To be an orphan is unkind. You never think you deserve the love that you receive; you only want to work hard to earn it. You must always be on your best behavior. You're not allowed to make mistakes.

Moji's life has always been like this. She lived most of her life believing that she owed her existence to her mum's relative, fully conscious that she was an orphan and could be rejected at any time. When other children were lazing about, Moji didn't have the time to do so; she made sure something kept her busy every minute.

Other children could eat as much as they wanted, but she couldn't, even if she was told to. She feared that she might become a glutton who would not only consume their food but also their finances. She couldn't wear expensive clothes; everything about her had to be moderate and average.

Moji also studied harder than other children who had their parents. She couldn't afford to be a failure—that would frustrate her mum's relatives, and her education might be stopped. So, Moji put in all she had to be the best among her peers.

She was not involved in crucial decisions about her life. Her mum's relatives decided for her the schools she attended, the university she attended, and the course she studied. Of course, cost and not quality were considered in choosing those schools for her, and lucrativeness, not her dream or passion, was considered when choosing her career path.

Moji is now a mother of three and now realizes what a treasure she is to her children. She didn't get to complain about house chores like they did. She didn't get to visit the beach on holidays like her children now do. To her, then, every holiday meant going to one uncle or aunt's house to serve as a maid so that she could earn her school fees for the next term.

Most importantly, her children do not need to earn her love. They do not have to bottle up their emotions, worries, and troubles like she did. They can always speak to her and their father. Moji will always remind herself that her children's lives will be completely different from hers. She definitely needs much more than her experience to parent her children as children, not as orphans.