“Let
me take time and share a piece of my cake of life with you today. I
have lived in the ghetto for more than 13 years now, life has not
been a corn of ice cream in these years. Bumps and loop holes have
emerged several times in my path of life but God has always been
faithful.
Having
lost my mom and dad in a road accident in 2009, I dropped out of
school and joined my elder brother in cooking food for the locals
around our area. This work was challenging because we had rent that
needed to be paid, water bills to take care of, electricity and a lot
of loans that my parents had left with some that we had taken from
shops, vibandas, friends and from neighbours too. It was overwhelming
considering it that I was just 12 years old. The biggest hit came
when we were attacked by robbers and my brother was killed trying to
defend my siblings from being harassed. I was lucky to escape from
the jaws of death because I cooperated fully with the thugs and gave
them whatever they asked for even though I received several slaps and
fists, I thanked God that their attempt to defile me failed after
neighbours came for my rescue.
I
never buried my family, they were instead cremated in one of the
mortuaries in my rural area . No one was ready to help me as we were
taken as a jinxed family, but I knew very well that it was not yet
over for me. I knew I had a life but I never understood that phrase,
it was just deep inside my heart. During this particular time, a deep
hate upon the male gender really grew in me. I would on rare cases
talk to the “male species” as I heard a certain science teacher
call them. I was very afraid of them and would be very rude to anyone
who tried to come close to me or dare say hi.
I
joined Uzzuri Children’s home and went through my STD 8 and later
joined form one. Everything was fine and flowing so well until we
were one night attacked by some people from the neighbouring
community claiming that our school had been built on a private land.
33 people, among them four teachers, two cooks, three watchmen and
students lost their lives. Many were rushed to hospital under very
critical conditions. I was in the group of almost 20 girls who had
been raped. I thought to myself, the same male species again. As
others were crying there life out, I slept in that hospital bed
quietly with tears rolling from my eyes. I had thought my life was
over but I gained courage to go on after attending counseling
classes, some girls went insane as the trauma had really eaten them
up.
I
never went through my entire high school but somewhere along the way,
I happen to have met a prince charming, the apple of my eye, the love
of my life. There was a very deep attachment in a way I could not
have explain * I should not love, I should not have loved, but I did
fall in love, this forbidden fruit-I take it anyway* These were the
thoughts going on in my mind but the heart could not contain them
anymore, the love was so great.
I
was an insane lady walking with a sane mind, silly huh?
:-)
life
was good and I started cooking for business ladies selling clothes in
Gikomba market. What I never noticed is that life was changing yet I
did not warmly accept change. It was the old me with my old
behaviours and my old dressing. He had left, yes, without my
knowledge, his wedding with a well-educated lady as he was, took
place and they traveled outside the country. I had learn how to be
independent and with time, my heart healed and I perfectly moved on
though it was quite difficult.
As
we speak, I own a very big hotel in Nairobi after receiving a cheque
of 2 million shillings from my mom at the children's home before she
had passed on which I later used in raising my business.
Love
should not be determined by the level of education that one has, the
guy who left me now lives in up country after the wife swiped all his
belongings and ran away with another man. I fell in love with someone
who took me for who I was and is well informed about my entire life,
yet accepted me wholly and am happy to say that he’s the father of
my little angel, Jasmine.
God
does not create junk, I had hope from the start and kept on trusting
in him and will forever do, He’s worthy of all the honour and
faith, believe him today, He will make you stand even after being
buried deep in the waters of pacific ocean GOD DOES NOT CREATE
JUNK!!!!!!!
Grace
Mumbai’s Life Story
