Kathrine: I’m An Orphan But I Won’t Do It
– Episode 19
Right at that moment, five Nigerian teenagers came into the room, dressed really nicely. They seemed full of hope and happiness. They talked excitedly about their experience, how they had gone through something similar and came out on top. They seemed like they had completely changed their lives.
As they were speaking, some men entered and began to lose the ropes they had used to bind us in a bid to make us trust them.
The room was filled with excitement, but Maria and I looked at each other, understanding what was really going on. We could see that they were trying to trick us, to make us believe something that wasn’t true.
After the five girls left, Maria and I gathered the others in a corner, away from prying eyes. We pleaded with them to see the truth, to realize that they were being deceived.
“They’re not really going to help us,” Maria said with urgency. “They’re using how desperate we are. Can’t you see that?”
She tried to make everyone understand the truth but our words fell on deaf ears. The others were so desperate for a way out that they were willing to grasp at any thread of hope, no matter how fragile.
As the day turned into night, Maria and I were left in the cold embrace of our doubts. The other girls, filled with a newfound hope, went about their discussions, planning their imagined future abroad.
In the dim light, Maria and I quietly talked to each other, planning what we should do next. The whole situation had gotten even more complicated, and we were caught in a tangled web of lies.
Even though things seemed dark, we were determined to find out what was really going on and protect ourselves from those who were trying to take advantage of how desperate we felt.
The next morning brought a surprising change that amazed us. They opened the big door and ushered us out. We saw the sunlight and felt the fresh air. Our eyes widened as we walked outside and saw the wide open space.
The difference between the small dark room we were in before and the big courtyard with many buildings was astonishing. It was like we had entered a completely different place, with everything feeling mysterious, just like the situation we were in.
The big gates led to rows of buildings that looked the same, like a refuge in the middle of our confusion. As we looked around, we realized how much space there was.
It was a reminder of how trapped we were, and it made us understand how much thought had gone into planning everything that had happened to us.
I couldn’t believe it, but when I counted, I saw that there were twelve of us now. It hit me that we were all in this together, twelve lives linked by what had happened. We were all caught in this situation because someone had planned it, using our weaknesses against us.
They let us walk around the big open space, feeling both amazed and unsure. We could feel a bit of freedom, but at the same time, there was this feeling of discomfort.
We wondered how we could have been stuck in such a small room when there was all this space around us. It hit us how they had fooled us, making us think we were free when we really weren’t.
While we walked, I tried to look at the other girls without them noticing. I could see that some of them were hopeful, but there was also a sense of worry in their faces. It felt like we were all on the edge of something unknown, our lives connected but still unsure of what was coming.
Together, we went to a really nice apartment, a place that felt modern and cozy. The air smelled different, in a good way, unlike what we were used to. It was so different from the tight and miserable place we were in before.
They took us to different bathrooms, and they were so fancy and unlike anything we had seen. The water running felt good, like it was making us feel better after everything we had been through, even if it was just for a little while.
Before long, we were with maids who were there to help us with anything we needed. They were kind and treated us well, so different from how we were treated before.
They were gentle and smiled at us, making us feel cared for. They took us in pairs to different rooms, and the design in each room was so perfect and almost like it wasn’t real.
They told us quietly that we were going to leave the next day. It was a news that made us feel a lot of things. We were both hopeful and doubtful at the same time. It was like these two feelings were competing to see which one would win.
They served us food and the meal was amazing, with so much delicious food on a fancy table. We all sat together and even though we were different, we felt like we were a team.
We enjoyed the taste of the food, flavors that reminded us of good times we had forgotten. It felt like we could forget about the bad things that happened before and focus on the exciting things that might come.
After we finished eating, they told us that there would be a meeting in the afternoon with the white man who talked to us before. We felt both satisfied from eating and also a little worried about what would happen. They told us to take some time to rest and get ready for the meeting later.
By chance, Maria and I were in the same room. We both had the same worries, and it was hard to ignore them. We talked in hushed voices about our doubts.
We thought that maybe the things they promised were too good to be real. Even though the idea of a better life was tempting, we had a feeling that something wasn’t right underneath it all.
In the afternoon, the sun made the room warm and cozy as we all came together in a hall that looked like a classroom. The white man we had seen before was there, standing in front of us.
He talked in a way that made his words seem like a beautiful but complicated pattern of untruths. He talked about good things that could happen, like education and a better life waiting for us in the United Kingdom. The way he spoke was so smooth and carefully crafted, meant to make us believe everything he said.
The other girls seemed really captivated by what he said, their eyes shining with hope. But Maria and I understood each other without saying anything, and our doubt was still strong.
We wanted to believe him, but we knew that there were still things we weren’t sure about. Even though he made it sound simple, we could feel that the truth was more complicated.
When the meeting was over, we were told to rest before the journey that was coming. Maria and I went back to our room.
We talked about our worries and fears, trying to understand all the things that had been happening. We felt unsure about what was coming next, and it made us feel heavy-hearted.
But we were still determined to find out what was true. It was like a light that helped us see through the confusion around us.