Chapter 15 – Shame and Courage
The morning he decided to return to school, Salimo felt his heart race as if he were about to face a battle. He put on his simple clothes, adjusted his worn shoes, and left the house with his light backpack. Fear was an invisible companion.
“"What if they laugh at me?" she thought.
“What if they find out I lived on the streets?”
The shame felt heavier than any notebook.
As he walked through the gate, a few glances fell on him. Whispers arose in the corners. The weight of the past threatened to crush him. But Salimo took a deep breath. He remembered the phrase the lady always repeated: "You have to fill your head." And he continued walking until he found an empty wallet.
The teacher, without revealing her story, welcomed him naturally. She made only one simple gesture: she asked him to open the notebook he had brought and follow the class. For Salimo, that discreet gesture was a relief. It was as if she were saying: "Here, it doesn't matter where you come from. What matters is what you will learn."“
The first few classes were difficult. The time away had left gaps. But the desire to learn was stronger than any delay. With each letter written, the embarrassment diminished. With each problem solved, the courage grew.
You Can: Courage is not the absence of fear — it's moving forward despite it.
