WHY I BECAME A LAWYER – A STORY OF BETRAYAL

 

I get asked this question a lot. I get asked in job applications, at interviews, and in regular human interactions: "Why did you become a lawyer?" 

And believe me, my response is not cliché! It is a whole story, laced with drama, betrayal, pain, and disappointment and you are about to read it now.

I was 8 years old. My parents tell me that I was a pesky, vibrant, mischievous little one. I was filled with intelligence that often surprised them, a defiance that burned in my eyes and a will for life that constantly gave them hope. I was precious.

I attended a preparatory school about a 10-minute walk from my aunt’s house, where I lived. Two of my classmates lived in similar proximity to the school so we became close friends and would meet on weekends sometimes. One of them was Flora.

In class four, (5^th grade- for those of you who don’t understand the Ghanaian system), I had a form mistress whom I admired. Let’s call her Miss Frimpong. It must’ve been the way she spoke. Almost as if she was singing. I looked at her in awe every day. Sometimes, the thought of seeing her in school helped me get through my hectic morning chores at dawn before setting off for school. I wanted to be like her in future. So confident, cheerful, sultry and knowledgeable. She had become my favourite teacher after Miss Cynthia and Mr Vijay.

In my school, pupils swept the classrooms. Pupils cleaned the washrooms. Pupils cleaned the compound. That is how we were trained. For classrooms, there would be a roster and each pupil would have a turn weekly or bi-weekly.

Some of us smart ones would always start sweeping a few minutes to closing assembly. We had closing assembly everyday in the big hall. The aim of sweeping before closing assembly was to finish sweeping by the time assembly was over so that one could join their friends play games. Nobody wanted to be sweeping while their classmates were outside playing games.

On a certain day, it was Flora’s turn to sweep the class. She begun to sweep about three minutes before the bell rung for closing assembly. Everyone had packed up in anticipation and we all but sprung out of our seats the moment the bell sounded. Just as I made it to the door, I heard Flora ask Miss Frimpong if I could help her sweep. Miss Frimpong asked me, and I could not refuse. I could never refuse anything from this beautiful teacher.

So, I stayed behind to help Flora sweep the classroom, while everyone was at closing assembly. I did not think much of it, besides, she was one of my close friends and we walked home together almost every day. I was happy to help. Flora asked me to sweep one half of the classroom as she swept the other half. Once we were done, I collected the rubbish and went to empty the bin on the Senior’s block which was about 100 metres from our block.

By the time I returned, closing assembly was over or so. The class thronged with people. As I made it to my desk to fetch my bag, we all heard Miss Frimpong exclaim “Where is my twenty thousand Cedis!! My twenty thousand Cedis is missing!!!” This is currently GHC 2 (less than a dollar).

We all must’ve been surprised, or so I thought. At least, I was surprised and worried and sad for her. She had counted the money in front of us earlier that day and we were happy for how rich she was. Who would have taken her money? Why would anyone even dare take her money? She was a saint who harmed nobody. We all loved her. Why would anyone take her money!

Everything happened so fast from there. Somehow, the headmaster suddenly appeared. In a few seconds of questioning, the suspects were narrowed down to Flora, and me, because we were the only ones in the class when the entire school was at closing assembly. 

Two of us were marched to the headmistress’s office. Now the headmistress’s office was a danger zone. Anyone who went in there was either in grave trouble or had earned a scholarship. They either came out in tears or extremely happy.

I’d never made it to the headmistress’s office before. This was my first time, and I did not like the reason. My heart thumped as we neared the office. Once we arrived and she was briefed, she begun to question us. Flora and I stood with our hands behind us, which was supposed to be a sign of respect.

“Which of you stole the money?” she asked. I looked at Flora. I opened my mouth to try to explain that I don’t think any of us took it. Before I could do this, Flora spoke.

“Madam, please I’m not sure but Precious said she would help me sweep the class today and she chose to sweep the side where Miss Frimpong’s desk and bag were. When we finished sweeping, we collected the rubbish, and I went to empty the bin. So, I don’t know what she did during the time I went to empty the bin or when she was sweeping the side she chose.”

I was speechless. I was dazed. It was as though the daylight had been knocked out of me. My mind became foggy. My sight was blurry. My lips felt heavy and I could not bring them together or apart to utter any word.

She had turned the story 360 degrees. She had begged me to help her sweep and here she stood claiming I insisted to help. And I went to empty the bin, leaving her in the freaking room! But here she was saying she left me in the room. How ridiculous!!!!! This is what I got for being kind???!!!

