By Love Redeemed

Josie's tiny nostrils flared as a rotten stench of decayed fruits spiraled in the air. She was supposed to get used to the smell of this place; for she had been born and raised in the slum. But she wasn't yet familiar. Each day presented a new guttery odor, which plunged her deeper and deeper into sadness. Life in this part of Tremont wasn't exciting or fulfilling in anyway. Life in this hellhole was pathetic and she yearned for a way out. At first, her hope was ripe and her faith was tall when her parents were alive. Even though she played with the other kids in the slum, she knew she would leave them one day. Her parents had always made her understand that she didn't belong in the slum. She was their princess, and would one day live in a beautiful castle like in the stories. A sad smile curled her lips as she remembered how her parents tried all their best to give her a better life. The plague that hit the slum didn't just take her parents away. It swept her dreams and ambitions in life too. She had always dreamt of becoming a medical doctor, and her parents had shared in her vision. Her father had never been the type to obstruct her dream because of gender. He loved her with everything in him, and promised to help her achieve her dream. But being a medical doctor was just what it was; a dream. How could a woman in a slum become a doctor all on her own? She had no family and no one to help her financially. Josie sighed in despair as she stared at the azure clouds. She was not happy being here, she was almost giving up on her dreams. Only one thing kept her.