I wake up feeling lazy. I haven’t slept all night because I’ve been crying. I feel drained, like all my energy is gone. I don’t want to go to school, and I definitely don’t want to go to work. I just want to stay home and be by my mom’s side.
She pretends to be strong, but this disease is breaking her into pieces. I can’t let her give up. We still need her—Gerald especially needs her. He’s only eleven, for crying out loud.
"Young Miss Malua, you’ll be late for your classes," my mom says, knocking on my door. She sounds happy, and I’m relieved to hear that she woke up in a good mood.
I drag myself out of bed, wrap a towel around myself after undressing, and head out of my room. By the time I get to the kitchen, she’s already dressed Gerald and is making breakfast. She’s in a good mood, w
