The harder path

The day I completed senior high school, I thought my life was finally about to begin. I stood in front of the mirror, wearing my favourite dress, imagining the future I had dreamed about for years. I wanted to go to university, get a good job, make my grandma proud, and live a life where I wouldn't have to beg anyone for anything. But dreams are easy to build when you have somewhere safe to sleep and food waiting for you at home. Mine began to fall apart three weeks after school . People may imagine why my parents aren't in the picture??well ,life is not sweet for every soul. Back in school , one sunny Saturday a group of medical students who are pursuing laboratory science from a renowned university in our country came to support us with a free health screening. I rushed there since a lot of students were already assembled waiting to reach their turn . After a decade it was my turn . They took some blood samples from me to do a hepatitis b test and they also checked my sugar level and my blood pressure. The test results were out and to the shock of my life I was tested positive for hepatitis b virus in my system. I was down at the moment and one of the interns took me aside and advised me to be anxious and take heart that everything was going to be okay . I took the results and went to dormitory lost in thoughts . As there is a saying in Akan that goes like"Aniwa nim aniwuo" . I slept like a baby with the thought forgotten 😌 After I woke up from the beautiful dream, fear took over my life. I worried about my health, my future, and what people would think if they discovered my condition. I was afraid of being judged, rejected, and treated differently by the people I loved. With so many questions running through my mind, I felt as though I was fighting a battle that nobody could see. But there was one person I trusted enough to tell: my best friend. When I finally gathered the courage to share my secret with her, I expected pity or rejection. Instead, she gave me something I desperately needed .Love, understanding, and reassurance that I was not alone. From that day onward, she became my greatest source of strength. She stood beside me through my darkest moments, encouraged me when I wanted to give up, and helped me cope with the emotional burden of my diagnosis. While other students worried about examinations, relationships, and life after school, we faced our own struggles quietly, holding on to the hope that better days would come.As the days turned into months, our friendship grew stronger. Behind the classroom laughter, school activities, examinations, and preparations for our final exams was a battle that only a few people knew about. There were moments when I felt overwhelmed by my circumstances, but the kindness of my friends gave me the strength to keep going. We eventually completed senior high school together, carrying memories of friendship, sacrifice, and the challenges we had overcome. Looking back, I realized that some of the greatest blessings in life come through people who stand beside us when we have nothing to offer them in return.