Becoming Faith

l felt like a

The teachers didn't kn

g morning assembly when the sun was hot and

ting lost. Her slate followed her from nursery, but now she had an exercise b

een the red lines. Capit

efully. She always

ing Her

s were mostly song

orning,

imes o

ch, but she always

, but it was always o

er me," Faith's voice was usually

ted using her voice as

just follow Faith," s

Little

tore. In it, she copied every new word the teacher wrote on the board even

teacher would

spell '

would go up

kly. She always waited. Then she

-O-W," s

r would no

ain. Let oth

like she was reading from

Who Kept T

aith she didn't j

lded corners. Her penc

ck and rewrite an assignment if her fi

dwriting was small, roun

o her uniform, she

ht, she would re

ou haven't ironed

tired, she'd bring the

g in her that needed things to look r

hen Second.

laced 3rd in class. She was happ

second is better.

but deep inside,

on her own. If a word confused her, she'd ask. If she

e, she moved to

r report card to her moth

happens when

ght, she packed her books like

she aimed high

, not to outdo anyone, but t

acticed more, and staye

t term, her name

s she didn't know. But the real reward was the smile on her father

mething special, Fai

exactly what s

t fel

rother, A B

ary 3, her mother's

ng questions when she neede

help her mother balance plates, and take message

sday morning,

my has pu

as a

ction was stillne

ed and sleeping, she le

it's okay. I'll wa

sn't j

he kind of gaze that had ques

irst Tim

unced that Primary 3 pupils would

was

to make them more confident. But she

ont of the mirror, in front of her baby brother's

e, voice steady. She didn't rush. She didn't forget. She just spoke,

clapped. Some students clapped

th. That was cl

ried something the early flame of someon

th grew in mor

r. A helper. A qui

one thing remained:

oned even if it meant

her growth was beco