(written by )

twenty –two years after my parents demise in that gory motor accident. 21st May shall forever remain in my mind and heart. My grandma brought to me at the Foster Home the very newspaper that covered that horrific motor accident. Daily Graphic had it headlined. The pictures of the motor accident will forever be imprinted in my mind. They were just gruesome. My parents’ popularity was in their death. I have always said I cheated death when I was just a week old, and I think I had paid dearly for it. I often asked God why He rescued me from the motor accident. I have never had peace ever since my grandma took me from the wreckage and named me Adobea. I have suffered till today.

with the briefcase; pregnant with no future I had to roam the whole of Accra. I destroyed the briefcase and placed all the money in a black polythene bag. I counted the money and it was GH¢1,500. I decided not to spend that money but to look for a job that will at least feed me and my unborn baby. For three days I had no job. I slept on the pavements at the Tema Station. Life on the streets wasn’t easy at all. Even the streets had Landlords. You either pay in cash or you pay in kind; sometimes, both. On the streets I had roommates. My best roommate was Selina. She was fifteen years old and also pregnant. I asked who the father of the unborn child was and her answer brought uncontrollable tears. I wept as I listened to her story. She was a Head Potter(Kayayo) at Makola. She earned at most GH¢5 every day. She paid GH¢1 tax to AMA and used the rest to feed herself and her little sister who was just five years old. With no money to pay her street Landlords, she slept with them every evening. So the very person responsible for her pregnancy was unknown.

to become a Head Potter(Kayayo). Selina became my immediate boss, but we had the Queen Head Potter as our overall boss. I had to be an apprentice on the job for almost three months. Fifty percent of whatever I earned as an apprentice went to the Queen Head Potter. I know you are wandering what I used the GH¢1,500 for. I paid my street rent. I couldn’t afford to give my body out. I became weak in the seventh month of my pregnancy. Carrying heavy loads became a problem to me. I had to still work to survive. Selina died three days after she had delivered. She was buried that very day. No one knew any member of her family apart from Dora her five-year old sister. I had to unconditionally cater for Dora. It wasn’t easy. I was introduced to a street Midwife. She was trusted by the Head Potters. They complained they suffered maltreatments when they visited the Government Hospitals and the private ones, they couldn’t afford so they resorted to Mama Paulina, the self-acclaimed Midwife. She had this small wooden blue kiosk just at the outskirts of Tema Station. She was a nice person. Her smiles always made us feel at home. She knew I was too young to be pregnant but never judged or condemned me. The harm had already been caused. Her counseling section was unprofessional but enjoyable. She took GH¢ 3.00 for antenatal care.

when Dora complained of abdominal pains. I rushed to the pharmacy and bought her some drugs. It wasn’t getting better so I rushed her to the Adabraka Polyclinic. The timely intervention of the Doctors saved her life. Narrating her ordeal, she said she was raped by one of the street Landlords. He threatened to kill her if she mentioned that to anyone. I swore to report Amuzu to the Police. I confronted Amuzu. He told me I hadn’t paid my rent for three days, and because I was incapable of paying in kind, he had to use Dora. He spoke with no remorse. I turned to go but he held my hand. I wanted to kill the beast out of him but I kept my cool. For once, I realized I wasn’t supposed to pay evil with evil. I reported him to the Police. With the aid of the medical report from the Polyclinic, Amuzu was arrested. Dora stayed at the Polyclinic for almost two weeks. I spent all my savings on her medical bills. My colleague Head Potter were kind. They also contributed for her upkeep. I enjoyed the new found family. I had to pay the rest of Dora’s medical bills before they could discharge her. My colleague Head Potters had given all they had and I couldn’t go back for more. I told the Doctor to give me some few more days. The truth was that I had no plan. I was in the ninth month of my pregnancy and I knew I could deliver at any given time. I had on money for delivery and I also needed to discharge little Dora from the clinic.

early morning to visit Dora. The Administrator of the Polyclinic insisted I paid Dora’s bills that very day. For God in heaven and man on earth, I knew deep within my heart that day will be the last day of seeing Dora. I had no money to sustain or even discharge her from the clinic. I could no longer carry loads for money. I got to her bed, held her hand and prayed for her. I told her God was in control. I kissed her forehead and told the Administrator I was going to bring the money in the afternoon. I had not eaten that very day and I knew it was bad for my health. I used the only money I had that morning to buy porridge for Dora. From a Head Potter and now a beggar. I realized I was bleeding just when I got to the exit door of the Clinic. I knew my time to deliver was up. The sharp pain in my abdomen became severe. I rushed out of the Clinic. The blood kept coming and now it became noticeable. The security man at the Clinic went in to call for help but I had to run away. As I was crossing to the other side of the road, a taxi from nowhere knocked me down. I fell on my belly. With blood all over, I begged the taxi driver to help me. He came out of the taxi, looked at me and sped off...(