Joy nodded. “Yes, Mama.”
She knelt, arranged herself, and tried to lift the heavy bundle. The firewood pressed down on her head so hard that her knees shook, but she refused to cry. The old woman steadied it and pointed to a small path away from the main road.
“This way,” she said quietly.
Joy took her first step into the path—late for school, abandoned by her best friend, carrying a weight that felt too heavy for her age. Yet she still moved forward, not knowing that this small act of kindness was about to open a door that would change her life forever.
Joy followed the old woman into the narrow path, and the sound of the main road slowly disappeared behind them. The trees on both sides were tall, the bushes thick, and the morning air felt cooler there. Joy kept adjusting the firewood with her hands because it was pressing on her head like a stone. Her neck was already burning, but she refused to complain.
The old woman walked slowly behind her with a small stick, breathing like someone who had been carrying pain for many years.
Joy tried to keep her voice steady. “Mama, are you sure your house is not far? Because this wood is heavy.”
The old woman replied weakly, “It is not far, my daughter. Just a little more.”
Joy nodded and continued, but inside, she was thinking about school. She imagined the bell ringing, the teacher writing down the names of late students, and Tracy entering class alone with that angry face, telling everybody that Joy was foolish and proud.
Joy felt shame trying to rise in her chest, but she pushed it down. She told herself, Let them laugh. Let them insult me. This woman needs help.
After some minutes, Joy’s legs began to shake. Sweat entered her eyes. Her breathing became rough. She stopped for a second and bent slightly to rest the load, but the old woman quickly said, “Don’t drop it on the ground, my daughter, please.”
Joy looked back in surprise. “Why?”
The old woman looked away. “Because dust will enter it.”
Joy did not understand, but she forced herself to hold it up again and continue.
