The diary of an African Woman by Delight Mukozho (most read book in the world TXT) 📕

A few months later, I went for registration and another phase of my life began. It was not an easy task working at the admissions office during my free time and applying myself to my studies but what choice did I have. If I wanted to get my degree I had to work and work I did.

Today, I am happy to say, those years of hard work finally paid off. I now own my own practice and I run a small orphanage and it is my desire to help these kids realize their dreams. It was not always an easy road for me but I hope I will help these kids make it somehow.

I have been thrown into a very dark and very deep hole

I want to get out

But I canno

tI cry for help

But all my efforts are fruitless

.No one seems to hear me

Or maybe no one seems to care

I am afraid I am going to be swallowed up by the darkness

And the emptiness surrounding me

But what can I do to get outAll I can do is pray and hope for a miracle

My name is Diana. I am twenty one years old, married and I have three kids. As I was growing up, I had big dreams for myself. I had my future in the palms of my hands and it was so bright, I could see myself at the top and I truly believed that one day I could live my dream. But unfortunately, that was not meant to be. Today my life has been turned upside down. How I wish things had turned out differently. This is my story.

I was the only girl in a family of three and to make things worse I was the first born. My brothers were twins. Life was not easy during that time. Both my mother and father were farmers. Our whole livelihood depended on the harvest we got each year. As I grew up I noticed that some years were good and some were bad but I was too young to understand much. Young as I was I had to help out both with the children and in the fields. My father would not have it any other way. When I started going to school I was expected to work first before going to school. I did not mind so long I got to go to school afterwards.

I was very bright and despite all the long hours I spent working at home, I passed all my classes with flying colours. Even my parents were proud of me. The problem started when bothers started going to school. During that time, money was now a problem and the fact that my brothers were two sets of twins did not help either. Our harvest had been poor for several years and there was no hope of things getting any better. This was particularly due to incessant rains and intra-season dry spells due to climate change effects and a whole lot of other things. Rainfall events had become more intense, mid-season dry spells more frequent and, extreme events were becoming more intense and of longer duration.

Being a girl I had to stop going to school to make way for my brothers’ education. Their education was more important than mine. I was only in grade 5 and I was only eleven. I could not say or do anything. Every day, it pained me to see my brothers leave for school whilst I worked in the fields or did household chores. Every day, I would cry myself to sleep. My dreams were shattered. Any chance of making something of myself was thwarted. My mother would always comfort me and say, “Don’t worry, my child. Soon you will be married and things will be well for you”. How I hated to hear those words.

Two years passed and things did not get any better. The shifting weather patterns coupled with periodic shift in the onset of rains resulted in poor harvests and grave food shortages everywhere. We toiled and toiled but all our efforts were futile. Money and food were scarce. There was hunger everywhere. Only those with money could make ends meet. My father started drinking heavily and he would spend our meagre earnings on beer. We had to look for alternative means of survival. We had to go and work in other people’s fields just for a dollar, it was pitiful but it was better than nothing.

Then one hot day, a man close to my father’s age came to our house. I was busy dong household chores. He was smartly dressed, a sign that he had money. He looked at me in a way that left me uncomfortable. He was looking for my father but he was not home. He left without saying much but I feeling a bit unnerved.

The man returned a week later and this time my father was home. The two had lengthy meeting and they both kept looking in my direction. That really freaked me out. My mother tried to comfort me but to no avail. The man left later that evening and he seemed quite content with himself. It was apparent that had reached an agreement with my father, about what I had no idea. Later that night as I was preparing for bed, my mother came to my room. She was not her usual cheery self. Something was definitely wrong. She asked me to sit down and she could not look at me. After a long silence, she told me that I was going to be that man’s wife and he was coming the next day to pay the bride-price.

I was shocked. I was dumbfounded. Tears filled my eyes. This could not be. I was too young to get married. Let alone be a wife. That day I cried like I had never cried before. My mother tried to comfort me but I did not hear anything she said. How could my father do this to me? My mother had tried to tell that it was the only way for the family to survive. But it was too much for me. I thought of running away but where would I go. I prayed for God to deliver me from this ordeal. That night I could not sleep. I cried until it was daylight.

I did not leave my room that day. I was afraid of getting out. Afraid of the life that I was being hurled into. How I wished that I was dead

I did not know what was happening outside but after what seemed to be an eternity my mother came to see me. I did not open the door for her. She tried to console me but I did not listen to what she was saying. I simply sat in the dark and stared into space. Seeing and hearing nothing. What brought me back to reality was a loud bang on the door. It was clear that they were going to force the door open. I did not move. I just sat there awaiting my judgement. After several failed attempts the door finally opened.

My father grabbed my arm and pulled on my feet. I did not want to go with him. I pleaded with him to reconsider. I pleaded with my mother. I pleaded with my bothers but to no avail. He dragged me out of the room kicking and screaming. I was thrust into the hands of my “husband”. Funny how hunger or starvation changes people. My father has chosen several bags of maize meal, some goats, chicken and cattle and some other stuff over me. Life was so cruel. It was better to surrender a daughter into the jaws of a lion than to starve. It was then that I realised that I was now on my own.

With a rear stained face, I followed my so-called husband slowly. I was like a lamb going to be slaughtered. I was pretty sure that I was going to hell. Nonetheless, we arrived at my new home. I was shown what was to be my room and I pretty much left alone during the first few weeks. I spent the days in my room crying and feeling sorry for myself.

Then one day, my husband came into my room and demanded his conjugal rights. He forced himself on me and had his way. He left me all bruised and hurting. That became the routine for as long as I can remember. I had three pregnancies this way. I was did not know what to do when I had my first baby. How can a mere child take care of another child but I guess the motherhood instincts instilled in me helped me somehow and the few things I remember whilst taking care of my brothers helped me through.

I got to find out that my husband was very violent and ill-tempered. I was his punch bag most of the time, especially when he was drunk (I guess that is how he met my father). I tried doing everything right and I tried avoiding him as much as i could. It was not easy but I have managed to survive those seven years.

Today as I look at my kids, I want them to be happy. I know that they can never be happy here. But where can I go. My father does not want me home. I do not have any relative close by. Besides, who will want to put up with me and my kids? I cannot run away, how will we survive. They definitely need an education and a whole lot of other staff that I know I will not be able to give them. At least I know that, despite my entire husband’s mean demur, he will do everything in his power to ensure that his children are well provided for. So, I stay on hoping that one day I would find a way to be free……

The shy was majestically blue and the birds of the air were chirping away beautiful songs in the early hours of the morning. This was going to be a very beautiful day, the girl thought as she jumped out of bed and started preparing to go to school. When she was ready she went to say goodbye to her