I grew up in a home filled with house-helps.
I can't remember any house help hitting me, even though my aunt gave them the liberty to beat us whenever my cousins and I misbehaved.
So imagine my shock when I watched the video of the Ugandan maid viciously attacking that little child. I am sure you lots have seen the video, if not, please go look for it.
Another crazy story was that of the Chinese lady who cut off her nephew's penis was barging into the toilet while she chatted with her boyfriend on the phone.
There was this young couple who moved into their house few buildings from my mum's.
The husband is a drilling engineer with one of the top oil companies in Nigeria, he was never home. The wife is a fashion designer and owned a shop around Egbeda.
I never saw the husband but I saw the wife once in a while whenever she drove down the street.
All of a sudden, the house was empty, the gate locked.
This is a house they moved into less than 2 years, they own the house which is the reason for my surprise.
Mum had the gist few weeks later.
The wife is a mother of 3, the first born was away in boarding house.
The second, a boy of 4 and her 2 years old daughter.
As a typical Nigerian mother, she could not trust the safety of her young daughter with the 12 years old houseboy. So she always took her young daughter with her anywhere she went and left the young boy with the house boy and her husband's brothers in the house.
Alas, this action which seem harmless and normal was to her undoing.
For her husband's brothers could not be bothered about the young boy.
All they do is watch TV everyday and eat food cooked by the wife.
Unknown to the brothers and the wife, the houseboy was sexually molesting the young boy while the husband's brothers watched TV or slept in the same house.
The wife began to suspect something was wrong when she noticed her son limp while walking. Never in her wildest dream would she had assumed something like that was happening to her son.
Who would have thought a 12 years old boy brought from the village was capable of molesting a 4 years old boy. The wife's fear was that the 12 years old boy might molest her 2 years old daughter not her son. Her son was supposed to be safe with the house boy.
It took many days of cajoling for the little boy to open up and finally talk about his ordeal.
The wife was in shock and when she finally confronted the houseboy, was attacked with a knife.
Luckily for her, her husband's brothers were able to overpower the houseboy.
Turned out the houseboy had also been molested at a very young age by some uncle of his in the village. He needed to satisfy his sexual urges and since he was molested as a child saw no wrong in molesting another young boy as well.
The mother-in-law blamed the wife.
She called her names and asked what she was doing that she cannot take care of 2 children.
The gist had spread around the neighborhood like fire.
The shame was too much for the wife.
She begged her husband and moved to her friend's house.
Her husband came back to town and bought another house far away from the neighbourhood.
The house boy was sent back to the village.
The stories are everywhere, if the child is not sexually assaulted, they are physically assaulted.
Even family members can not be trusted to take care of one's child like the parent will.
Countless times, I have seen my young cousins shove my little niece, pinch her or simply just hit the girl without any provocation. Like the little kid is just on her own and this cousin just walks up to her and for whatever devilish reason just hits the kid. My sister goes crazy whenever she sees this, and I wonder why hurt an harmless child.
Yes, Nanny cam's are on the rise but does that save the child from been viciously attacked by those paid to watch over them. A friend recently suggested that couple if need be should employ professional nannies because she believes those one do the job from the heart and not just for the money.
I know it is not easy in this world of ours to give up the job and especially the money that come with it to take care of one's family. Only except if the man is over financially capable to bear the burden alone. But then we need to always take extra care to protect our children.
Imagine if the Ugandan father had not set up a camera in the house.
Some of our men had their first sexual experience with the house helps back in the days.
I might not have been physically or sexually attacked as a child, but then I can not 100% be comfortable leaving my future child with someone I do not know from Adam.
We live in a vicious world. I don't know what I would do if any one harms a strand of hair on my future child.
♥Lara
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