I was shocked to see Natasha Jumbo near the pharmacy. She saw me crying and waved me over.

"Why are you crying?" She asked.

I was so overwhelmed, I spilled my life story to her.

"Mm-my mother has been sick since she got older. She can no longer take care of herself." I sniffed.

"Last night, when I got home, hungry and exhausted from trekking to the 5 different places I tutor every weekday, I saw mama in her own filth. My brother didn't clean her up as usual! As if that wasn't bad enough, he started pestering me for money, and I told him I didn't have any. He grumbled about how his friend's older sister buys him whatever he asks for. Despite everything I do for him!" I sobbed profusely.

"I buy Mama's drugs, feed my family, and pay my brother's school bills, yet no one appreciates me. This isn't where I thought my life would be at 25." I wailed.

She sighed heavily and wiped my tears. "Sorry you're going through this. Besides your freelance tutoring, what else do you do for money?" She asked.

"Sometimes, my friends pay me a little money to take pictures of them because I take really lovely photos. I've always wanted to be a renowned photographer, but my family believes it's a pipe dream, so I don't mention it anymore." I answered, wiping my tears.

"Everyone laughed when I said I wanted to become an actress. I kept going for auditions, though, and it eventually paid off. If I had given up then, I wouldn't be famous today." She said this while smiling kindly at me. Her words rekindled my faith in myself, and I decided I'd give photography a real chance.

"Thank you so much, ma. I'll start posting consistently on Instagram and attending weddings so I can take pictures of people who'll be willing to pay, and someday, the world will know my name, Amina." I declared, surprised at my resilience.