Samba was Mistreated by Her Step Mother

10 Chapter 10: Samba Was Mistreated by Her Stepmother

Mr. Jack received a letter from his company requesting him to travel to Kaduna for a work assignment. He promised his children that when he returned from the trip, he would buy a gift for the person who took first place in class.

A few days later, he traveled.

Driven by jealousy, Angelina devised a plan to ensure Samba would not have time to focus on her studies. Whenever Samba got home, Angelina would ask her to clean the entire house and then come to her shop to keep her busy throughout the day. Meanwhile, she always forced Joy to read her books.

When Samba noticed the unfair treatment, she voiced her concerns to Angelina, expressing her desire to study alongside her sister. However, Angelina remained indifferent to Samba's plea, intent on maintaining the imbalanced dynamic.

At school, Samba informed her friend, Hannah, that her stepmother didn't allow her to go through her books anymore. Hannah advised her to use her phone to record everything their teacher taught.

Following Hannah's recommendation, Samba began recording her teachers' lessons and used her phone to review the material during breaks and late at night. This resourcefulness allowed Samba to stay on top of her studies despite Angelina's efforts to undermine her success. Determined not to be deterred by Angelina's unfair treatment, Samba forged ahead, finding strength in her friendship with Hannah and the belief that her hard work would pay off in the end.

As the term came to an end, the school held its final exams. Joy, seeking a competitive edge, obtained a so-called "magic pen" from a friend, hoping it would improve her performance.

During the examination period, Joy sat with a young boy named Andrew. Andrew was drinking a Pepsi mixed with alcohol before the exam script was distributed. Joy asked Andrew to share the drink with her, not knowing it was mixed with alcohol, and drank some of it.

A few minutes later, the exam script was distributed, and they all began to write. As they were writing, the teacher stepped out of the classroom. Joy felt sleepy and tried to control herself, but she unknowingly fell asleep.

Five minutes before the end of the exam, the teacher came in and found Joy sleeping. The teacher woke her up.

"Joy, what happened to you? Didn't you sleep last night?"

"No, ma'am, I slept."

"Alright, continue with your exam."

A few minutes later, the exam ended. Joy felt sad because she didn't finish. Samba, on the other hand, continued to excel in her studies, earning first place despite Angelina's attempts to interfere. Surprised by Samba's unwavering success, Angelina was left wondering how Samba managed to perform so well under the circumstances.

When Mr. Jack returned from his trip, he discovered the girls' results and expressed disappointment in Joy's performance.

"Joy, why didn't you perform well in your class? I told both of you that I would surprise you with a gift if you improved. I made that promise so you could work hard, but you disappointed me."

"I'm sorry, sir. Next time, I will try my best."

"Sorry for yourself. If you like, be jealous of your sister. I will make sure to fulfill my promise to her. Don't feel bad, but make sure you try your best next time."

"Okay, sir."

The next day, Mr. Jack took Samba out for shopping, and she bought clothes and shoes.

"Dad, please let's buy something for Joy too."

"Alright, I will buy her only one dress and a pair of shoes."

"Okay, sir."

Afterward, he opened a bank account for Samba and deposited five thousand Naira into it to make her happy. Joy was curious about her sister's success. She questioned Samba about how she was able to do so well without reading, but Samba didn't reveal her secret.

"I just put my mind to what they taught me in school, and I was able to remember everything they taught me and succeeded."

Joy, acknowledging her sister's hard work, promised to try harder in the future.

***

Mr. Jack received a letter from his company requesting him to travel abroad for work. Soon after, he embarked on a journey to the United States, leaving Angelina in charge of the household.

Without Mr. Jack's presence, Angelina's mistreatment of Samba escalated. Samba was burdened with endless chores, while Joy led a life of leisure. Any complaints from Samba resulted in Angelina withholding food.

One day, Angelina left the house and forgot her purse at home, realizing it only after she had gone a short distance. She went back home and couldn't find her purse where she had left it.

She asked Samba and Joy about her missing purse. Both Samba and Joy denied any knowledge of the missing purse. As they searched the house, Joy, who had taken the money and hidden the purse in her bag, quickly became nervous. She went to her room, took out the purse, removed the money from it, and hid the empty purse in Samba's bag.

Directing her mother to search their room, they found the purse inside Samba's bag. Angelina opened the purse and didn't see any money.

Despite Samba's protests of innocence, Angelina accused her of stealing.

"What? Samba, you stole my money."

Samba was surprised to see the purse in her bag.

"I didn't steal your money. I don't know how the purse got inside my bag."

"Shut up, liar. Now, where is the money I kept inside the purse?"

"Mum, I am not the one who took your money."

"Is it because of the punishment I gave you yesterday? Do you want to take revenge?"

"No, ma, believe me. I didn't take your money."

"You idiot! If you don't give me the money back, I will make sure you don't get any food in the morning and afternoon. You will have to fast for fourteen days."

"I am not the one."

Angelina gave her a hot slap. "Shut up and don't make me angry. You will see what I will do to you if I don't get that money," she said and left.

The next day, Samba went to school and told her friend, Hannah, about what had happened to her.