TAMARA'S POV
I stare at the ceiling, listening to the clock ticking. My eyes sting with tiredness, but sleep still won't come. It's 2 a.m., and my chest feels tight. The whole house is quiet; everyone's asleep.
Tomorrow, I'm going to boarding school, and the thought keeps me awake — like a secret I'm not ready to tell. I imagine how my life will be in this new environment. Will I be able to make friends? My life at home is so lonely. All these years, I've only had one real friend.
I've always loved school because it's the only place I can be myself — the only place that feels free. At home, I'm always at my mom's shop. My days never change: I wake up, make tea, wash the utensils, then by eleven I'm already at the shop, selling until evening. By the time I get to buy supper, cook, and eat, the day's already over. Then everything repeats itself again the next morning.
I never lived like the other kids. I've never run across the field laughing, or held a skipping rope high under a sky full of sunlight. I always watched — just watched — while they played. I never had the chance.
My whole life has been spent at my mom's shop, selling from morning until evening. Maybe that's why I've always loved school so much — it's the only place I get to be free. The only place I can play, laugh, make jokes, and be around people who make me feel alive.
Morning comes too soon. One moment I'm staring at the ceiling, and the next, Mom's voice cuts through the quiet. "Wake up, it's time." My heart skips. It's really happening.
I glance at my watch. "Damn, it's 4 a.m," I mumble to myself, surprised at how fast the night disappeared. I stretch, then jump out of bed. We packed everything last night, so there isn't much left to do — just change and go.
In the living room, Dad is moving his motorcycle out of the house. He always parks it inside at night, after pushing the sofas aside to make space. The sound of the metal stand scraping against the floor echoes softly through the room.
I head to the kitchen, grab a glass of water, and pick up my toothbrush, already smeared with toothpaste. Stepping outside, the air hits me — cold, crisp, and heavy with the smell of damp earth. The sky is still a deep blue, with stars fading at the edges as dawn slowly approaches. A thin mist clings to the ground, and my breath forms tiny clouds in the air.
I stand in the compound brushing my teeth, shivering a little, listening to the faint sound of crickets giving way to distant rooster calls. When I walk back inside, Mom is already dressed, standing in the living room with her phone in hand.
"Take your clothes and change quickly — Felix is waiting for us," she says without looking up from the screen.
"Okay," I reply, walking past Dad, who's standing near the dining table.
I already bathed last night, just like Mom told me to, so I quickly slip into my clothes. The plan was to save time in the morning — and it's working.
I step outside with my small suitcase, the cold air biting at my fingers. The world still feels half-asleep. A single dim bulb glows on our veranda, casting long shadows on the dusty ground.
Felix, our neighbor and family friend, is already waiting by his car, leaning on the door and scrolling through his phone. "Morning," he greets us with a sleepy smile as we approach.
Dad locks the door while Mom helps me place my suitcase in the car boot. I take one last look at our house — the place I've known all my life — and something inside me twists. For the first time, I'm leaving it behind for more than a day.
The car engine starts, rumbling softly. I settle into the back seat, resting my bag on my lap. The streets are quiet, the lamps glowing faintly over empty roads. Shops are shuttered, and the air smells of dew and wood smoke from early morning fires.
Mom sits in front, talking quietly with Felix, but I'm lost in my thoughts. My chest feels tight again. This is it — the beginning of something new. I wonder how the school will be… will people like me? Will I make friends?
The car speeds past the familiar landmarks — the market, the church, the small bridge that crosses the river. I stare out of the window, watching the darkness slowly melt into grey light.
A new day is coming, and so is a new chapter of my life!!!