Olamma

Episode 31

As days wore on, Olamma’s parents were unkind to her. They treated her like a slave. She worked so hard during the day and eat like an ant. They did not allow her to touch their food. Amaka was in charge of making food and they instructed her to serve Olamma a little portion of every meal.

But Amaka will always sneak food to Olamma. She kept doing that until Olamma’s mother caught her and started dishing out the food by herself, after which she will lock her kitchen with a padlock.

Olamma was not allowed into the main house.
A small hut was built for her, which has a licking roof. Whenever it rains water drops from the roof.

Olamma will shield herself.

All the farm work that they used to pay people to do for them was now on Olamma. They stop paying and asked Olamma to do it all.
She will till the ground and plant, weed the grass and dig the ridges. She was doing everything as she was asked to with the hope that someday her parents will have a change of heart and accept her as their daughter but that was like a difficult dream which was taking forever to come true.

Olamma saw what Adaugo, her sister experienced during her time in the house. The only difference is that Olamma’s own treatment was worst.

She does not have a say, she was like a slave.
Even Amaka was being treated better than her. Amaka was warned not to assist Olamma in anything.

Amaka’s only job was to cook and run some personal errand for Olamma’s parents.
Olamma takes the cloth to the stream to wash, she goes to the farm to cultivate and harvest crops, and also to fetch fire wood. She washes the pot and plates after every meal, she sweep the whole compound and cut grasses for the goats. She was restricted in touching some things.

The news of her arrival and the disappearance of her beauty and what happened to her was going round the village.
While some took pity on her the others laughed at her.

She made sure she avoid everyone and did not allow their mockery to get to her.
Some parents in the village began to use her story to warn and teach their kids.