Innocent Child: Against All Odds

By Collen Khoza

A heart-wrenching tale of love, abandonment, and the power of choice in the face of adversity.

 

Hope is a happy ten-year-old boy, even though he and his mother often have no food. Unemployed and destitute, it saddens Jacqueline that she cannot provide more for her son, but their hardship seems to enhance their love for one another. They have a solid bond until Jacqueline meets Eric, a wealthy man who takes her to fancy restaurants in the city and buys her lavish gifts and groceries. Even though Hope is no longer hungry, he is lonely, with his mother often away at Eric's extravagant home.

 

Eric wants to marry Jacqueline but doesn't want to raise Hope. She has to make a choice. Having developed a taste for the good life, she chooses Eric and abandons Hope in the village to face poverty alone. For months, he cries for her, but she never returns. Hope decides to go to the city to find his mother, and after years of living on the hostile streets, his sadness transforms into hatred and a lust for revenge. Then he meets Jerry, an elderly man who offers him a simple gift that could change his life completely.

 

Hope now has a choice, but what will the young man's decision be?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Collen Khoza
• Release date: Apr 22, 2024
• ISBN: 9780620988988

Book preview

Chapter One

Jacqueline was a young, good-looking woman. She lived in the small village with Hope, her only child and son. Her no-good boyfriend disappeared shortly after the birth of their son, and she and Hope never saw him again. Unemployed and impoverished, she had no choice but to bring up Hope all by herself until he reached the age of ten.

Jacqueline was so poor she sometimes went to bed hungry, but hunger didn’t seem to bother Hope at all. All that mattered to him was being next to his mother. Jacqueline shared every little piece of food she had with her son. One night Jacqueline broke down in tears and cried out loud, unable to sleep because of the hunger. She hadn’t eaten anything the whole day.

When Hope saw his mother sobbing, he sat up and said, Mama, please, don’t cry. Pray, and God will give us food.

Hope was a happy child, even though they often had no food, and he would tell his mother how much he loved her each night. Jacqueline would do the same. The two of them had a solid bond until Jacqueline met Eric, a rich new boyfriend. He drove many different luxury cars, lived in the big city, and had a huge house. They dated for a few months, and sometimes he would take her out to visit his home.

Jacqueline was delighted to have such a boyfriend because she was now eating fancy food daily, no longer going to bed hungry, and there was always money for groceries. She thought that God had answered her son’s prayers and indeed provided food. Everyone expected Hope to be excited, but he wasn’t. Since his mother found this new boyfriend, Hope spent most of his time alone while she was out. Hope was already ten years old and a smart boy, but he was lonely without his mother.

One day Eric put Jacqueline in a tough position when he told her that he would like to marry her, but only under one condition. Jacqueline became excited and pictured herself living in the mansion in the city, far away from the village and poverty.

After all those perfect images, Jacqueline asked, Babe, under what condition?

You know how much I love you, right? Eric asked.

Yes, I know that, Babe.

For all the time that we have been together, I’ve thought that now is the time that I should make you my wife, but I don’t think that it is going to work because of one thing.

What is that thing? she quickly asked. Talk to me about it so that we can make this work.

Their relationship seemed perfect, so Jacqueline wondered what that ‘one thing’ could be. She didn’t want to let anything come between them and their relationship.

Eric continued, I want to marry you and make you my wife, but I can’t take you with your son. I don’t want to bring up another man’s child in my house, and he might give me some trouble while he is growing up. Yes, I understand your relationship with your child, but I don’t think that I will fit into that relationship.

Jacqueline was in total shock and didn’t respond for a few minutes. She had never expected such a bizarre condition to be placed on her. She looked at Eric, then around his expensive house, and thought of the good life she had been living since she met him. Even though she had this image of a perfect life in her mind, of course, she had to think of her only child, Hope.

Her memory flashed back to her days of poverty, how she lived before meeting Eric. She remembered the night she cried of hunger and how Hope asked her to pray to God instead of crying. Considering she’d never go back to poverty, it might be a simple decision for Jacqueline to make, but it wasn’t. She knew she had to be careful and wise. In Eric, she saw a bright future and a good lifestyle, but she saw only hardship when she thought about her son.

So she asked him, What do you want me to do?

I don’t know. You have to choose, said Eric.

Jacqueline had developed a taste for the good life. She knew she had the opportunity never to go hungry again. The prospect of losing all that she had dreamed of was too much for her to bear. While it broke her heart, Jacqueline knew what she must do.

When she came home from the city that night, she was miserable, and Hope couldn’t stop asking about the sadness on her face. Still, Jacqueline pretended as if nothing was wrong, but Hope said to her, Mama, what is wrong? I can see that you aren’t okay.

No, I’m fine, son. Everything is okay, she replied.

Jacqueline cooked a nice meal for the two of them that night, but Hope still wasn’t convinced. After the dinner, he said, Mama, thank you for the good food, but I am not happy. I think that there is something wrong with me.

What is wrong, my son?

My heart is breaking, and I am falling apart inside, Mama.

Don’t worry, my son. Go to bed and get some sleep. Tomorrow you will be fine.

Mama? he asked.

Yes, Hope, she replied.

I love you, Mama. You are the best mother in the world.

Jacqueline kept quiet for some time, with tears in her eyes. I love you too, my son, she replied.

