<p>August came like a thief — </p><p>Not in the night, but in broad daylight, </p><p>Dragging hunger, bills, and silence by the neck.</p><p><br/></p><p>She was a university student — </p><p>Not just chasing a degree, </p><p>But fighting a battle no one could see. </p><p>Her department demanded too much — </p><p>Too many dues, too many projects, </p><p>Too many deadlines attached to price tags.</p><p><br/></p><p>They called it education.</p><p>But nobody taught her how to survive it.</p><p><br/></p><p>She looked at her hands — not lazy hands. </p><p>Hands that had written assignments, </p><p>Scrubbed pots, sketched project models, </p><p>And held onto hope like it was oxygen. </p><p>But still… always empty.</p><p><br/></p><p>Money came and disappeared like a ghost. </p><p>She paid today, they asked for more tomorrow. </p><p>As if her wallet was a river with no end.</p><p><br/></p><p>Her roommates talked about shopping, </p><p>Restocking foodstuff, getting new shoes. </p><p>She smiled. </p><p>But her bag was empty, </p><p>Her gas was finished, </p><p>And the last pack of noodles sat like treasure in her cupboard.</p><p><br/></p><p>Meals turned into guesses.</p><p><br/></p><p>Breakfast skipped. </p><p>Lunch ignored. </p><p>Dinner replaced with sleep and stomach growls.</p><p><br/></p><p>Her father, her backbone, </p><p>Now bent under the weight of life. </p><p>Mom was sick operation pending. </p><p>And salary? Nowhere to be found. </p><p>The place he worked hadn’t paid in months.</p><p><br/></p><p>He sent ₦2,000 </p><p>For something worth ₦50,000. </p><p>He apologized. </p><p>She cried… not because it wasn’t enough, </p><p>But because he still tried.</p><p><br/></p><p>And in that moment, </p><p>She knew love wasn’t loud — </p><p>Sometimes, it was sacrifice wearing shame.</p><p><br/></p><p>The school didn’t stop. </p><p>Fees. SWEP. Projects. Printing. </p><p>As though stress wasn’t enough punishment.</p><p><br/></p><p>She started shrinking </p><p>Not physically, </p><p>But emotionally. </p><p>She didn’t laugh much. </p><p>Didn’t pick calls. </p><p>Didn’t join gist. </p><p>Because what could she say? </p><p>“I can’t eat?” </p><p>“I’m tired?” </p><p>“I’m drowning?”</p><p><br/></p><p>Instead, she wore silence like a sweater. </p><p>Heavy. Itched. But it covered enough.</p><p><br/></p><p>The mirror stopped showing a bright student. </p><p>It showed a quiet fighter. </p><p>Eyes tired. </p><p>Spirit thin. </p><p>Still… moving.</p><p><br/></p><p>She read under candlelight. </p><p>Bathed from fetched buckets. </p><p>Stretched ₦500 for days.</p><p><br/></p><p>But she never stopped. </p><p>She still went to class. </p><p>Still showed up. </p><p>Still hoped.</p><p><br/></p><p>Because deep down, </p><p>There was a flicker — </p><p>That maybe September would smile.</p><p><br/></p><p>They didn’t see her skip meals. </p><p>Didn’t hear her whispers to God. </p><p>Didn’t notice when she stopped humming to music. </p><p>Didn’t know she was surviving on empty.</p><p><br/></p><p>But she was. </p><p>And that was enough.</p><p><br/></p><p>Because this pain? </p><p>It wasn’t her end. </p><p>It was her fire. </p><p>And one day, she’d write about it. </p><p>Not as a tragedy </p><p>But as a testimony.</p>
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