Some people will watch you break and laugh, but you're too alive to let them win.
"Welcome, Alisha," Kaira said, rushing to open the door after the insistent knocking. Alisha gave her a sharp glare that vanished as quickly as morning dew.
"And when did you start locking the door?" Alisha asked.
"I didn't know I locked it," Kaira replied, her fingers fiddling nervously together as her eyes stayed fixed on the ground. She couldn't tell if it was fear or her low self-esteem showing again.
Alisha shot her another disdainful look and pushed past. Kaira stumbled but quickly regained her footing, still standing in place with her head bowed, fingers intertwined.
"Whatever," Alisha muttered, tossing her bag onto the bed before sitting with a sigh.
"I need your help," Kaira said quietly, breaking the silence. She slowly sank to her knees.
"Before that, Alisha… please forgive me. I miss you," she added, crawling closer to hold her friend's legs.
"You did nothing wrong to me," Alisha said, pulling her leg away as if Kaira's touch were dirt. "What do you want?"
"Can I borrow some of your notes? I haven't been to class much," Kaira pleaded.
"Get up, please," Alisha barked. Kaira stayed kneeling.
"I said get up!" Alisha shouted. Reluctantly, Kaira rose, face drooping.
"Why is it so hard for you to meet your classmates and ask them questions?" Alisha snapped.
"For crying out loud, do it once and you won't need to cling to me forever," she added, lying back on the bed and pressing her phone to her ear.
Kaira retreated to the small corner on the floor she had claimed for herself, lying facing the wall. Facing the wall felt like facing herself: empty, vulnerable, yet strong enough to hold her world.
Her mind painted the wall bright red as memories of blood she had coughed out came rushing back. She thought about her dream,her vision. She wanted to become a medical doctor. She wanted to save lives, to help people who were helpless, just like she often felt. But here she was, weak and coughing blood, struggling to even attend class.
How dare life hold me back? she thought, anger simmering under the exhaustion. I am not weak. I am not done yet. I will fight this. I will be a doctor, no matter what it takes.
She had fresh handkerchiefs ready, but as night fell, the weight of her thoughts grew heavier. Was she ready to give up on herself? She could go to the hospital, but her allowance couldn't cover it. Maybe her savings could stretch far enough to see a doctor.
The next morning, she woke before Alisha. On her way to class, a construction site's vacancy board caught her eye. Her face lit up with a flicker of hope. Maybe her pain was teaching her something: resilience, the strength to move forward.
As she read the board, a young man approached.
"Hey, you want to work here?" he asked.
"Yeah," she said without looking up, eyes fixed on the pay listed.
"Kaira!" the boy called, and she looked up, surprised.
"You don't know me?" he asked.
"You look familiar," Kaira replied.
"Jerome," he said with a smile.
Kaira stayed quiet, fingers nervously twisting together.
"Should I take you to my boss?" he asked.
"Sure," she replied softly.
Jerome led her to a man in his early fifties, neatly dressed, sitting comfortably as others worked around him.
"Good morning, sir," Jerome greeted.
"Good morning, J," the man replied, eyes still on his phone.
"Good morning, sir," Kaira said politely. This time, he looked up, noticing her for the first time.
"Hello, young lady," he said warmly. Jerome explained her interest and vouched for her, promising she would exceed expectations.
Outside, Kaira laughed quietly.
"This is the first time I've seen you laugh," Jerome said, amused.
"I couldn't help it. You don't even know how much I can do in a day, yet you spoke like you did."
"I know you need this job. It shows on your face."
"Do you work here?" she asked.
"No, just visiting someone. But since you're here, I can drop by often."
Kaira stayed silent, Jerome understanding she was still warming up.
She got to class late, but for the first time in weeks, she felt a spark of happiness. Determined, she wanted to fight whatever held her down. She pictured herself in a white coat, stethoscope around her neck, saving lives. I will be a doctor. I will not let anything...Alisha, sickness, poverty, stop me.
Then she coughed. Blood.The sight dragged her back into fear. Her mind raced. What if Jerome told Alisha? Everything could shatter.She coughed again. Blood.
Class ended after only fifteen minutes for her. Picking up her bag, she clutched her handkerchief tightly. She had washed and ironed the others while Alisha slept, making sure her friend wouldn't find out.
At least, she thought, she wasn't a burden to anyone.
That night, though, she couldn't eat. Around midnight, her cough worsened. She ran to a corner, unable to stop the blood. She coughed violently until Alisha finally rose from the bed.
"What's wrong with you?" Her sleepy voice pierced Kaira's panic. She froze, hands stained with blood, unable to answer.
Even as her body betrayed her, Kaira's fire refused to die. She would fight this. She had to. The white coat was waiting, and no one could take that dream away.