WHEN A MOTHER CRIES
I knew something was terribly wrong as soon as I opened my eyes.
Gray; the world was gray. It stared me blatantly in the face, taunting me with the harsh reality of my predicament. It screamed its lungs at me, telling me without mincing words, You are finished.
This was not the problem.
Sniffles dragged my attention from the wall clock, which was staring endearingly at the pothole-infested floor, to my mother, standing in front of the medicine cabinet. Her body was dancing to the melody of her cries, jerking back and forth like a ship about to capsize.
That was definitely not the problem.
I dragged my attention back to the clock; it still held the same endearing look. I wish I could see the floor to fully grasp the reason for the attraction.
Click, Clack. Click, Clack. My ears gravitated towards the tiny dripping sounds sneaking up from underneath my bed. The sounds were quickly swallowed by scattering sounds as my urine deserted the pan and pushed its affections to the floor.
Yes, this was a problem, but not the problem.
Something was wrong. Terribly wrong.
The air smelt wrong. Underneath the stench of urine and the detergent that always pretended to get rid of it, was a smell so putrid that it was alarming how Mother was not perceiving it.
It was a smell that did not belong there.
I could taste it on my tongue; it was neither sour nor bitter, but definitely something in between. It tasted like it did on the day I was doomed to my fate.
We are so sorry to inform you, but the chance of recovery is below 1%.
I could feel it on my neck, like the breath of the dead spreading goosebumps in its wake.
Something was very, very wrong.
INFORMATION ABOUT ME AND MY BOOK
TITLE: WHEN A MOTHER CRIES
GENRE: Fiction
AGE RANGE: 15 +
WORD COUNT: 5,000+
AUTHOR NAME: Feyikemi Olajide Esther
WHY MY PROJECT IS A GOOD FIT: This story, WHEN A MOTHER CRIES, sheds light on the struggles of a single mother taking care of her handicapped son. It also sheds light on the hard decisions mothers take for the sake of their children. I believe my project is a good fit because my story is not just to entertain but also to pass on a message of hope to single mothers, of courage to handicapped children, and to inform the world that there are issues like this out there. In short, my story has a voice that rings loud and clear, with a message for all to hear.
THE HOOK: A mother makes a very difficult decision for the sake of her son. She gives her son what he has always been begging her for, even though he has never put it into words.
SYNOPSIS: When a Mother Cries tells the story of a single woman and her daily struggles to take care of her handicapped son. It also sheds light on the struggles and realities of life for handicapped children and teenagers.
TARGET AUDIENCE: Anyone and everyone.
BIO: Feyikemi Olajide began writing when she was ten, but her story-telling journey started way before then, as her very imaginative mind began cooking up different stories at a younger age. She has won writing contests and hopes to one day win the Commonwealth short story prize and have her books published in several languages.
PLATFORM: Instagram, Twitter
EDUCATION: BSc., Computer Science
EXPERIENCE: Creative Content Writing (2023-2024), Copywriting (2021-2023)
PERSONALITY: Extrovert with a slight dose of introversion.
WRITING STYLE: I always write stories that have an underlying message. I don’t just write to entertain; I also write to draw my readers in and have them try to decipher what the message is. And when they finally do, their mouths are left wide open, and they read the story a second and third time.
LIKES/HOBBIES: Reading, writing, watching Korean dramas, dancing, and getting lost in imaginary worlds.
HOMETOWN: Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.