“I just tired of working in the night. Sometimes I feel as if I am not getting any time for myself much less my children. It is really hard, you know,” said a mother of three who works 12-hour shifts as a security guard.
“In the morning I leaving my home before dayclean and reaching back after night shut and is girl children I have. Sometimes a whole week would pass and I would only see them sleeping in bed and have to call home to talk to them,” she said, shaking her head sadly.
For this mother it has been constant hours of work, yet, according to her, “I not seeing what a doing with this money because I always don’t have. By the time I collect my salary is bills and then is food and you never really get enough.
“I had another job that use to pay me less, but I use to work for eight hours. But the money, you know. When I see this job, I jump for it. But it very hard and I does be tired most of the time. Sometimes they pushing you to work overtime and you know you want the extra money and you end up working for seven days a week and so. But is like my children growing up and I not even know how,” the frustrated mother told me.
We struck up a conversation while waiting at a utility office. I observed that she was very tired and made a joke about it. It was like she just wanted an opportunity to talk.
“Girl, I tell you, is since yesterday morning I leave me house and I just want pay this bill because then I would have to go home and come back and I don’t have the money for the passage and then I had to try and sleep. So I had to wait till this office open to do this and then go home,” she related.
I asked her where she worked and we got into talking and shared, and shared. I listened, hardly interrupting but just nodding my head at times as an indication that I was listening.
“Yes the children does find me home when a working night but I have to leave soon after school and then when I come home in the morning they gone to school. They had to learn to help they self quick because I would just leave what to cook and in the morning the big one have to try. When a working day I have to get up extra early to cook and so and before I leave,” she said.
“Is like a working and working, and working but not seeing me way. I wish I could stop pay rent because is a lot of rent I paying when the month come,” she told me, switching the conversation a bit.
I asked her at that point if she considered applying for land.
“Well to tell you the truth, for a long time I didn’t even bother because I would say even if I get the land, how I paying for it, much less building a house. But then I get encourage and I apply and now I waiting, a not sure waiting on what though because I still not sure how I paying for the land.
“I saying to myself right now if I could I could get offer one a dem same house dey building then I would tek it because is the same money wah a paying in rent I could pay back for it. I want to get me own home, everybody does want that,” she answered.
“Right now I looking maybe for a lil cleaning work or so but they does pay so lil bit I don’t know. But I really want to stop working dem night shifts and so long man. Is like you can’t get a rest and then you never get money.”
Why is she a single parent?
“Well is nuff time people does ask me that and they must be saying I having children for all kind a man and so but let me tell you I was married. But it was bare punishment even then it was like we never seeing way.
“I don’t even know why I marry, maybe because we grow up poor and you just think that was the best way out. But you know after years of punishment me and the husband separate. He move on and I leave with the children. Look I don’t even like talk about that money. I love me children and we struggling but I know they go get big. I can only hope and pray that they turn out to get a good job and so.
“I does talk to them and tell them look how we punishing and how they must tek dem education. I didn’t get to go school far but they getting it because I does mek sure if nothing else they go to school. I know it hard for them too but I does even beg them to just tek dem books,” she said.
We completed our business and it was time to part ways.
“I just now have to hurry home, get some sleep and then wake up, cook dinner and is back to work again. That is just how it goes. But wah a go do I have to keep going, children got to eat and once there is life there is hope. At least that is what people does say. So, a gat to keep hoping,” she told me as she hurried off.
I can only wish this sister all the best. At least she is still hoping and she continues to fight. Hopefully she gets a job that pays the same but with less hours. It cannot be easy working all those hours and having children as well. And maybe she will get that house she so badly needs, just maybe.
