Her love still feeds me

Chapter 2: The Day Everything Changed

Chapter 2: The Day Everything Changed

The morning of July 5th, 2024, began like any other day — quiet, almost too quiet. The sun rose gently, casting its light through the thin curtains of our small room. But somehow, the air felt heavier, as if it already knew what was coming.

Mama had been sick for days, but she kept smiling through the pain. She would say, “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. Just make sure you all eat something.” That was her — always putting everyone else first, even when she was breaking inside.

That morning, I watched her closely. Her breathing was different, slower… weaker. I tried to ignore it, to believe she would get better, but deep down, something in me trembled. I wanted to call for help, but Mama held my hand and whispered,

“Don’t cry, my child. Whatever happens, remember I love you.”

Her words sank deep into my chest like a stone sinking into a river. Then she smiled one last time — that soft, peaceful smile that always made me feel safe — and in the next breath… silence.

I froze. My world stopped moving. The walls around me blurred. I called her name again and again, but she didn’t answer. It felt unreal — like a dream I desperately wanted to wake up from.

People began to gather, voices crying, hands holding me back, but nothing could comfort me. My heart shattered that day. The woman who gave me life, the one who starved so I could eat, who smiled so I could smile — was gone.

That day, everything changed.

The laughter in our home disappeared. The food tasted different. The nights grew longer, emptier. I didn’t just lose my mother — I lost my safe place, my reason to try, my strength.

But I also made a silent promise to her spirit that day — that her love would not die with her. Even if she was gone, her love would keep feeding me.

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