I TOOK MY DESTINY INTO MY HANDS

When was the first time you took your destiny into your own hands - What did you do, what made you do so, what was the outcome and would you change anything looking back in hindsight?

This was in 2016 when my school where I teach was having its cultural day that made pupils dressed in their culture's attires.

How I wish Mom is still alive today, perhaps it wouldn't have been that way when it was. Life dropped a huge responsibility on me at that moment and I knew I had to face life squarely or else, I might regret my life. I am the second born out of five and I was the one closer to mom so much that we do fight a lot and Dad would always scream at the top of his voice and would be like "Are you both my wives? That you would always fight as if I am your husband."

But with that, I love my mom and she never stop caring for me as a mother would do.

I just finished my final exams in the college of education when I got a call that mom was sick. I thought it was the usual normal sickness and I said in my mind "the sickness would soon go." It wasn't as I thought when the ailment was getting worse and it made her got a stroke that she couldn't stand, talk, move or even open her eyes. She was lying on a place till we took her to the hospital. She gave up the second day at the hospital and that was when it dawned on me that life has hit me so bad.

After much deliberation from family and also there was this heated misunderstanding between my Dad and his family which made them turned their backs against him. They never cared how we would survive. They sent everyone of us to him leaving my elder sister with them because right from when she stopped breastfeeding, my grandma had took her to care for her.

My Dad continued his drinking habit and he would come home drunk with nothing to eat.

One morning, I took my NCE Certificate in search of a teaching Job. Thank God I have loved teaching right from time and it made it easier for me. I went to different places searching for vacancy until after the fifth search, I got one and that was the beginning of catering for the home alongside my siblings.

Still same year. These are my pupils whom I was teaching then.

Since I love taking children, I was given Nursery one and Two classes to take and they weren't much then.

I took my destiny in my hands and began life catering for my family with the little I get as salary.

(My brand's name: Grace Chinchin)

When I realized the money wasn't enough, I took up another business of making chinchin (snack) and liquid soap as a side business which I would go to distribute from places to places after closing from school.

That was how life started for me and since then, God has been showing up not minding what the family did to us. They thought Dad wouldn't be able to cater for us, but thank God for the kind of children we were also. We learnt the hard way but in all, it has been the best.

My pupils also were so wonderful that when I was leaving to continue my education, they were sad as they didn't want me to leave. I got the best staff and my boss as family. I never lacked anything while I was there. I must say my destiny was indeed from God.

This is a challenge by @Galenkp and you can also join too here