The Silent Tears of a Mother's Heart

Mama Grace would open her eyes at five in the morning when everyone else was asleep. Three months ago, David, Grace's husband, had been retrenched from his job.

Therefore, it was up to Grace to provide for her four kids: Joy, Stephanie, Benedict, and Joshua. While their little house in a congested area was full of love, poverty had made their laughter disappear.

Grace was a cleaner in a local hospital where she worked every day. She would prepare breakfast, wash clothes and uniforms, drop her kids to school before going to work. Sometimes, Grace didn't eat anything because the few dollars that she earned were just enough to sustain them.

One rainy day, Grace's eldest daughter, Joy, noticed that her mother's hands were shaking.

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"Mom, why are you crying?" Joy asked.

Grace quickly wiped her tears. "Nothing, my child. I am just tired."

But Joy knew the truth. The previous night, she had overheard her parents arguing about unpaid school fees. Her mother had sold her wedding necklace to keep the children in school.

At school, Stephanie struggled to concentrate. Her classmates laughed at her worn-out shoes, while Benedict quietly hid his torn schoolbag beneath his desk. Joshua, the youngest, still believed his mother could make every problem disappear.

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That evening, Grace returned home with a fever. Her supervisor had refused to let her leave early, despite her weakness. As she entered the house, Joshua ran toward her, holding a drawing.

"Mommy, I drew you a beautiful picture!"

Grace smiled faintly, but before she could embrace him, her knees gave way.

"Mom!" Stephanie screamed.

David rushed to her side while Joy called their neighbor, Mrs. Helen, for help. They carried Grace to the hospital where she worked, but the doctor, Dr. Michael, explained that she needed rest and proper treatment.

David sat beside her bed, his eyes filled with shame.

"I should have been the one protecting you," he whispered.

Grace reached for his hand. "We are a family, David. I only wish I could give our children everything they deserve."

Across the world, another mother, Amina, was walking miles through a refugee camp with her baby strapped to her back. She had lost her home to war. In a faraway village, Maria worked in the field in the scorching sun in an attempt to earn money to afford medicines for her child. In the busy city, Linda cleaned offices at night when her children were sleeping all by themselves at home.

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Diverse languages, diverse countries, diverse hardships; but their hearts carried the same immense burden.

Finally, when Grace came back home, her children gathered around her. Joy took her hand, Stephanie made a cup of tea for her, Benedict placed the pillow on her bed, and Joshua climbed onto her lap.

"Mommy, when you recover, I will build you a nice house," said Joshua.

Grace hugged him tightly and hid her tears in his shirt.

Outside, the rain continued falling, and the electricity went out. David lit a candle, revealing the exhausted faces of his children as Grace slowly opened her eyes and whispered, "Have you all eaten?"

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