My earliest memories were my angry mom chewing me out for failing to do my chores correctly. The floor was supposed to be clean enough to eat off despite the dog and cats doing their business all over it. The work was hard for a tiny little girl. I had to scrub the floors, wash the dishes, feed the animals and help take care of the baby. It took all day from first light in the morning to long after dark.
If I was lucky I ate twice a day. Most of the time I only had a small bit of rice to eat with a vegetable. About once a week I was lucky to have a scrap of meat with my rice. I only got to eat after everyone else did morning and night.
My name, at least the one they always called me was Neng when they weren't calling me stupid or worse. I had long black hair that was hard to manage when I was little. My eyes were black like the rest of my family.
None of my family seemed to like me. I couldn't understand it. I wasn't mean to any of them. Either they ignored me or they looked at me with something less than friendliness.
Where we existed was in the mountains near Surigao City, Philippines. The house was made of scrap lumber, bamboo and dry grass. It smelled like it was held to together by dried dog shit and cat pee.
As I got to be four and five I was expected to do even more. I hated my mom. She never loved me I was sure. She always treated the other kids much better. I was always treated like a slave. I got to thinking many times she was not my real mom. I was also constantly wishing for a lot better mom and loving family.
The other kids got something special on their birthdays. I never did. Instead I had more to clean up and throw away.
My older brothers and sisters went to school. I was praying they would let me go when I was old enough. I figured an education was one good way out of this dump or at least I could sit down several hours a day.
When I turned seven my mom told me she could not spare me so I could not go to school. That made me madder than anything but I tried not to show it. She beat me for showing anger or dozens of other reasons.
Early the next morning I walked down the mountain away from the miserable house where I had been a slave and didn't look back. I walked ten kilometers into the barrio until I found a grade school.
I talked to a pretty, young female teacher named Miss Tarrino. "I have no parents but I want to go to school. Could you help me?"
She smiled. "I know a place you can stay with some good people."
My hopes were soon dashed. The family needed a maid, cook and all around servant. I had to work almost as hard there. I had to rush to finish my morning chores so I would not be late to school. I worked all the time I was home from school until after dark. I had to buy my own candles to do my homework after chores. I did get more to eat there but I was exhausted every night. The woman's name was Gloria. Her husband's name was Carlos. He always looked at me too much when Gloria was busy with something else. He always made me very uncomfortable.
Four months of that was all I could take. I was so worn out, nervous about Carlos and scared of his friends. Early one morning I took a walk. That morning I did not see a house or shop that looked inviting, so I went back to the work waiting.
Next Sunday I left with all my clothes in a bag very early determined to not go back if I could possibly help it. Near dawn I talked to what seemed to be a nice lady. She even invited me inside to talk. I told her, "My name is Neng. I don't really have a family. The people that took me in after I was abandoned have always treated me as a slave. I ran away to go to school, but I traded a place to stay with more work than I could handle and still go to school."
She smiled at me. "You poor dear. You certainly have had it rough. I'll be glad to let you go to school. My husband has a good job. I will let you stay if you help my little ones with homework and do some cleaning. My name is Rachelle. Would you like to have some breakfast now with us?"
I nodded. "Yes please."
I followed her into another room. There were two small girls about five and six and a boy about eight. A nice looking husband looked me over from the head of the chair. The only seat available was between the boy and the husband. The girls smiled at me. The boy glowered at me. The husband checked me out with his eyes in a way that made me uncomfortable.
During the meal I ate fast because the man made me nervous.
After eating I walked to school with the other kids. It was the same school so I was relieved.
I went to my new home happy with the little girls Janine and Karen. I really liked both of them.
When we got home the girls started on their homework.
Rochelle started me on the laundry by hand. It looked like a week's clothes from the whole family. That was not so bad. I finished most of it before dinner. I had no lunch as usual so I was really hungry.
The husband put a generous amount of rice and the vegetable and meat dish. Then he passed the loaded dishes to Nerco his son. I was starting to feel like part of the family.
After dinner I had to help Rochelle clear the table and then do the dishes by myself standing on a chair to be high enough.
I was hoping to do my homework next but Rochelle had me mop the floor after she swept it.
Finally after dark I started on my homework. By then Rochelle had spread a mat on the floor in the girl's room for me to sleep.
I used the comfort room twice. The last time I went to bed after I cleaned myself up.
Before it got light the next morning Rochelle got me up to sweep outside, water the plants and feed the hogs, chickens, dogs and cats. By the time I finished the other kids were leaving to go to school.
I ran in to eat breakfast. Only some rice was left with a scrap of vegetable in the other dish. I ate fast and ran to school.
As the days progressed it was harder and harder to get to school. When I came home there were even more chores to do. The other kids only had to clean their rooms. I had to clean the rest of the house and outside.
After a couple weeks I got up the nerve to talk to Roselle one evening after a better than average dinner. "Excuse me Rochelle. When I first came here you said I only would have to help the little ones with homework and do some cleaning. Janine and Karen never need help. The work is as difficult as I ever had it. Can't Janine, Karen and you help more with the chores so I won't be too tired to do my homework?"
Rochelle looked mad. "I took you in, fed you and gave you a place to sleep. You really are an ungrateful girl. I have a hard job too in a factory now. You are the oldest girl. I am counting on you. It is way too much for my little ones. They never did as good a job as you did. But if you don't like it, I guess you better go."
I responded without thinking. "Sorry I guess it is not too hard after all."
I went to bed later disgusted with myself. It was too hard for me to leave without knowing where to go that might be better.
Sunday I was doing chores still when they all left for church. Rochelle never invited me. Besides I never liked the people that went to church that I had known. They were all mean.
As soon as they were gone I grabbed up my bag of clean clothes and left.
I walked for an hour or so all over the city, until I saw a sign in a bakery shop wanting a worker.
I went inside. "Is the job sill needed?"
The saleswoman said, "Yes we need someone. Do you know someone needing a job?" She was pretty with long black hair a cute face and piercing black eyes.
"I do."
"Oh my, you are way too little."
"But please I have no parents. I can
help anyway you need."
She thought for a minute. "Okay then. Sit down and I'll get the owner."
In a minute an older woman came into the room. "Hello. What is your story?"
I told her the truth.
Then she said, "Neng you have had a very hard life so far. Okay then you can help me some. Are you hungry?"
"Yes I am."
"My name is Rosa." Then she took me home and fed me something simple but it was one of the best meals I remembered.
As the days progressed I really liked it there. I helped out some in the house and at the store. Rosa became more like a mom than I ever had. She helped me go to school too.
After a few weeks Rosa told me she wanted to adopt me. That made me feel so good. I finally had a loving mother. Rosa always wanted me to set right next to her.
The only problem is her daughter who was about my age. Her name was Gina. Gina started hating me because I got more attention than she did. She pulled me aside the second day. "I don't like you. Don't sit that close to Mom. You are not her daughter. I am."
Gina got over it in a few weeks because Rosa told me how to make friends with her.
After I was adopted, I had a much better life. Almost all the hell was finally over. It turned out Gina and I were pals all the way through school until the end of high school.
Unfortunately after we went to college we didn't see as much of each other. I was going to be a grade school teacher. Gina was going to be a nurse. We had different classes in the same college.
On my last year of college I met a wonderful man. His name is Dennis. He has a good job at his dad's department store. Dennis gets along well with my family and Mom likes him. We will be getting married when I graduate.
The End
Bookmark the page & position
Name it so you can find it faster next time
Only numbers and alphabets are accepted.