CHAPTER ONE "JENNIFER"
Jennifer is one of my cousins from Nigeria.
In 1988, my cousin Jennifer, who is five years younger than I am, celebrated her eight birthday.
In West Africa, there is a common misguided belief that lighter skin tones warrant a higher social status.
This prejudiced and uninformed perspective is not confined to Africa; it is also found in regions such as the West Indies, Japan, parts of Asia, India, and South America.
The roots of this belief are often attributed to the history of slavery, although this explanation may not be entirely accurate.
For example, in Asia, where slavery was not a significant factor, the preference for lighter-skinned individuals is largely linked to the class system.
It was believed that those with darker skin were often from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as they were compelled to labour in the fields under the harsh sun.
My cousin Jennifer, although possessing a lighter complexion, hailed from a family that faced significant disadvantages.
Jennifer’s parents, my uncle and aunt, had multiple children, with some exhibiting lighter skin tones while others had darker complexions.
At the age of eight, Jennifer was the fourth of seven siblings.
She was raised in an environment that instilled in her the belief that having a lighter skin tone rendered her more beautiful.
Consequently, Jennifer was more esteemed than some of her brothers and sisters.
When my mother, who owned a small business in Italy at the time, presented an opportunity for Jennifer to join us and work under her supervision, my aunt and uncle initially appeared to be pleased.
My mother detailed the responsibilities associated with the position, which included shovelling snow during the winter months and enduring the intense heat of summer while selling merchandise in the marketplace.
At that time, my mother operated a small market stall located in the local plaza of an Italian city centre.
However, upon reflecting on their options and discussing the offer with eight-year-old Jennifer, my aunt and uncle ultimately decided that she was far too light-skinned to be subjected to such menial labour.
Jennifer's parents firmly declined the idea of sending her to work with my mother in Italy, despite my mother's helpful intentions.
Instead, they chose to sell the nine-year-old Jennifer to Albanian traders who were actively recruiting young girls across West Africa.
After providing a small payment to my cousin's parents, the merchant assured them that Jennifer would earn a substantial income while working in Europe and would send regular monthly payments back to her family.
At the tender age of eight, Jennifer began her journey across Europe, but tragically, her new role involved her becoming a child prostitute.
The Albanian man sold Jennifer to a disreputable establishment in Turkey, where she remained imprisoned for seven years.
The illicit establishment, which operated outside the law, was eventually raided by the police after receiving a tip-off about its activities.
The criminal organization managing the prostitution house decided to eliminate all evidence of their wrongdoing in a desperate attempt to evade capture.
This evidence included the young girls who were being exploited within the premises.
The gangsters began systematically executing each girl in her room.
However, Jennifer had managed to charm one of her captors, and when he came to her room to carry out the grim task, she persuaded him to spare her life and grant her freedom.
The man, after hastily hiding her under a pile of blankets and admonishing her to lay still, joined his fellow criminals and announced that Jennifer must have somehow escaped.
Once the gangsters left the building, the man who had spared her life returned and took Jennifer to a nearby train station, where he inquired about her desired destination for her ticket to freedom.
Jennifer recalled her parents in Nigeria who had sold her into slavery.
At the age of eight, when she had accepted her parents' decision as at the time she had felt a sense of excitement at the thought of exploring the world.
Little did her eight-year-old self know the dreadful experiences that awaited her, as she was subjected to inhumane treatment night after night.
The torment she faced during an abortion procedure at the age of twelve, performed in a filthy clinic by a grimy man with bloodstains on his apron, only to discover that she was trapped in a butcher's shop that would haunt her eternally.
No, she had no desire to return to her parents in Nigeria.
Suddenly, Jennifer thought of her Aunt Lucy in Italy and her cousins.
Determined, she resolved to find her aunt and cousins, knowing that they would embrace her warmly.
In her youthful imagination, she felt as though time had stood still.
“I want to go to my aunty Lucy and live with my cousins in Italy”.
Jennifer was unaware of the specific location in Italy where her aunt and cousin lived, so she chose Naples, as many of the young women she had encountered, over the years, mentioned Naples as a renowned Italian destination.
Jennifer boarded a train to Italy and arrived in Naples without any clothing, except what she had on, or luggage.
Her liberator had hastily given her a handful of crumpled Turkish notes and had left her abruptly, leaving her at the bustling train station with only a ticket in hand.
During her journey, Jennifer had managed to buy some food with the cash, but it soon ran out.
Upon her arrival in Naples, Jennifer found herself without any money.
She stepped onto the streets adjacent to the station, where she was immediately struck by the vibrant activity characteristic of the world's oldest profession.
Women, scantily clad, lined the sidewalks of Naples' back streets, while cars pulled over, and drivers lowered their windows to negotiate for a bargain.
Jennifer was by then fifteen years old.
Unfamiliar with the environment and lacking other skills, she positioned herself in the area and was soon approached by eager clients.
Oblivious to the standard rates, she would readily respond to inquiries about her services by stating that she would accept any amount offered.
Before long, news circulated that Jennifer was a girl who provided her services at a price that was more than reasonable, which incited anger among her competitors who viewed her as an unwelcome intruder.
As a result, the local sex workers began to lose clients to Jennifer's affordable offerings, fostering a deep-seated resentment among the local women.
The sex workers resolved to teach Jennifer a lesson, waiting for her one night under the guise of friendship.
Once they had lured the unsuspecting Jennifer into a secluded area, they began to push and shove her while berating her in Italian, a language Jennifer was unfamiliar with.
Jennifer, far from being weak and accustomed to defending herself from her time living with tough women in Turkey, fought bravely but was ultimately subdued by the numerous furious women.
In addition to suffering a severe beating, a syringe was used to inject an unknown substance into Jennifer's groin, after which she was left bleeding in the gutter.
Despite her ordeal, Jennifer's will to survive remained strong, and she managed to make her way to the nearest Italian police station, where she received assistance from the authorities.
Jennifer's thighs had swollen significantly, increasing to three times their normal size, likely due to the injection administered by the irate prostitutes, the composition of which remained a mystery.
The Italian officials provided Jennifer with as much help as they could offer.
Once again, with the help of a police translator, they inquired if she had any relatives she wished to contact and reunite with.
Jennifer, reached out to her parents in Nigeria through the Nigerian embassy.
Her parents were able to get in touch with her aunt Lucy, who lived in northern Italy, and arrangements were made for Jennifer to join her cousins and aunt in Bologna.
Years went by, and after her aunt and cousins in Italy had come to her aid, Jennifer had begun a new life free from exploitation.
Eventually, the swelling in Jennifer's legs subsided.
She later married an Italian man and had a son.
An astute young woman, Jennifer, exemplified the linguistic capabilities of many Nigerians.
She was proficient in Turkish, English and several Nigerian dialects, having also acquired mastery in Italian.
Following her educational pursuits, she obtained a role as a Nigerian interpreter at the Roman consulate in 2018.
