendra angrily hung up. "Who do you think you are to interrupt my call because my credit has been exhausted? Stupid annoying MTN lady!" She snarled. "if she doesn't call back, I will buy recharge card later in the evening and call her". She soliloquised and left.

It is not like Kendra doesn't miss her mum, she misses her alot. The problem is that she is not just used to the sweet words like; I miss you, I love you and the rest. Even pet names discomfort her. It is either you call her Kendra or don't call her at all. It was a Saturday morning, one of the days Kendra hates because of the chores she does. on it.

"Mary stop dragging that toy with Desmond! Come and rinse your clothes. I don't want to say it again". She warned and left. She does everyone's laundry while Mary rinses the clothes her hands can handle. When she was almost through with the clothes, she filled a kettle with water and placed it on the burner. After washing she cleaned the place and prepared the children's bathing water.

"Mary bath Roseline. I will take care of Desmond and Pearl". Kendra ordered while looking for Pearl. "Nobody will bath me. I'm a full grown man". Desmond said while running round the chairs, inorder not to be bathed by Kendra. She cleaned their rooms after bathing and dressing them up, and warned them strictly not to mess it up again. She was about to bath when she received a call from her Master. He wanted her to come to the supermarket immediately. She took a quick bath, gave the kids strict warning before leaving. "Mary take care of your siblings and don't open the door for anybody. I will give you a call to let you know I'm the one knocking. Desmond don't trouble your sisters and don't dirty the house or else there will be no snacks for you. Pearl don't hide inside the washing machine again". "What about me?" Roseline asked when she was about to leave. "uhmmmm....yeah you. keep being yourself Good girl". Though Roseline is the best behaved among them, Pearl is Kendra's favourite.

'Favour how is business?" Kendra asked the cashier of the supermarket.

"my dear, no joy today". She replied sadly, while counting the money she was holding.

"That was what you said yesterday" she reminded her and hoped for a better reply.

"Yes. Today it is the same thing". she was done counting the money. Kendra was really disturbed. She gets disturbed whenever she hears that much sales wasn't made for the day.

"They have six kids to take care of. God! we need lots of money. What if it becomes too much and then they decide to send me back to my parents?. I think I should start my own business, because one day they will tell me they can't continue". She thought while packaging the goods Mr. Mike (her master) told her to deliver to a friend of his.

"It is high time I started charging this man for time and strength used in delivering his goods. I wonder what will happen to him, if he comes here and buy them himself. Everyday goods are delivered to him. Not just goods but much heavy goods". She sighed angrily while gathering more strength to lift the bag".

"Welcome sir, welcome ma". Kendra greeted her master and mistress before going to the boot, to check if anything needs to be taken out. There was nothing inside the boot so she closed it went inside.

"This is unusual. Nothing was bought today, not even a carton of indomie noodles. I just hope it is not what I'm thinking". She thought while serving their dinner.

"Kendra?" Mrs. Dora called from her room and I'm the next five seconds, Kendra was standing in front of her door. She handed Dora, her youngest child, to Kendra and she took him to the bathroom to bath him.

"please be neat please be neat please be neat...yes! Thank God" She exclaimed happily when she saw Daniel's Pampers. There was no poop in it but just then, it came out, right in front of her eyes.

"God ewww! She exclaimed while covering her nose. Daniel laughed on seeing her reaction. She waited for him to finish, while he babbled and raised his legs up. She wiped his butt and bathed him after he was done.

"We have to send her back to her family. We have five kids and we need to start preparing now for their future. Besides our children, we have relatives from your side and mine to help financially. We should send her back this year, so that her parents will have have enough time to save for her university". She suggested to her husband.

"I don't think we should, she is our child too" he reminded her because he did not like the idea.

"and I don't think now is the best time to send her back because our children still need a maid who will help them in everything, unless you want to stop working". Mike said trying to change his wife's mind.

"I know She is like our daughter too but actually she is not. I Know our children still need her especially when I'm not at home but the earlier we do this, the better it is for everyone. If we continue to sponsor Kendra's education, we will end up stopping where she is in the middle of it. You know it will be a huge problem for her parents. Don't worry about the kids, I can take care of them while working. But of I can't, we can bring someone else, someone who is still in secondary school. See Mary, she is ten and in primary four. In the next two years she will be in jss1 and I'm sure you know what it means, increase in amount of fees to pay. I Know her departure from this house will affect everyone but it is for the best. Just think of it". She concluded and left the room to eat her dinner. When she came out, Kendra was already dressing Daniel up. After dressing him up, she gave him to his mum to feed him.

"Oh no! I forgot to buy the card" She exclaimed and sighed.

'Tomorrow I'll buy it. I'm exhausted and I don't want to borrow". She was about to enter the room when Dora called her.

"I want you to make stew this night with the chicken I bought yesterday. Tomorrow you wake up very early, boil rice and do other things". She told her nonchalantly while eating.

"ok ma" She replied.

"what? Make stew? with the chicken?" She thought while going to the kitchen.

"She wanted me to make stew this night and she couldn't tell me earlier. Is she trying to annoy me or something? And she still expect me to wake up very early tomorrow. Ha! impossible, not after going to bed late".

By fifteen minutes to ten everybody was already sleeping, only Kendra was in awake, cooking in the kitchen. Everywhere was quiet and she used the opportunity to think of what to do, if her foster parents stop sponsoring her education.

"I must continue my education, whether my foster parents are involved in it or not. I must". she thought with full assurance.

Usually when the foster parents of a child stops sponsoring the person's education, the child is expected stop his or her education and start learning any skilled job or start working, immediately. It was a different thing with Kendra. She resolved that nothing will stop her from furthering her education, not even lack of funds.

"Even if it means meeting a stranger for financial help in exchange for something, I will do it". She thought and laughed at her thought. She knew it was something She can never try.