The speaker, Kenya, recounts her life from her early days in an orphanage, where she was subjected to strict rules and harsh treatment by the new manager, Mr. Johnson. She and a friend, Braxton, were caught flirting and were punished severely. Braxton, however, stood up to Mr. Johnson, and they decided to run away from the orphanage together.
After running away, they struggled to find jobs and ended up homeless, sleeping in motels. Kenya eventually moved in with a woman named Carmen, who exploited her, forcing her to steal from wealthy homes. When Carmen was arrested, Kenya moved into a rented apartment and started working as a cleaner.
She started a secret relationship with a married man named Robin, who paid her to steal from his house. When he found out, he believed her lie that she was pregnant with his child and continued to send her money. However, when she tried to use this money to buy a house, Robin stole the check and left her.
Kenya then tried to donate half of her money to the orphanage, but she discovered that Robin had taken the check. She fell into despair, and after 15 years, she ended up addicted to gambling. She now considers becoming a nun to help orphans or stealing from Mr. Johnson, the former orphanage manager.
1. The narrator, Kenya, has lived in an orphanage for as long as she can remember. Her mother is in jail, and her father died in a car accident.
2. Kenya was adopted by a family, but the new manager of the orphanage, Mr. Johnson, imposed strict rules and punishments.
3. Kenya and another boy, Braxton, started dating in secret. They exchanged letters in the locker where nobody knew where they were.
4. Braxton and Kenya ran away from the orphanage at midnight, and they started looking for jobs. They managed to skip the surveillance cameras and ran away.
5. After a week of looking for jobs, Braxton lied about his age and got a job at a fast food restaurant. Kenya was not as lucky as him.
6. Kenya moved in with a woman named Carmen who ran a cleaning business. Carmen paid her $200 out of $1000 she earned from cleaning the owner's house.
7. Kenya started stealing small things from the houses they cleaned and selling them to antique stores. She hid the money she got in a private place.
8. Carmen was arrested for stealing the owner's wife's jewelry. Kenya decided to move out and rented a tiny apartment for herself.
9. Kenya started working as the main cleaning lady for several clients, including a man named Robin who was in his 20s and married.
10. Kenya and Robin started dating in secret. Kenya was not pregnant, but she had to fake pregnancy photos and send them to Robin.
11. Robin found out that Kenya had been stealing from his house and yelled at her. He believed her when she said she was pregnant with his baby.
12. Robin paid Kenya $2 million, which she used to buy a house outside the city. He also got a restraining order against her.
13. Three years later, Kenya ran into Braxton while shopping for groceries. They started living together again.
14. Kenya and Braxton decided to get married. However, Kenya couldn't have a baby, which upset her.
15. Braxton suggested that Kenya donate half of her money to the orphanage. Kenya agreed with this decision.
16. Kenya realized that Braxton had stolen the check and ran away. She found two packs of pregnancy pills in his stuff.
17. 15 years later, Kenya is now 38, and she has lost everything because she got addicted to gambling. She is thinking of becoming a nun and helping the orphans.