"You have a beautiful smile."
Hope was in the last class of her junior secondary school when she made the quiet decision to keep to herself and maintain a false bravado for the outside world. She was the girl who had the spare pens and pencils and who always had an unused exercise book to lend out. In her properly washed and well-ironed pinafore uniform, she was the model of an ideal student. Her caramel coloured face easily broke into a warm smile, showing off her babyish dentition; she was friendly with all and always had a sarcastic remark for the reticent fellows. This was Hope. Standing lanky at 4ft5" with short hair cropping her round face, she was a beacon of light to most of her peers. It wasn't her book smartness that attracted them, it was the way she seemed to know the exact words to soothe their worries. She was the relationship counselor to some, academic adviser to others and more dubbed her, life coach. She had it all going for her... till the reality of life hit. It was...
