Life challenges with
their vicissitudes know not where to draw the line; otherwise, they should not
be saddling children with hardships. Child labour short-changes children. To devise tactical coping strategies to survive
varying situations right from infancy, perforce makes adult of children. Psychologically
wounded are the many traumatised casualties of forced induction into adulthood
via child labour. “Okoro erughị eru
wara ọgọdọ, ikuku
buru ya, oburu ọgọdọ ya – Should a youth not attain the right age before
wearing cloth, the wind will carry away both him and his cloth.” Anyway, “Onweghị ihe anya hụrụ, gbaa ọbara – Nothing, no matter how unsightly, will ever make the
eyes to shed blood.” “Mbe sị na nsogbu bụ nke ya, ya
mere ya jiri kwọrọ ya n’azụ – The Tortoise said that trouble is his, that is why
he carries it on his back.” “Onye ọ biara, obugara onye? – If it is one’s lot, to whom, will the one transfer
it?”
Ezinwa had to shoulder her
own burden and the responsibility of being her parents’ keeper right from
childhood. “Ma ọnwụ egbughị ji ejiri chụ aja,
emechaa ọ ga epu ume – If
the yam used in sacrifice does not die prematurely, it will eventually
germinate.” “Ma ọnwụ egbughị nwa eghu, emechaa æ ga aghæ ikenga eghu – If a kid goat survives, it will eventually
become a full grown goat.” Things will ultimately improve despite teething
problems.
Long ago, an honest,
polite and kind-hearted girl lived with her sick parents in Eziobodo,