Biography (continued)
I was very young, but life in Africa forced me to grow up really fast. I thank God every day that I did not end up in the child military, killing people or end up dead on the streets, selling gas at night. The first time I slept on a real bed was when I moved in with my Father after my Mother had passed. I loved my Mother more than life and it makes me sad to know that I did not get a chance to give her a break. She worked so hard for her family and I don’t remember anyone asking her if she was ok or if she needed anything. Everyone around my Mother would always ask her for help and did not even care if she was sad or sick. I remember the first thing she would do after returning from a business trip, even before she got a drink of water or took a seat, was to look for me. She laid the foundation for my life. She stressed that I should never give up on my hopes and dreams, always try to help people the best way you can, and don’t ever be afraid to be a leader because you were born to be one. In my neighborhood people would always tell her that I was born to be a businessman, because I was always thinking of ways to make money to help her, my family, and friends.
The turning point of my childhood into adulthood, was when I was 7 years old. I had to work and go to school. I worked in construction in the cornfields. There were no machines in Africa at that time. I was everyone’s “slave” when my Mother wasn’t around. Everyone would be so mean to me and ask me to do everything and I couldn’t say no. The few times that I did, I was beaten very badly. I remember someone telling me that I was a bastard child and that my Dad did not care about me; that was the reason he never sent any money to my Mother. I hated my Father because of everything people would tell me and yet I wanted to be as successful as him and more. I would ask my Mother why people didn’t like me and she would say “Aly because they don’t understand who you are and who you are going to become, so just don’t pay any attention.” I did not know what she meant by that, but as I grew older I started to understand my purpose in life. I wanted to be a powerful leader who could lead by example and help many people.
Another fond memory I had, was of my Grandmother. I remember one morning I was getting ready to go to school and I saw my Grandmother getting ready to go sell her peanuts, bread, and mangoes at the corner of the village. She was old, but strong. Since then, I made myself a promise that I would wake up early every morning to make that 25 minute walk to help her set up her little stand and then I would run back to get ready for school. Immediately after school, the first thing I would do was help my Grandmother carry her stuff back home. I was so proud walking with her. She would make me laugh so much. She made me forget the many nights we did not have anything to eat and were left with only hard mangoes. I remember days or weeks that my Mother was out of town, we would make mashed potatoes and then stand next to the neighbor’s house to smell what they were cooking. Life was more than hard. I asked God everyday to make me the one who would help my family and other people who suffered.