I woke up before sunrise today, and the first thing I felt was the sharp emptiness in my stomach again. Hunger has become a part of my daily life — it follows me everywhere like a shadow. Even so, I try to remind myself that life is not a bed of roses for many people, not only for me. Thinking this way somehow makes the weight a little lighter.
My sister and I walked to the river to bring water. The road is likely more than an hour long, and the heat starts attacking us even before we reach the middle of the path. We talk sometimes just to distract ourselves, but deep down we know we’re only trying to escape our thoughts for a moment. When we returned home, my mother tried to prepare something to eat, but there was barely enough maize left, so she told us we should keep it for the evening.
At school, the teacher talked about dreams and future plans. I wanted to listen, but my mind kept drifting away. It’s hard to focus when life throws curveballs at us every single day and your stomach keeps shouting at you. A friend told me not to lose hope, and I tried to smile because hope is the last thing to go.
In the evening, I watched the sky change colors, and I silently wished that tomorrow would be a little kinder.