By Infactng
This is the inspiring story of a lady identified as Marline Oluchi who through sheer hard work and determination, overcame family tragedy, sent herself and siblings through the university and completed her father’s house which has been in terrible state of disrepair for seven years.
The story shared on Facebook by Oluchi herself had generated more than 2,000 comments with many praising her for her kindness.
Others drew reference to the preference of male child especially in Igbo society wondering what more a male child could have done that Oluchi hasn’t.
Oluchi’s full unedited story
The first two photos are my father’s house for the past 7years, since his health started disturbing and he had to stop working and move back to the village. He was building this house before that happened and he had to move in to the uncompleted building like that.
I was still rounding up with my Uni, taking care of the whole family and doing odd jobs.
There was no bathroom or toilet and he had to bath outside or inside one hole partition in one of the rooms 😂
As for toilet, well, we use the Bush 🤷♀️
The house was partly zinced, but no ceiling, so, you can practically see the sky when you’re inside. Things crawl into the house from the open zinc. When people are burning farms during the dry season around us, all the smoke and burning flakes flow into our house through the open ceiling. Every flying thing comes into that house. It was basically living outside with a barricade.
Twice, someone has crawled into the house at night when I visited and stolen our phones. Even my laptop sef. People crawl and steal off things. We just had luck that we didn’t even have much property worth stealing.
At some point, I hated traveling home because that would mean sleeping here. I hated not having options for toilet. I always dodged when friends from Afikpo want to visit us at home. I’d visit Ebonyi and go home to see my dad just for the day, then, run back to sleep in Abakaliki. We couldn’t even wire the house for electricity because it’s uncompleted. No water, nothing.
Of course, I moved to Abuja and started paying outrageous rent out of necessity, but my siblings and I needed a home away from home, as we try to work and earn a living. My home is always their home. That’s why while in school, my siblings spend their holidays with me and not back home. Who wants to be sleeping in the open when they have an option?
Each year, I’d promise to save enough money to start the building but of course, bills won’t let me be. Try being the sole breadwinner of a whole family from my teenage years, from monthly feeding to school fees for those in the Uni to my own bills to my dad’s numerous health bills. Lmao. Each year I’m determined to at least, roof this house, but each year, I fail.
Until last year.
2021 wasn’t rolling in money but I saved hard. I did all I could and finally, look at my father’s house 😍
All 6 rooms, the big sittingroom and the guest sitting room, all completely roofed, tiled, toilets installed in all the rooms. My father can go to bed now with both eyes shut. I can rest easy, not worrying how much cold is entering the house to further deteriorate his health. Like, I can’t describe this kind of happiness 🥺
If you have not been in a position where you have to fight foot and nail for not just yourself but your loved ones, you’ll not understand how it feels, watching your sick parent live in an uncompleted building. When my dad suffered from a partial stroke two years ago, I knew that anyhow anyhow, this building had to happen soon, money or no money.
I had to share this very personal milestone publicly because like me, I know that so many of us out here are struggling to become something and make life easier for our loved ones. See, don’t despair because you cannot do it now. Keep focusing on making it happen and time will come when you will. Seriously.
Those who know me well know how much I struggle. We come up here smiling, but sometimes, social media is an escape and life is doing us shege. I used to share my struggles here before and those of you who have been friends for a while know my journey, but I stopped after a while, for privacy.
I love taking my fine photos, eating out when I can and trying to live instead of letting the problems of the world weigh me down. That’s why I could be coming in from the hospital and decide to use my last 10k to buy outrageous prawns. No be seh problem no deh😂
I’m in my 20’s and I’ve seen myself through school (with some help), seen two of my siblings through the university (the second just graduated and I’m not owing a dime), taken care of both my household and my dad’s household monthly for years now and held the family down. Now, I’ve completed my dad’s house and I feel complete. All that is left is for our last born to finally get his admission and finish school. My work will be complete.
Last year was tough. Really tough for me, starting the year with a dèath in the family and my dad in and out of hospitals but this is the greatest win because I still did it in what could’ve been a really tough year.
I’ve learnt that with life, it’s just time. Give it time. Give it time. I mean, not to throw the grass to Grace story, but yea, this is me, Marline, who two years ago, would even come inbox to ask for support to pay my sister’s fees.
You don’t even have to do what you want to do at once. In 2016, I sent my dad 50k to buy cement and keep. This man laughed at me eh 😂😂😂
Because what can 50k cement do in that kind of apartment? Later, I’d send another 50k for him to buy tiles and keep😂
I kept doing this for a while and would’ve continued if not that someone started climbing into the house through the roof to steal the materials.
Last year, I still did the same. I divided the house into priorities. In the first 2months, I sent money for the roof which was the most important as it would protect the house. Then, I sent money for toilet materials and soakaway. Then, tiles, paints, etc. Bit by bit. One at a time.
I still get deád broke, down to the last 5k in all my accounts combined, but I’ve learnt how to vigorously save and sort out priorities. This one totally drained me and I might still come inbox to ask you people for money, but for today, I am fulfilled, content and happy that I have put a roof over my father’s head 😊
I focused on completing just the inside of the house for his comfort. This year, I will focus on raising money for borehole so that my father can have water running inside the house. Then, fence the building and complete other outside work.
After that, I can go back to trying to raise money for my Masters, let me know the one that’s doing me 😂
I am super grateful for friends; friends who hold me down. I honestly couldn’t have done this without friends who send me money when I’m down. It’s the only way I am able to save. Friends who take me out for fine dining, knowing I love good food 😂
Friends who took out time to encourage and remind me that I could actually finish this project. Friends who hold me down 🥺
My siblings too. I can’t count how many times I did not bring money for anything in the house last year, with the excuse that I’m raising money for our father’s house 😂
They ended up taking on responsibilities and fending for themselves, sometimes. Ahan! I had reason to be a wícked Îgbo wôman even when I had the money 😑
I wish my mum was still alive to be a part of our growth but then, looking at how much suffering we have had to endure over the years, I’m sometimes glad she was not here to suffer with us.
Pheeew! This makes me so happy 🥰
