In a quiet town surrounded by dusty roads, green hills, and old mango trees lived a girl named Wema. Her name meant kindness and goodness, yet the life she lived rarely reflected those meanings.
Wema lived with her mother, Mama Aisha, in a small iron-roofed house at the edge of town. Their house was simple—two small rooms, cracked walls, and a tiny kitchen where Mama Aisha cooked meals after long, tiring days of work.
Mama Aisha worked hard to survive. She sold vegetables in the market from morning until evening, standing under the hot sun and dealing with difficult customers. Life had not been kind to her, and over time her heart became heavy with regret.
To Mama Aisha, Wema represented the life she believed she had lost.
When Wema was born, Mama Aisha had been young and full of dreams. She once wanted to travel, to study, to build a different life for herself. But when responsibilities came too early, she felt trapped.
And so, as Wema grew up, she often heard painful words.
"If you weren't born, my life would be different."
Those words cut deeper each time they were spoken.
Wema never answered back. She simply stayed quiet and helped around the house—sweeping the floor, washing dishes, and cooking when her mother was too tired.
Despite the harsh words, Wema still cared deeply for her mother. She hoped that one day things would change.
She hoped that one day Mama Aisha might look at her with pride instead of regret.
But that day always seemed far away.