Chapter 7 – Strength to Lift

The nights were the hardest. The cold was a relentless enemy, and loneliness a silent companion. Salimo huddled in hidden corners, trying to trick his body with sleep, but hunger wouldn't let him rest. Many times, he asked himself if this was the end of his story.

Deep down, he clung to memories of school, of notebooks, of the words he had so loved to learn. He repeated some of them mentally as if they were mantras: "hope, future, courage." These words were the invisible thread that kept him going, even when all seemed lost.

There were days when the street crushed him. People's indifference was as cruel a weight as hunger. A look of contempt hurt more than a shove. But amidst the hardship, there were also small miracles: a piece of fruit "accidentally" left by a vendor, a piece of bread shared by another boy, a rare smile from someone who still saw humanity in him.

Salimo realized that falling wasn't the end. It was merely the lowest point, from which he could, with effort, begin to rise. The street taught him hardship, but also resilience. And within him grew the certainty that this would not be his final destination.

You Can: Falling is not the end. It's just the beginning of your strength to get back up.