“I witnessed my mother die at the hands of her lover”

Eva Wanjiku, 27, witnessed the death of her mother at the hands of an abusive lover. PHOTO | COURTESY

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“As my cousin escorted me to catch the school bus, I noticed a trail of blood which he dismissed saying he had been nose bleeding.

“All this time, I was oblivious of the fact that mum had been fatally stabbed by her boyfriend and had died on the way to hospital.

“My youngest brother was three at the time and could not understand what was going on.

“I remember him asking where mummy was during her burial, which prompted people to start crying.”

Eva Wanjiku, 27, witnessed the death of her mother at the hands of an abusive lover. This left the then seven-year-old and her two siblings at the mercy of relatives. She tells Soni Kanake how she and her brothers survived this tragedy, and how they are doing now.

“My name is Eva Wanjiku and I work for the Kenya Red Cross. My brothers and I have seen our share of ups and downs in life. Today, however, I want to share my story to show that you can rise above negativity.

“Though I was only seven, I still remember the unfortunate day that my mother died. We had just arrived home from a cousin’s birthday party. I remember mum going straight to the servant’s quarters where her partner was staying.

TRAIL OF BLOOD

“I peeped through the curtains and watched in childhood innocence as the two adults fought. Sleep must have overtaken me because the next thing I remember was being woken up the next morning by a cousin who lived with us.

“Mum always woke me up around 5am to prepare me for school. I attended St Anne’s Primary School in Parklands and was in Standard Two. However, on this particular day, it was my cousin who did so. I asked where my mother was, but he did not volunteer much information, only saying mum had left early.

“As my cousin escorted me to catch the school bus, I noticed a trail of blood which he dismissed saying he had been nose bleeding. All this time, I was oblivious of the fact that mum had been fatally stabbed by her boyfriend and had died on the way to hospital.

“I thought it was strange that when class ended at 3pm, mum’s friends came to pick me up as opposed to riding the school bus. I remember them telling me all these stories about people going to heaven, about how good people don’t live forever, before finally telling me that my mum had gone to heaven.

“Mum had recently gotten a new job in America and she had already began the relocation process. Now our dream of going to America was up in flames and mum was gone forever. My relatives picked my elder brother, who was then 11, from boarding school in Naivasha.

“My youngest brother was three at the time and could not understand what was going on. I remember him asking where mummy was during her burial, which prompted people to start crying.

“Our nightmare began after the burial as family meetings commenced so that the relatives would decide on who would take over what property and how we, the children, would be taken care of. In 1999, two years after mum’s demise, I was separated from my brothers as I went to stay with my mum’s sister in Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri.

Mum had a good job in top level management in one of the leading tobacco firms and had given us a good life. Nothing prepared me for the culture shock I experienced on moving from a school in Parklands to one upcountry. However, I kept hope alive and believed I would join the school of my dreams, Bishop Gatimu Ngandu Girls’ High School.

NO MONEY FOR SCHOOL

“Unfortunately, I did not make the cut but not being one to be deterred, I opted to repeat Standard Eight. I was very excited when I finally made it to Ngandu. It wasn’t all rosy and sometimes as a teenage girl, I missed the presence of my family during visiting days.

“All this time while my siblings and I were going through hard times, mum’s former employer had paid the family the final dues owed to her. I understand the money was about Sh5 million and was given to my relatives. Sadly, the money had been squandered.

“My older brother did not complete university because of lack of funds, and the younger one had to stay home for three years after completing Form Four due to lack of fees before the alumni from Ngandu came to his rescue. I will forever be indebted to the ladies who took up the school fees of my brother who is pursuing a diploma in IT at Riara University. We recently celebrated our mum’s 20th memorial and it has been a journey.

“My relatives told me there was no money to take me to private university after I scored a B - (minus) and I had to repeat Form Four to qualify for public university. After many years, my father has been there for me and is my great support. Dad paid for my university fees and gave me money for my upkeep.

“Despite everything, I am still hopeful that we will get back what’s rightfully ours. I have channelled all my energies to my work and I’m grateful for the far we have come. Today I’m in a good space and I believe as long as we keep hope alive and give life our best, we can make it. I acknowledge that God has been good to me and my strength is from Him. We need not play the blame game or play victim despite what life hands you; instead, we can take charge and be victors.”

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