As I entered the kitchen that morning, dirty dishes greeted me, the kitchen was so messed up, the rooms where not exceptional, I feel so tired and hungry.

how do I even start. I still have lots of laundry to do.

I opened the pot that has the remaining food that Boss Lady's children took to school. I smiled because there was enough food in it for me, I can't wait to eat it.

If i ask Mrs. Delilah Ortega, also known as Boss lady first, I know she will say no.

I feel so hungry and too tired to do anything today, is not like I'm complaining over the work, I do it all the time, it’s never a problem but I feel weak today, so weak, if I can at least have something to eat I will be energized for the day.

I didn't eat before going to bed which contributed to me not having a good sleep, and when I closed my eyes all I could dream off was food, I eat good food my the dreams compared to what I eat in real life, and that only happens whenever I sleep on an empty stomach.

It is widely believed that eating in dream is bad but how can I stop dreaming about food when I sometimes go to bed in an empty stomach.

Mrs. Ortega takes pleasure in starving me whenever I offend her.

Ever since her husband told her to stop hitting me all the time, she will always look for another means of punishing me, which is by not allowing me to eat anything.

she will rather give her dogs food and let me watch rather than give me.

I wish she can stop starving me, she can hit me all she wants, I'm use to her beating but I hate it when I have so many things to do in an empty stomach.

I'm related to her husband, Mr. Noah Ortega, and not her and before I came to live in the city of Valle with them, they promised to take care of me and also send me to school but I have lived with them for seven years and I'm still counting.

Every year all I get is empty promises of starting school soon but never did. I'm not really bothered as far as I can read and write, which I learnt from the children's book and Emily has been teaching me more without her mum knowing.

I hate it when I'm starved, it makes me remember what I'm trying to forget. Whenever I go to sleep and lay at my corner, the only thing I can imagine is fine food. I just imagine what it will feel like for a table to be set before me, a table filled and decorated with different types of food, and I will be given the privilege to eat whatever I want to eat and drink whatever I so desired.

That can only happen in my dreams anyways.

Boss lady have three kids, and I'm older than her first child with a year.

Serena the first child is very rude and she can't pick up a pin, she and her brother Tobias, are birds of same feather, they…

"Lauretta... Lauretta…"

"Yes ma… I'm coming..."

I ran up to Boss Lady who sat in the living room with her phone in hand

"Lauretta... are you done with the kitchen? Have you finish washing those dishes..?"

"No ma...I'm still on it..."

"Hurry up...you are taking so much time in that kitchen... There's plenty of things to do around..."

"Yes ma, let me go back to it. I hurried back to the kitchen and continued my doing my work.

I need food. I have to tell her.
With the remaining courage left i n me ,I walked back to the sitting room to take permission

"Please ma can I eat the leftover food in the pot when I'm through with the dishes...?" I asked in a low voice trying to patronize her at least.

"You are such a lazy girl... You have not finished up with your chores and you are thinking of food... The food in the pot is meant for Serena and Tobias' lunch... They may be hungry when they returns from school.

But they won't eat the meal.

It is only Emily that likes cereals. I left that food for my children so don't touch it. I suggest you put the food in the microwave, a grain of rice shouldn't miss from it...look for something else to eat… anything even if it’s paper, because I'm not cooking until evening".

The worms in my stomach are grumbling really bad and I have to do something before they strike

"But Ma the food will be enough for the three ...."

Lauretta...I'm not your mother…don't give me headache... I have important things to think of so you are less of my problems... Just hurry up with the house chores so that I can send you to the market..."

This woman talks too much

I returned to the kitchen and started washing the dishes. when I was done I decided to put the food in the microwave as I was instructed but as I opened the pot, the smell of the food got to my nose and down to my stomach, I just couldn't resist it.

Serena and Tobias ate breakfast and also took lunch to school, how can their mum say that I shouldn't touch it when she knows I haven't eaten anything. she punished me last night by starving me because I mistakenly stepped on her daughters toy and it broke.

Emily is five years and she is the last among her three children, she is the only kind one among the others probably because I babysit her. Mrs. Ortega is always leaving her in my care so she grew up under my watch and I thought her kindness.

As I looked at the food in the pot my stomach made another hungry sound, so I decided to take one spoon from it, if I take one it will not be noticeable, so I took one spoon. the food was almost gone before I realized the danger I was getting into.

I was so hungry that I didn't care about the trouble awaiting me.

I finished the food anyway, I'm in serious trouble, I already know that, Boss Lady may even starve me for two days if she finds out that I ate all the food meant for her children.

But I'm not scared, since I have food in my stomach now, I worry less about any consequence awaiting me.
She has done worst things to me in the past and I survived all, so I can survive whatever my punishment will be.

My happiness is that I have eaten, so I'm energized to do all the house chores and I'm not scared of anything.
Food is in my stomach, now I can think straight as I await my punishment.