Closing the door behind me, I walked down the pathway smiling at the piglets. At two months, they were still cute later they will be sold while two females will be kept to be breeders then sold once those reached their maturity.

Walking past them, I went to the storage area for the food. Taking a large bucket, I poured the grain in, mixed a few apples and corn then partly dragged, partly lift the bucket.

This I repeat eight times, in the end; my shoulders, back and hands from switching when one got too tired.

They burned, I looked at my toned arms secretly admiring them, in my previous life I had to work extremely hard to get a form like this, but now all I had to do was get fit doing choirs and on top of that get paid. Father always said hard labour makes a strong body, soul, and mind. Your body is your temple, of which I agree.

He was such a wise man even if he was extremely cheap!

Sty cleaned, pigs fed. I walked back to the house, grimacing as I went.

My mother was poor living in a one-bedroom house with a front house and kitchen she had four of us two girls and two boys, my oldest sister at the age of twenty-five had moved out and worked at a fast food place serving customers.

While my brother who was older than me by three years six foot two to my five-ten lived I-have-no-idea.

The youngest at ten still lived with my mom, him to for some reason was going to be another giant, my brother used to come and help but then he didn't like it so he went on to construct houses last I checked, me, I was still going to high school at eighteen after being granted another year.

Since I was doing well and wanted to finish four more subjects before looking to apply to a college overseas.

Staying here is good, but I am not sure at this point.

Perhaps I might be subjected to mind change later... Now though, it is definitely: 'I am leaving this dot for an island on the map.'

Filling the bucket with water, I grabbed the soap and cup, making sure my skin was nice and wet before proceeding to lather my skin.

Being poor was not so bad, yes sometimes my father forgot I existed, but I was eighteen, which made me legally not his responsibility.

Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

Sigh, I guess I am making excuses in my head because even before that he still forgot about us, leaving us to fend for ourselves at such a young age.

Hehe, such a thing like us having to sneak out some of the coins he had stashed around the house to purchase biscuit and sardines, pick some coconut, limes or lemon from the trees and if we had change buy something to drink or sugar though we rather just drink plain water.

Soft drinks were a luxury to us, sugar as well, but the water was even more precious than that was clean enough to be drunk. Even if it is collected from rainwater.

Sigh, thinking about that. It is such a miracle we had never fallen sick, and when we did, father would feed us some concoction enabling us to recover in a day or two, feeling even healthier.

We had no electricity. While everyone used electricity to light their homes, we used candles or oil lamps. We also had no proper furniture to sit on except the bed and some huge wooden four-seater chair.

If someone had to visit my home, they would pity me and say how poor my life is, but the thing is we were not dirt poor. It's just my father was a cheap bastard who hated to spend to make life better.

Money is made to spend, but did father care?

He hoarded it like a dragon guarding its treasure!

Cleaned, I wrapped the threadbare grey towel around me with the soap. I carefully placed it safely high up, wrapping it in plastic and placing it in a dried coconut shell.

After all, it was homemade using grated lime skin and pig fat with shredded coconut and honey.

My skin was smooth and shiny with the shavings of coconut giving it a nice smell. It was a wonder bees and flies never followed me, but at least I was self-sufficient. I had to think about this father for that.

Inside I quickly scrambled to get ready for school thinking of the time, on the plus side I always had new school stuff, and I had extra of everything and my clothes were always clean dressed I looked at my pristine white shirt and starched green school skirt white socks and shiny black shoes, slipping on my bag I then dashed from the house slamming the door, I was barely on top the hill before I heard my father snap in his accented voice.

"Hurry man I ain't got all mornin', or I gine long and leff yuh!"

"Alright!" I grumbled as I rushed down the hill to get in his rust bucket, my foot still hanging out and I partially leaning out the door he sped off scrambling so I don't fall out the moving vehicle I slammed the door closed buckling myself in.

My dad was a speed demon, but for some strange reason, he was never pulled over.

He also had a terrible temper. He was not too tall at six feet with an extremely muscular built; he had dark brown skin which was the colour of pecan. His hair was cut low never growing much, but I remember that one time when he did allow it to grow a few inches and saw it had a curl to it.

My dad had these dark brown eyes paired with a voice I had heard mother say 'seduced her'--his voice was deep but not extremely so. He was also rude, but it was part of the family—I suppose.

After all, my grandmother was just as rude.

In under fifteen minutes, we arrived in front of the school. Since I had grown accustomed to his speeding, I was no longer trembling and wishing to puke as I got out.

In my mind, though I still thank all the things that are of a higher power for allowing me to arrive safely.

So many near misses, I can't even count how close to death I came on the way here!