A party ,a question and a silent cry

I didn’t expect to meet anyone special at that party. It was just a casual event ;laughter in the air, music playing, and people mingling freely. But among the crowd, my eyes caught a young girl. She wasn’t doing anything unusual, just floating from one group to another, as if trying to belong everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Something about her tugged at my heart.

I approached her and struck up a conversation. She was warm, polite, and full of life, but behind her smiles, I could sense something deeper. She mentioned she came with her grandmother, whom she lives with. I asked gently about her parents, and her response was, “They left me with Grandma.”

I glanced across the room and saw her grandmother sitting quietly, frail and clearly in need of care herself. My mind swirled with questions. How can an 85-year-old woman raise this teenage girl on her own? Who supports them? Who nurtures this child’s dreams, her pain, her questions?

As if she read my thoughts, the girl came and sat beside me, her expression suddenly serious.

“Aunty,” she said quietly, “Is it proper for parents to tell a child that they don’t want her?”

I froze.

She continued, “I feel abandoned. It’s painful. But I’m just a child.I had no choice in this. At least for now ,I will cope."

Her words sank into my heart like stones in still water. The pain behind her calm voice was overwhelming. I wanted to hold space for her, to listen to everything she had locked up inside. But just as she began to open up, her grandmother dropped her walking stick. The girl quickly rose to help her, signaling they had to leave the party early.

I gave her a hug. A silent one. Full of the comfort I couldn’t put into words. I wished her well. I tried to get her contact, hoping I could follow up and support her somehow. But she chose silence and gently walked away with her grandmother.

I still carry her story in my heart. Her voice, her pain, and her strength remind me of why we must look beyond what we see—why we must listen closely, act kindly, and be willing to hold space for the children around us.

Together, we can heal a child going through trauma.

Let’s not wait for them to speak up. Let’s meet them with compassion, attention, and love.