Your little ones Ignatius, they look just like you!

Church services can be pretty intense around here. 

People running up and down the pews, screaming in my ear and wailing like they lost somebody. I do not understand it. Back home, at my church, we sat on the comfortable chairs, hands neatly folded, eyes focused on the man at the front and only spoke to say a polite amen and the grace. I look around at these people and i worry that my children will become deaf. But then, their children seem pretty okay. I see them run out of Sunday school and come join in the loud singing and dancing. I cannot do it. I just cannot. 

My story is quite short and simple really. I got pregnant 4years after i was married. Shortly after i gave birth, my husband run away. I had triplets. David, Solomon and Esther. I named them after my favorite characters in the bible. You wonder why my husband run? 

For a long time, we had no money. We were dirt poor and yet we were both learned. My husband actually, is quite a clever man. But he couldn't get work. I do not understand it and neither could he. Many times he did a few gigs ushering at events for a few thousand shillings a night. I was a primary school teacher but my school was so far and the pay did not make up for the daily transportation. We agreed it made no sense so i quit.

One day, my husband came home excited. He told me he had gotten into the forex trading business. He never said how he did it but all i know is that a few short months later, we were swimming in money. He took me to see countries i had only taught about and i learnt to do all the things women with money do. It was a good quick two years. 

One day, it was all gone. I was one of those women who never knew about my husbands business. When i asked he told me to never worry. As much as it ate at me, i stopped asking and instead concentrated on my project. I was writing a training guide for women and men who chose to home school their children. I was very excited about it and it kept me busy.

When I was just over seven months pregnant with the babies, I got home one day and I listened in as he spoke to these men and women who i had come to accept as his business partners. Everyone was upset and confused. No one said a word to me. Eventually i went to lie down and that was that. I never saw these men and women again until much much later. 

Two weeks later, he was gone. 

I had just returned home from the hospital, the babies had come early. He said he had to go away for a while to be able to take care of us. He had such pain in his eyes and his hands shook as he spoke. He wouldn't look at the children. He said some people would come looking for him but i was to say i did not know anything, which really was the truth. i knew nothing. He didn't say how long he would be away and i didn't understand how he could leave like that. Now i do.

You see, he lost so many peoples money in this forex trading business. It was billions of shillings. The week he left, people kept coming to the house. The police came a little later too. They searched the house. Shortly after, i was asked to leave as the house was to be sold along with everything else, to pay back as many people as the properties could. I lived with a friend for a while until i got a one roomed little place for me and my three babies. 

I got a job working in this big supermarket. While the neighbor watches the kids, i work. She has two daughters and she works the night shift at another supermarket. It works out well for us. We have become good friends. She is the one who brought me to this church. They give us mothers in need packets of milk, bread and other groceries every Sunday after service. 

I cannot say i am happy but i have learnt to be thankful. As much as i still cannot be crazy like the people in this church, i know that they have hearts of gold. I have nothing to offer them but they take care of me and my little ones asking nothing in return. One of the women here has offered to teach my children when they are old enough to start school. She is a teacher too and she believes in home schooling. 

I have not heard from Ignatius for two years. I do not know if he will ever look for us. No one comes to me for their money anymore. I figure by now they realise, i knew nothing and i have nothing left for them to take. It would be nice if Ignatius would see what the little ones look like now.