In my life I believed that when sadness creeps into someone’s heart it is the end of life, not knowing that I was just fooling myself. Tears after tears crying every day, wondering around down and cold trying to accept that I will never see my mother again. I lost my mother on the 23 September 2009. It was a sad moment for me. I stopped talking to people for a long time after finding out that my mother was no more.

I kept looking at her dead body hoping she would wake up. The undertaker and the team took their time to come and take her body. While waiting, I kept shaking her and begging her to wake up. I could not believe she was gone even when the undertakers came to take her away. I kept praying and hoping she’d wake up.

I lied to my little brother, even to myself, as I wanted him to feel better and keep going, hence I had to lie. The day of the funeral arrived, and I could not lie to him any longer as he saw the coffin. We both saw the coffin going down. The day of the funeral passed so fast.

After 2 days the reality started kicking in, but I had to be strong for my little brother. There is nothing that hurts like being a mother to your sibling when you are still young yourself. There was no one to guide and nurture me but I had to keep going. I had to be a mother to my little brother and myself.

As time went-by I realised that the road to success is not straight at all. However, there was one thing I knew, Jesus would not close a door without opening another one. I went to high school and finished my studies, because after my mother’s death I realised that having a family doesn’t mean you have everything and they show their true colours when you no longer have parents.

The moment I saw people had turned their backs on me and my brother I realised that I had no one but myself. I knew I had to push and hustle hard after all the devastating and sad news. I tried being strong and I kept my head held up high although I wasn’t properly healed.

I went to do a Diploma in Public Relations at Zimbane TVET College. The road hasn’t been easy, but my journey is continuing. I started my N4 and N5, but I had to stop because of financial problems, but I kept my faith. I knew a plan would come and I was going to complete my course. I am now doing my N6 and I want to make my mother proud even though she is no more. I want her to see the strong woman she raised. The hustle continues.

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