{10 ᔕEᑎTEᑎᑕEᔕ}
IT'ᔕ ᐯEᖇY ᕼᗩᖇᗪ ᖴOᖇ ᗰE TO ᗯᗩKE ᑌᑭ ᕼᗩᑭᑭY TO GO TO ᔕᑕᕼOO.TᕼEᖇE Iᔕ ᑎOᖇᗰᗩᒪᒪY ᑎOT ᗩᑎY ᖴOOᗪ ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰY ᗪᗩᗪᗪY Iᔕ ᐯEᖇY ᔕIᑕK ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰY ᗰOᗰᗰY Iᔕ ᔕTᖇᑌGGᒪIᑎG TO GET ᗰOᑎEY.ᗩᖴTEᖇ I GOT ᑌᑭ ᗩᑎᗪ GOT ᖇEᗩᗪY ᖴOᖇ ᔕᑕᕼOOᒪ,ᗰY ᗰOᗰ ᗯᗩᔕ ᗷᑌᔕY ᑕᑌTTIᑎG TᕼE ᑕᗩᖇᖇOTᔕ TᕼᗩT ᔕᕼE ᕼᗩᗪ ᗷEEᑎ GᖇOᗯIᑎG ᖴOᖇ 3 ᗯEEKᔕ. ᗰY ᔕIᔕTEᖇ ᗯᗩᔕ TᗩᒪKIᑎG TO ᗰY ᗪᗩᗪ.
I ᗩᔕKEᗪ ᗰY ᗰOᗰ Iᖴ I ᑕOᑌᒪᗪ ᕼᗩᐯE ᔕOᗰE ᑕᗩᖇᖇOTᔕ “Oᖴ ᑕOᑌᖇᔕE ᗰY ᗩᑎGᒪE.” ᔕᕼE ᔕᗩIᗪ ᔕO I TOOK ᔕOᗰE ᑕᗩᖇᖇOTᔕ ᗩᑎᗪ I ᗯᗩᔕ Oᑎ ᗰY ᗯᗩY!
ᖴOᖇ TᕼE ᖴIᖇᔕT TIᗰE ᗰY ᗰOᖇᑎIᑎG ᗯᗩᔕ GOOᗪ ᗩᑎᗪ I ᖴEᒪT GOOᗪ,ᗷᑌT I ᗪOᑎ'T TᕼIᑎK TᕼE ᖇEᔕT Oᖴ TᕼE ᗪᗩY ᗯIᒪᒪ ᗷE TᕼE ᔕᗩᗰE!
ᗯᕼEᑎ I GOT TO ᔕᑕᕼOOᒪ ᗰY TEᗩᑕᕼEᖇ ᑕᗩᒪᒪEᗪ ᗰE OᑌTᔕIᗪE ᗩᑎᗪ I ᖴEᒪT ᒪIKE I ᗯᗩᔕ ᗩᗷOᑌT TO GET IᑎTO ᗷIG… TᖇOᑌᗷᒪE! ᗰY TEᗩᑕᕼEᖇ ᔕᗩIᗪ “OK ᗪEᗩᖇ I ᑎEEᗪ TO ᗩᔕK YOᑌ ᔕOᗰETᕼIᑎG…OK ᗪIᗪ YOᑌ ᑕᕼEᗩT Iᑎ TᕼE TEᔕT TᕼᗩT ᗯE ᗪIᗪ YEᔕTEᖇᗪᗩY?!”“ᗯᕼᗩT ᑎO!” I ᔕᗩIᗪ ᑫᑌIᑕKᒪY ᗷᗩᑕK.ᗰY TEᗩᑕᕼ ᕼᗩᗪ ᗩ ᔕIGᕼ Iᑎ ᖇEᒪIEᖴ ᗩᑎᗪ ᔕO ᗪIᗪ I.
IT'ᔕ 4:00 ᑎOᗯ ᗩᑎᗪ I'ᗰ Oᖴᖴ TO GIᐯE ᔕOᗰE ᔕOᑌᑭ TO ᗰY Gᖇᗩᑎᗪᗰᗩ.
ᔕᕼE EᑎᒍOYEᗪ IT ᗩ ᒪOT! ᗯᕼEᑎ I GOT ᕼOᗰE IT ᗯᗩᔕ TIᗰE ᖴOᖇ ᔕᑌᑭᑭEᖇ ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰY ᗰOᗰ ᗰᗩᗪE ᑕᕼIᑕKEᑎ ᔕOᑌᑭ! IT'ᔕ ᗰY ᖴᗩᐯOᖇITE!
ᗩᑎᗪ Iᖴ OᑎᒪY ᗯE ᕼᗩᗪ ᗰOᖇE ᗰOᑎEY TᕼIᑎGᔕ ᗯOᑌᒪᗪ ᗷE ᔕO ᗰᑌᑕᕼ EᗩᔕIEᖇ ᖴOᖇ ᗰY ᖴᗩᗰIᒪY ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰE! ᗰY ᗪᗩᗪ ᗯOᑌᒪᗪ GET ᗷETTEᖇ ᗰY ᗰOᗰ ᑕOᑌᒪᗪ ᗷE ᗩ ᖴᗩᗰOᑌᔕ ᑕᕼEᖴ ᒪIKE ᔕᕼE ᕼᗩᔕ ᗩᒪᗯᗩYᔕ ᗯᗩᑎTEᗪ TO ᗷE ᗩᑎᗪ ᗰY ᔕIᔕTEᖇ ᑕOᑌᒪᗪ GO TO ᑕOᒪᒪEGE ᗩᑎᗪ, I ᗯEᒪᒪ I ᑕOᑌᒪᗪ ᗷE ᗩᗷᒪE TO ᗰY ᗪᖇEᗩᗰ! ᗰY ᗪᖇEᗩᗰ Iᔕ TO GO ᗩᑎᗪ ᖴIᑎᗩᒪᒪY ᗰEET ᗰY GᖇᗩTE ᑌᑎᑕᒪE Iᑎ EᑎGᒪᗩᑎᗪ!
Jamie, I love how you have written about very real challenges for a child in an informal settlement while also finding something positive in the day. Well done. A lovely read.
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