The love of a mother - by Ifunanya Rosemary

After he had been punished and disgraced at school, Peter went home immediately after dismissal. That was the only place he knew he was truly loved.“Mama!”“Yes, my son. I hope you are okay?” she asked.Peter forced a smile, his heart heavy with shame. He didn’t want his mother to know he had been humiliated at school just because he didn’t have the black shoes most students wore.“I just wanted to know how you are doing,” he said quietly.“Thank you, my son,” his mother replied, studying his face closely. A mother always knows when something is wrong.She sighed and continued, “About your shoes… I don’t like it when you look different from the others. Today, as Elizabeth and Zara were passing our compound, I heard them talking about a student who was humiliated in school because of his shoes.”She paused, her voice shaking. “I don’t want them to do the same to you. You know I can’t stand your tears.”Peter looked down at his worn-out sandals and nodded slowly. “Mama, it’s okay. I felt bad for the boy too. They don’t know what that child and his family are going through.”His mother looked at him with teary eyes. “Peter, you speak exactly like your father. May his soul rest in peace.”She gently rubbed his head. “I will get you the shoes before next month. I must gather enough money to buy you a new pair, okay?”Peter quickly hugged her. “Mama, you’ve already done enough. I don’t need new shoes right now. I just need you.”That night, as Peter lay on his mat, he stared at the ceiling. The laughter of his classmates still echoed in his mind, but his mother’s words were louder.The next morning, he woke up with a quiet determination. If he couldn’t change his shoes yet, he would change his future. He began helping neighbors after school — fetching water, running errands, and carrying loads in the market. Little by little, he saved the small coins they gave him.Weeks later, Peter came home one evening and placed some money in his mother’s hands.“Mama,” he said with a proud smile, “this is for the shoes. We’ll buy them together.”Tears filled her eyes as she pulled him close. In that small house with cracked walls and a leaking roof, love was richer than anything money could buy.And for the first time since that painful day at school, Peter felt tall not because of what he wore on his feet, but because of the strength growing in his heart.

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