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Nina's life.
#LifeChangingContest
Extended family isn't easy to live in my opinion though, growing up with all Siblings and Uncles, Aunties, Nieces and Nephews.
Now, I'm sure you must be thinking where exactly did this girl grew up. Nina my name, I actually grew up in the northern part of Ghana in Africa. I wasn't really pretty when I was growing, I mean that's what everyone used say, and I believed it. Do I have any choice? My mummy even called me little head, tiny legs.
Cousins say: Nina be carful when walking in the mud, you might loose your legs! They don't look normal... I mean what kind of legs are does ( Whiles laughing).
School wasn't different either, insults here and there as I receive , and I wasn't doing well in class either. So you could imagine what life was, I didn't like home, I didn't like school either. Oh! did I tell you I was tallest in my grade. I hated it, I wanted to be short, I wanted to stop going to school. Those I started grade one with where now in grade six, and I was stuck in grade three.
After grade three, I started seeing life differently even though I was still young, I wanted to finish school. I cared little about the insults, but I believed I wasn't beautiful. There I began to learn ,and my grades also began to improve. Never again was I stuck in a particular class whiles my colleagues move to the next grade. Even though I wasn't very good but I was better than before.
When I got to grade five, I had two friends. Abigail and Sawele. And because of my height, I was added to the school's netball team. For the first time in my life, I was good at something. I was the 3rd best in the team. I was becoming a bit known in school. Sawele and Abigail where also in the team, but they where not very good with the game so they were evicted. But they were still my friends, they saw me differently.
Nina in Highschool.🎉
After grade 9, Nina moved to the city to join Anita her Aunt. That's where life began changing for Nina. Aunty Anita's husband said: "Anita, your niece is pretty. " Nina cried. Mr. Kenneth wondered why she had to cry, because he said nothing offensive. But wasn't crying because she was offended, rather for the first time, she has been complimented. And it felt really good.
That night, Anita went to Nina's room. That was when Nina began to narrate everything that ever happened to her. Anita cried. Did I tell you I had a nick name back then before I moved to the city?( to readers). ' Jubile' meaning small head in my language ( Waale).
"It's not true, put that in your head Nina. You are pretty, you have no small head. Your legs are perfect. Hey Nina, I wish I was really tall like you.
But Nina said : Aunty, how do I believed that? asked Nina. "You'll see" said Anita.
I was now a teenager in Highschool. My first day in Highschool, Wow!😍 Boarding school is really cool. St. Mary's Catholic Girls High my school. I was welcomed nicely, my room mates were very friendly. Nobody treated me badly. Oh did i tell you that Anita made me see life differently. She and Mr Kenneth were the parents i had always wished for never for once had they ever insulted me or made me feel less worthy. I was very comfortable and happy, I almost forgot about the insults. My small head, how can I ever forgot that my head is small and doesn't look normal.
Back at school I had different friends yes.
Abigail left to a different School even before I left to the city. Sawele dropped out of school.
She was way better than me Academically and appearance so why did she have to drop out. Well everyone has their own secrets right, you might think you are the only one going through some difficulties but hey!, There's a lot happening, people go through a lot.
A year later, before I moved to the city, I heard she had conceived. My new friends, my Highschool life, and studies were very fine. I can say, I had good time. I was open, I didn't hold back. Surprisingly, I was known on campus. One of the prettiest girl, Nina. Academically I was improving, I was known even in other schools. Due to the spelling bees I've attended in other schools. Do you know, I represented my school most times ? So you can imagine academically, I've improved right? I passed all my exams in Highschool and enrolled in the University with 3rd best grade in St. Mary's Catholic Girl High class of 2019. So I went to one of the best Universities.
People will be wondering why a lady would have small head whiles hair is covered with hair. But in my part of the world, we trim it. Until you enroll to the University. So nobody noticed to my small head at the University. I was a very beautiful lady. Oh! I'd grown very pretty legs, attractive body. Well, I wouldn't have known until people started alerting me. And I believed it. Just like they used to tell me back at the village how I wasn't good looking. I know I'm beautiful. I know I wouldn't go back to being ugly. I started realising, the intimidations made me timid, and brought the bad grades. Mama didn't help me at all, wasn't she supposed to protect me. But instead she made everything worse. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth wear my inspiration, they never gave up on me when everyone did.
Now I'm grown, married, with a daughter that I'll take every risk for her. I'll love her and always protect her. I'll never seize to tell her, how pretty she is. And how proud I am about her. And she'll believe it. So you see, what you tell a child is what he or she believes. Be careful what you tell a child.