The sting of Flora’s betrayal crippled the veins in my heart. I experienced something close to a heart attack. Eventually, I was numb. I could not even deny her false accusation. All I heard was my headmistress respond “Well, Flora, I know you can’t steal. Precious is the one who is more likely to steal. You may leave. Precious, enter the office.”

That is how I knew my life was over. How did the day end like this? It was Monday. I’d come to school with so much hope. The weekend had been horrible as usual. I’d spent it with my parents, but they had been fighting the whole time and I just wanted some peace of mind. School was usually the escape I had from all the deep troubles in my life and on this Monday, I was happy! Little did I know my happiness in that school was about to be cut short for ever.

In her office, she asked me where the money was. I told her I hadn’t taken it. She asked me ten times and ten times, I said I had not taken it. Then she begun to whip me with her thin cane. We all feared it. I feared it most because I could not stand the pain. It was as if she knew that would be my undoing.

After almost a minute of being whipped, I caved. I told her I’d taken the money. Then, the whipping ceased. I was relieved. My body was in pain. 

Suddenly, my dad appeared. She must've called him to come. Nothing prepared me for the heartbreak I was about to experience because of my dad. While I expected some protection from him, all I received was a sound beating in front of the headmistress. 

He was so angry! I wondered why he was angry with me. I was just a little girl who had been falsely accused. Could he not believe in me at least? Could he not shield his daughter from this evil world, and discipline her in private? His lack of faith in me undid me. I was devastated. Humiliated. Exposed. Alone.

Then came the next bomb. “So where is the money?” my headmistress asked. I was clueless. I had not taken the money. I only said it so the whipping would stop. I had not thought of the repercussions of that admission.

The whipping begun again. “Open your mouth and speak!” she said. So, I lied again. “Please, I hid it under a stone outside the school.” The whipping ceased. “Go and bring it”.

I scurried out of the office. Curious faces stood all over the corridor watching me. I felt so embarrassed. The whole school knew by now that I had stolen my teacher’s money.

Without fetching my school bag, I hurried out of the school. I had not taken the money, and I had not hidden it anywhere, so I did not know where I was going. I walked all the way to my mother’s house. This was almost a 30-minute drive, and I walked it, at 8 years old. I cried along the way. My head ached, and my body was in pain. I was scared and alone.

Fast forward, I was suspended for two weeks. When I returned to school, none of my friends wanted to be seen with me. Nobody talked to me. On Wednesday, I was made to stand in front of the entire school at assembly and confess that I had stolen my teacher’s money. I was instructed to ask her forgiveness and ask forgiveness from the whole school. And then I promised not to steal again.

On Friday, the headmaster made me stand in front of the JSS closing assembly to make the same confession, which they had heard on Wednesday already. I guess it was just to humiliate me. And it worked.

For the next 5 years in that school, I lived with the stigma of being known as the thief-girl. I saw how people felt uneasy around me. I was not included in things. Whenever I showed up, the group dispersed.

Two teachers made it their mission to humiliate and taunt me every day. One would walk into the class and start opening drawers and pretend he was searching for something he had lost. Then the class will begin to giggle. He did this every day. I was tortured. Mentally and emotionally. School was no longer an escape. It was the place I wanted to escape.

In the dark of my room one night, while soaking my pillow with tears, I made a promise to myself that I was going to become a lawyer. I would never be unable to defend myself. I’d tasted how painful it was to experience a set up and false accusation and be unable to prove my innocence. I would become a lawyer to help people who’d find themselves in this situation.

I wrote it in a book. I wrote that I would attend City University in London. In my little room in Adenta, when I had not even seen an aeroplane up close before, I wrote that I would attend City University and become a lawyer. It came to pass ten years after, and I attended City University.

Flora left the school within a few months after I returned from suspension. Miss Frimpong left too. Her friends who always humiliated me also left. I did not understand how they all left around the same time. My mum says she took the situation up in prayer and she believes that was God at work.

I was glad they left, but their departure could not undo the damage to my 8-year-old soul and my future adult self. 

My self-esteem had been ripped into bits. For many years, I was no longer to be the pesky, vibrant girl full of curiosity and excitement for life. I was to become lonely, scared, and in pain. I had no friends. I became distrustful of people. 

Lessons

Sometimes, some storms are not so bad. They come to clear your path to greatness.

You have the ability to manifest what you want. Believe it, see it, WRITE IT down, and it will be.

You are stronger than you know. You are the strongest person you should know.

People are not people. But God uses people to make you great. Appreciate the journey.