E"I thought something had happened to my mum. The whole compound was filled with neighbors and strangers.
"I received curious looks as I dropped my bag and ran towards the house.
"Just outside the front door, my mum and her church pastor came to meet me, screaming intelligibly and rushing to force me to the ground
"Oooh, not again, I said to myself as several women, speaking "in tongues" laid their hands on my head. For a split second my eyes met that of my mum. I could read hatred, betrayal, disappointment
"An hour later, the troop deserted our home. I was prepared for the endless lecture from my family. How I was humiliating them. How I had let the demon possess me. Why was I not being normal like the other kids. Bla bla bla...
"I didn't give them the chance to crowd my space. I quickly packed and left through the back door, carrying only my night bag
"Seven months later I try to picture my dysfunctional family: my absentee dad chuckling with amusement, my entitled mum cursing me, my elder sister laughing hysterically. And I, their black sheep, sleeping blissfully, not worried about a thing.
Young people who are differently oriented face a hard time. Not only with their parents but also in the communities at large
"A new life. A new identity. A new beginning. I enjoy the company of my trans family. No judgement. Plenty of laughter. And everybody being, well, themselves."