My grandfather said he can’t send us to school because he spent his money to bury our mother, so we have to work to pay the money. I feel scared because the lake is very big. When the wind is blowing, you can just go down, and you will die. They would tell me I must hold the net. They are going to throw the net, so if they throw the net and then they are coming [back], I should be folding it. If they came and I am not folding it, they will cane me. They will use the paddle to cane me.
If we come back from the lake, they would say I should cook. If I told them, today I am tired, I can’t cook, then they would start beating me and insulting me. I hardly slept at all. Every evening I hoped that there would be a storm, so I wouldn’t have to go out on the lake.
I like math and social studies. I had never been to school before, so some words are difficult for me. When I came [to the school set up by charity Challenging Heights], they started teaching me how to write my name, how to pronounce words, and how to read. My favorite thing is the teachers. They like the children, and I like how they teach. I want to become a nurse, so I can prove to my family that I can make it in life.
As told to Free the Slaves
