Growing up in a house with my mum and some of her family members is one of the best experiences and offers God granted me, which I will always be grateful for.

That stage of my life was a great lesson to me because it taught me how to be kind and affectionate to other people. In my house, there is/was nothing like ‘this is my food so you can’t eat with me’ or ‘this thing is too little to share with you’.

Although there were many occupants in the house, we shared one common kitchen, cooked together and enjoyed a peaceful, lovely coexistence. Anytime one person cooked, the food would be served for everyone no matter the quantity – we, sometimes, ate together from the same plates.

Having lived with this kind of love and affection, I was almost always placed in a position to share anything I had with others insofar as they were okay with it.

But, interestingly, I never expected anything in return whenever I did good to others, for I knew and understood that my reward was in heaven – and I never lacked anything in doing so.

I got to the Junior High School level and made a lot of friends. While preparing to sit the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE), we had classes on Sundays to augment our revision and preparations.

In my house, Sundays are for ‘fufu’, a local meal we enjoy with some finger-licking soups. So, what happened? I attended one of the Sunday classes with fufu and soup. My classmates decided to eat with me. I didn’t have any problem with that because I was used to sharing.

Looking at how excited they were, I specially prepared a full bowl of same meal for them on the next Sunday. They were quite taken aback by my gesture and wondered why I would do that. Well, let’s just say it was something normal about me. I guess you wish I prepared one for you, too? Permit me to come back to this…

But fast forward, I passed my BECE exams and was admitted into a good secondary school, where I equally started making new friends. It just occurred to me but the number of friends increased each and every day.

Close friends and relatives know that I am the ‘shy type’ and barely seek assistance and help from people. One day, I mustered courage to ask a roommate for ‘shito’ – she gave more than I asked for. I used some to prepare ‘gashit’ (gari mixed with shito and some sardine). I invited my roommate and gladly feasted with me.

We started attending school gatherings together and I was happy to have found an awesome friend in her. I later discovered she was my classmate – this made our friendship grow stronger.

We got to know each other better; we loved each other so much because we had almost the same personality. Later, other people joined our friendship circle of seven girls.

Allow me to ‘confess’ that we gossiped, backbit and chitchatted a lot in our girls’ group. I am saying this because any time Mansah (not her real name) and I were not around, we became the topic of discussion for Ama, Yaa, Adwoa, Afia and Akosua (not their real names).

Can you imagine? We had a ‘lover’ in their midst. Yaa always betrayed the gossipers and disclosed everything they had discussed in our absence.

Gossip worsens

I was elected the Protocol Prefect. That was when things became worse because due to this position, I became quite busy and the five gossips intensified their usual practice.

I remember an instance where the Senior House Mistress ordered me to lock up some students in their dormitories. Quite unfortunately, my supposed friends were also affected by that directive; they were punished and lashed. They later went back to their classrooms under an order from above. Wait, don’t say I was happy about that.

Hell broke loose

After the incident, they stopped talking to me. Anytime I tried talking to them, they would give me attitudes but… I apologised to them hoping things would change. However, matters jumped from ‘frying pan to fire’.

Now, the gossip wasn’t enough so they started stealing and spreading false stories about me to others, trying to paint me black to other people. Their plans failed because ‘God is not a lefttee’ as my mum always says.

As they tried harder, people loved me more.

I noticed everything and stayed away from them but Mansah and I grew our relationship and we’re more like sisters till date.

As for the five ‘destroyers’, their guilty conscience have not permitted them to talk to me till date.