Am I The Villan?

Contributing Writer

Djemima Duvernat

Is it possible for one person to have lived many lives?

I know cats have nine lives, but humans have just one. One life to love, one life to live and one life for pain. Some may say that there is more to life than just these three. Others would argue that life is split into positive and negative. My life has been split into three different lives so far, and I hope I have a few more ahead of me.

There comes a time when one wonders, am I the villain?

I always wondered if I was a villain in any of my past lives. Sometimes being a villain is not bad; it depends on who is looking at it. Most people would say that the glass is half full, while others would argue that it is half empty. Who is right? Certainly not me. Since I do not know where I stand on the subject, I will let the reader decide at the end of the reading.

Do you think I had three lives? Or am I a villain? And if so, do I see the glass half full or half empty?

Meet “Ancient Mama.”Mama is my biological parents’ nickname for me. She was raised in Haiti in the kitchen with her mother. She was happy, naive and oblivious. She had friends; she was surrounded by family. Her sister was her best friend. She had good grades and went on trips and outings with friends. She was raised in a troublesome country with shootings, shutdowns and deaths everywhere. But she was happy because her family was there. Her mother would still cook the most delicious meals. Her father would still dance with her and talk to her about all his favorite songs. She and her sister would spend the nights gossiping in their rooms.

One of Ancient Mama’s best memories is Christmas. Although there was no tree, no gifts and no Santa, there was love and happiness radiating from the house. Father was playing music, Mother was in the kitchen making something delicious, and the sisters were doing laundry while talking and laughing. Those were the best memories of Ancient Mama.

Is she a villain?

Meet “Bitter Pig.”Pig is a nickname given to me by the people my parents left me with when I moved to the United States. She was 12 years old, and yes, she was left all alone. She was never happy with the fact that she was sent to live with strangers. She had no friends, and she rarely smiled. She lived in Florida, then she moved to Indianapolis with the same family. She was told to cook and clean. She was called a pig, and no one in the family spoke to her unless they needed something from her. She was mistreated and abused to the point she almost committed suicide. The family proceeded to kick her out the day of her failed suicide attempt. She was sent to live with another friend of the family. New family, new life, right? Maybe a new start?

One of Bitter Pig’s best memories is being groomed by the husband of the new family. He overfed her fast food. Their son would physically abuse her. The mother was never present, often working 12-hour shifts. She depended on the husband for everything, something he took advantage of. He made inappropriate comments and touched those private places he should have never been able to. Until that dreadful night, she did not scream; she was told that no one would believe her.

Is she a villain?

Meet “Mima.”A nickname given to me by my new family. She smiles; she is loved by her foster mom and her sisters. She is on her way to pursuing her biggest dream of becoming a lawyer. She has good and bad days, but on either day, she is reminded that she is loved by the moon and back. She is traumatized, but she has friends now and people who will never let her down. She has a family now that loves and cherishes her. She found love again; she finally had a good night’s sleep. A family dinner, a mother’s hug that compares to nothing on this Earth. She has been smiling and living a life she had given up a long time ago.

One of Mima’s best memories is the road trip she went on with her loving family. The countless goodnight kisses and hugs. The family dinners, lunches and movie nights. She is able to finally be a child at the age of 16. She is loved again; she is wanted again, and this time, it is not because she can cook and clean. It is because she was loved for just being herself. She was loved when no one loved her.

Is she a villain?

Image by Jupi Lu from Pixabay