MY STORY

Life, they say, is a journey—a journey through peaks and valleys, through sunlight and storm. Mine? Mine was a mystery woven with threads of resilience, sorrow, and boundless dreams that fluttered like feathers in the wind.

I am a mum, blessed with the laughter and mischief of a boy who mirrors my youthful hopes. But my journey began long before his laughter echoed in my days. Born of a mother whose tender embrace slipped away when I was but two, I found myself cradled by the embrace of my grandmother. She, a beacon of strength, had herself weathered the tempests of life, cast out by in-laws when her husband left this world, stripping her of both love and land.

Growing up was a symphony of hardship and uncertainty. The lines etched on my face, were whispered echoes of nights where hunger nestled within, a companion too familiar. My father? A shadow in the mists of the unknown, his existence nothing but a void, yet to be explored.

From a two-roomed mud house to nights where food was but a distant memory, my childhood was a canvas painted with scarcity. Yet, amidst it all, there was an innocence, a spark of joy in my heart. The daily three-kilometer trek to school became an adventure. Every step was a promise of a brighter tomorrow, a tomorrow where the world would unfold at my feet.

In those walks, nature was my friend and companion. I danced with flowers, counted birds, and discovered solace in collecting wild fruits. A river and a thicket became the portals to my sanctuary. And in my bag, a secret stash of grains awaited a rendezvous with guinea fowls, companions I tended to after school, whispering tales of my day.

My love for these creatures—these fowls of fleeting feathers—earned me both the sting of discipline and a budding aspiration to heal the ailing paws and wings of the animals I loved. Dreams of being a veterinary doctor danced within my young heart, an ambition that still flickers in the recesses of my being.

My sanctuary was disrupted as life carved another path for me. Fate dictated a new chapter, Life took a turn when I moved in with my aunt, leaving behind my beloved grandmother. Her passing marked another chapter of pain and loss in my story. —I moved in with an aunt who would shepherd me through high school. And in those transitionary days, I bid a bittersweet farewell to my grandmother, her love and wisdom forever etched in the chambers of my soul.

Life’s melody often struck dissonant chords—financial constraints wore at the fabric of my aspirations, dimming the luminance of my dreams. Yet, I am a dreamer. I whisper promises to the stars—I will be a veterinarian, I will roam distant lands, I will marvel at the grandeur of cities across the globe. I am a dreamer, resilient in the face of adversity. My aspirations and dream to explore the world's wonders endure. Through the confines of a computer screen, I weave my dreams into words, envisioning a future where dreams become reality.

As the guinea fowls took flight into the horizon, so too did my youthful innocence. But in the solitude of my room, with the soft hum of the computer as my companion, I write. I write the story of a dreamer—a woman whose dreams soar higher than the sky, embracing the simplicity of her wishes amidst the complex tapestry of life. For within these simple dreams lies the echo of a hopeful heart—a heart that beats to the rhythm of a dreamer’s soul.