The house is sparkling. There is not a speck of dust to be seen, I observe as Rabia, a student of TCF School, Chamankotli Campus in Muzaffarabad, quickly leads me into her small courtyard where her mother is waiting on a charpoy (woven bed).

After introducing myself, I sit down at the edge of the charpoy, while Rabia settles by her mother’s side. “I’m suffering from breast cancer,” Rabia’s mother, Sakeena, discloses matter-of-factly, with no hint of anxiety.

“As a result, a lot of responsibility has landed on to Rabia’s shoulders. Along with breeding livestock, she cleans the house, cooks for the family, and takes care of me. And after doing all this, she also goes to school in the afternoon.” She turns to look at Rabia with a proud smile.

Sakeena is in the final stages of cancer, the deadly cells having spread to her brain. The doctors have been preparing the family for her last days. “Look at Rabia’s report card,” she excitedly continues, grabbing it off Rabia’s hands and passing it down to me. “She always secures first position in her class. My daughter is very hard working.” She tells me.

As I flip through the report, I ask Sakeena what she wants Rabia and her other children to become in the future. “I want them to study hard,” she mutters, “I want my Rabia to become a doctor, but I know I won’t be here to see that.” Her eyes are shining bright with love when I look up to meet them.

Sakeena is in the final stages of cancer, the deadly cells having spread to her brain. The doctors have been preparing the family for her last days. “Look at Rabia’s report card,” she excitedly continues, grabbing it off Rabia’s hands and passing it down to me. “She always secures first position in her class. My daughter is very hard working.” She tells me.
As I flip through the report, I ask Sakeena what she wants Rabia and her other children to become in the future. “I want them to study hard,” she mutters, “I want my Rabia to become a doctor, but I know I won’t be here to see that.” Her eyes are shining bright with love when I look up to meet them.

The above account was shared by Ahmed Zakaria. Ahmed is a digital storyteller and a TCF volunteer.