Hope went to bed with a broken heart and tears running down his cheeks, not knowing why he felt so broken inside while waiting to fall asleep. He fell asleep quickly and had a dream about him and Jacqueline walking in the desert, holding hands, both feeling weak and thirsty. Jacqueline picked up a bottle full of water and refused to share it with him, saying it wasn’t enough for both of them. Hope was weak, but he watched his mother drinking water in front of him while he, too, was thirsty. He was so weak that he fainted. His mother didn’t even attempt to carry him or try to help him get back on his feet.

Hope woke up from the dream, woke his mother, and asked, Mama, do you love me?

Yes, I love you, my son, and I will always love you. Why do you ask me this question? she asked.

Mama, I had a terrible dream.

Hope explained how she would not share the water with him and how he fell from weakness.

Instead of helping me up, you continued walking without even looking back at me, Mama. Why didn’t you help me, Mama? Hope pleaded.

Jacqueline understood the true meaning of the dream, and she was silent. Instead, she broke down in tears that wouldn’t stop falling.

Mama, what has happened? Are you sad about Eric? Hope went on, knowing that something was wrong.

I love you, Mama. Please say that you love me too? Hope asked her again.

When Jacqueline said nothing, he failed to hold back his tears. He didn’t know what to do to bring them close again. He sang her this song to make her feel better:

"Mama, Mama, please stay with me.

I promise to make you the happiest mother in the world one day.

Mama, I need you; you are my only friend.

Mama, Mama, I love you; that will always be.

Mama, Mama, please come back to me."

He cried himself to sleep, not knowing what he could do to help his mother’s sadness.

Hope woke to an empty house. Jacqueline was nowhere to be found and had disappeared with all her belongings without saying goodbye.

Hope was alone.

For the first time in his life, he said a sorrowful and painful prayer, with tears streaming down his cheeks, Dear Lord, I’m still young, innocent and confused. I don’t know what to do. Please save me. Amen.

Not only was Jacqueline his mother, but also his best friend, and yet, she had left him. The realisation was shocking. Hope couldn’t believe that Jacqueline had disappeared and left him behind without a word of warning. He searched the house, hoping to find a note that she might have left him, but there was nothing – nothing but the memories of the happy life he had shared with her until now.

Hope recalled his dream, and then his mother’s reaction made sense. All he could do was cry, trying to find a way to heal the pain. The day his mother left seemed to be the longest in his life. He tried to be strong, but the pain he felt was too heavy for him to carry in his heart.

For days, he didn’t speak to anyone. He never had many friends, and he didn’t know where to find his dad or relatives. Neighbours saw his suffering, but none of them wanted to help him; instead, they all said the same thing, He isn’t our son, so why should we care whether he suffers or dies?

Often, Hope would hear them saying these things, and it made him feel bruised inside. He cried when watching other children playing and having fun with their parents. He missed being with Jacqueline and telling her how much he loved her, as they usually did every night before they fell asleep.

He prayed for Jacqueline to return home, but she never did. He knew it was a long way to go, but Hope decided to leave his village and go to the city to find his mother. He left early one morning and walked until sunset. When it started to get dark, he worried because he couldn’t see the road anymore. A motorist saw him walking alone, stopped the car and approached him.

Hello, child, he greeted. Where are you going, alone in the middle of nowhere, at this time of the evening? he asked.

Hello, sir, Hope greeted. I’m going to the city to look for my mother. She abandoned me a few months ago without saying goodbye. I miss her, and I believe that she went to the city because that’s where her boyfriend Eric lives, but I don’t know on which side of the city she may be living, Hope said, crying.

I’m sorry to hear that, the motorist said, but you are going in the wrong direction; this road isn’t taking you to the city. If you trust me enough, I can turn back and drive you to the city, even though I don’t know where to drop you off. How are you going to find her when you don’t even know where she lives? the motorist asked.

If you could drop me off anywhere in the city, I will be fine. I know that God will help me find her because only He knows how much I need her. I can’t live without her by my side. I want nothing from her boyfriend; I only need my mother, Hope said, with tears looking up to the sky.

The motorist was so disturbed to see a young child crying that he was ready to risk his life to find the mother who left this boy behind without any care.

Child, please; I will take care of you and raise you with my family. Let me take you to my place, and I will look after you.

Thank you, said Hope, but please take me to the city. I need my mother, please, Sir.

Which village do you come from? the motorist asked.

I come from Aloeland Village, Hope replied.

The motorist then drove Hope back to the village to confirm his story with the neighbours, and indeed, the neighbours confirmed Hope’s sad tale of how he was abandoned by his mother a few months before and how it affected his life.

Ever since his mother left him, we see this child every morning, sitting in front of the house on the doorstep, crying and calling for his mother to come back. She used to leave with her boyfriend Eric and come back late at night, so it took us some time to realise Jacqueline had disappeared for good. They were so happy together, and no one ever thought she would ever leave her son behind. She has been a good mother to her son all these years, but sadly, when she found herself a boyfriend, she started spending most of her time with him instead of her son. Hope sat on that doorstep, looking at the streets, hoping to see her coming back home, but until now, we haven’t seen or heard from her, one of the neighbours explained.

After the motorist had spoken to the neighbours, he was determined to take care of Hope, but he also realised how badly Hope needed his mother. Therefore, he gave him a ride to the city and gave him some money and food to eat.

Good luck, child, the motorist said, still concerned.

Thank you for your kindness, sir, Hope said, looking at the tall buildings surrounding him, not knowing where to start his search.

The