Chapter 1: The Weight of Waiting
Kola woke up to the sound of the generator outside. It always sounded tired, like it didn't want to start, just like him some mornings. Sunlight was leaking through the cracked window, hitting the dust on the floor. Another day in the same town. Another day of waiting for things to get better.
He got up quietly, careful not to wake his mother. She had been up for hours, preparing food for the market. His stomach growled, but he ignored it. He was used to it by now. Hunger wasn't new. Feeling useless was worse.
Walking to the market, Kola kept his eyes on the ground. Everyone seemed to have something, some reason to be proud. He had nothing but patience and stubborn hope. Every step reminded him of how far behind he felt. But stopping wasn't an option. Bills didn't wait. Dreams didn't wait.
And then he saw Amara.
She was standing at the corner, laughing with a vendor. Her laugh always cut through the heaviness in his chest, like sunlight through clouds. For a moment, he forgot how tired he was. How small he felt.
"Morning, Kola," she said, smiling like she had no idea how much she mattered to him. Her eyes were sharp, noticing things most people wouldn't. "You look tired."
"I'm fine," he said, forcing a smile. But she saw right through him. She always did.
They walked together for a while, talking about nothing important, just enough to make the morning lighter. Kola wanted to tell her he was scared—scared of failing, scared of not being enough. But he stayed quiet. Words weren't strong enough.
As the market came into view, he felt the weight of everything again—hunger, bills, dreams that refused to come fast enough. He wanted to give her more than he had. He wanted to be enough. He didn't know when that would happen.
But today, he promised himself, he would try. One small step. One day closer. One moment closer to proving to her—and to himself—that patience wasn't weakness.