© Salma Issahaque
#LifeChangingContest
Extended family isn't easy to live in my opinion though, growing up with all Siblings and Uncles, Aunties, Nieces and Nephews.
Now, I'm sure you must be thinking where exactly did this girl grew up. Nina my name, I actually grew up in the northern part of Ghana in Africa. I wasn't really pretty when I was growing, I mean that's what everyone used say, and I believed it. Do I have any choice? My mummy even called me little head, tiny legs.
Cousins say: Nina be carful when walking in the mud, you might loose your legs! They don't look normal... I mean what kind of legs are does ( Whiles laughing).
School wasn't different either, insults here and there as I receive , and I wasn't doing well in class either. So you could imagine what life was, I didn't like home, I didn't like school either. Oh! did I tell you I was tallest in my grade. I hated it, I wanted to be short, I wanted to stop going to school. Those I started grade one with where now in grade six, and I was stuck in grade three.
After grade three, I started seeing life differently even though I was still young, I wanted to finish school. I cared little about the insults, but I believed I wasn't beautiful. There I began to learn ,and my grades also began to improve. Never again was I stuck in a particular class whiles my colleagues move to the next grade. Even though I wasn't very good but I was better than before.
When I got to grade five, I had two friends. Abigail and Sawele. And because of my height, I was added to the school's netball team. For the first time in my life, I was good at something. I was the 3rd best in the team. I was becoming a bit known in school. Sawele and Abigail where also in the team, but they where not very good with the game so they were evicted. But they were still my friends, they saw me differently.
Nina in Highschool.🎉
After grade 9, Nina moved to the city to join Anita her Aunt. That's where life began changing for Nina. Aunty Anita's husband said: "Anita, your niece is pretty. " Nina cried. Mr. Kenneth wondered why she had to cry, because he said nothing offensive. But wasn't crying because she was offended, rather for the first time, she has been complimented. And it felt really good.
That night, Anita went to Nina's room. That was when Nina began to narrate everything that ever happened to her. Anita cried. Did I tell you I had a nick name back then before I moved to the city?( to readers). ' Jubile' meaning small head in my language ( Waale).
"It's not true, put that in your head Nina. You are pretty, you have no small head. Your legs are perfect. Hey Nina, I wish I was really tall like you.
But Nina said : Aunty, how do I believed that? asked Nina. "You'll see" said Anita.
I was now a teenager in Highschool. My first day in Highschool, Wow!😍 Boarding school is really cool. St. Mary's Catholic Girls High my school. I was welcomed nicely, my room mates were very friendly. Nobody treated me badly. Oh did i tell you that Anita made me see life differently. She and Mr Kenneth were the parents i had always wished for never for once had they ever insulted me or made me feel less worthy. I was very comfortable and happy, I almost forgot about the insults. My small head, how can I ever forgot that my head is small and doesn't look normal.
Back at school I had different friends yes.
Abigail left to a different School even before I left to the city. Sawele dropped out of school.
She was way better than me Academically and appearance so why did she have to drop out. Well everyone has their own secrets right, you might think you are the only one going through some difficulties but hey!, There's a lot happening, people go through a lot.
A year later, before I moved to the city, I heard she had conceived. My new friends, my Highschool life, and studies were very fine. I can say, I had good time. I was open, I didn't hold back. Surprisingly, I was known on campus. One of the prettiest girl, Nina. Academically I was improving, I was known even in other schools. Due to the spelling bees I've attended in other schools. Do you know, I represented my school most times ? So you can imagine academically, I've improved right? I passed all my exams in Highschool and enrolled in the University with 3rd best grade in St. Mary's Catholic Girl High class of 2019. So I went to one of the best Universities.
People will be wondering why a lady would have small head whiles hair is covered with hair. But in my part of the world, we trim it. Until you enroll to the University. So nobody noticed to my small head at the University. I was a very beautiful lady. Oh! I'd grown very pretty legs, attractive body. Well, I wouldn't have known until people started alerting me. And I believed it. Just like they used to tell me back at the village how I wasn't good looking. I know I'm beautiful. I know I wouldn't go back to being ugly. I started realising, the intimidations made me timid, and brought the bad grades. Mama didn't help me at all, wasn't she supposed to protect me. But instead she made everything worse. Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth wear my inspiration, they never gave up on me when everyone did.
Now I'm grown, married, with a daughter that I'll take every risk for her. I'll love her and always protect her. I'll never seize to tell her, how pretty she is. And how proud I am about her. And she'll believe it. So you see, what you tell a child is what he or she believes. Be careful what you tell a child.
© Salma Issahaque
#LifeChangingContest
