The girl appeared confident as she walked along the street in the poor and shabby neighborhood,for she had grown up and lived here all her life until she moved away several weeks ago.

She was looking forward to her first visit home to see her mother and younger brothers and sisters, but knew she could only speak to her mother about all of her new experiences. As she stopped at the junction to let a cart go past she felt a mild cramp, but smiled at the thought she could now afford real tampons instead of having to stuff old rags in her underwear.

This time last month she had not traveled home but stayed at work, even though she had not been able to serve any customers, she was able to do laundry, clean, and do other things for the rest of the girls who were busy.

She was nervous, excited, proud, and lots of other feelings all at the same time as she approached the one room shack, her sister who was 18 months younger, was the next eldest, had been resting on the ground in the shade, looked up, gave a shout of joy and ran bare foot to hug her. It was her sister's job as the eldest at home to look after the remaining kids when their mother was working or out looking for work.

Life was hard, their useless father had gone away to seek a job more than three years ago and had not been heard of since, leaving their mother with five children to feed, she had been sure at the time she left on many days her mother had gone hungry so that the children would not be empty-bellied.

That thought alone had helped her decide to leave home, even if she had been unable to help her family it would still be one less mouth to feed.

Soon she was surrounded by her younger siblings all shouting and asking questions at the same time, after a short while when they had calmed down she gave each of them a small gift or toy, grasped the eldest girls arm and asked her to take the youngsters to play so that she could go in to speak to their mother in peace, promising they would get to talk together later.

With all the commotion going on outside her mother had come to the door but held back in the shade out of sight, in time to see the gifts handed out then the children retreat down the road, leaving her first born daughter watching them move away. She stepped forward into the light as the girl turned back toward the house, their eyes met, and they rushed into each others arms. When they pulled back they both had wet cheeks.

Her mother wanted to know how she was, at the same time mildly scolding her for buying so many gifts when she must need what money she earned living away from home. The girl took both of her mothers hands in hers and said " Please mother I have a well paid job, and in the time I have been away I have saved nearly all my earnings for you to look after the family," she stalled her mother who tried to interrupt and continued, "I have also had many customers give me tips which is why I have been able to bring home to you much of what I have earned. I know you will think only to spend all of the money on the children, but I will send more each week, so you will all eat, have new clothes and shoes. Mother I have learned many things in the time I have been away, and I know if you buy a new dress and shoes for yourself you may find it easier to get a job even from people who turned you away before."

"Your job?" her mother asked, a worried expression on her face.

"Yes" the daughter said answering the half asked question, "We are well looked after, and work for three weeks, then have one week off, which is why I am home for a few days now, but last month I stayed there to learn the chores that need doing at the house."

"Are you O.K. with it?"

"Yes, at first it was a bit scary, but the other girls gave me lots of advice, I even started to get my own regular customers, they give the best tips."

"I am very proud of you and what you have done for all of us, several times I was close to taking the path you have taken, but after having five children it has taken its toll on my body and looks."

"Mother you have always done your best for us, but now I have this chance to see that my brothers and sisters can afford to stay on to finish school, then when they have an education and good jobs, I will save money so I too can go back to school."

They later went to the local market together, the mother at first reluctant out of long engrained habit to spend more than her normal pittance at the various food stalls, but her daughter encouraged her that she now had the money to get the freshest produce, from now on the family would eat well every day.

After the evening meal all of her family were as full and happy as they could ever remember, and the three younger children were curled up on their sleeping mats. The girl took her closest sibling outside to talk as she had promised earlier that day.

The younger girl asked in a hushed voice, "Did you go to the city to work like your older friend who lived near the market square?"

"What do you know of this, you are only eleven years old."

"Yes but I also know her younger sister who is my age, we talked, she didn't say, but I think I guessed how her sister was earning a living. Will I come to the city to work there when I'm a bit older?" she asked with a timid voice.

"No, said the older girl, you will help mother look after the family, all of you must study hard at school and stay to take your exams, with an education you will be able to get good jobs, this is something I can do, it is not for everyone."

The younger girl leaned over to kiss her sisters cheek and said, "I am proud of you and I will always love and respect you."

The End