It is 27 years since my last conversation with my mother, who didn't finish school like many of her contemporary girls. She often told me, “I never got my 1 but one day you will.”
Pointing to a tree or cow, she asked me to 2 their English names after her. Feeling annoyed, I asked, “Mama, why do I have to learn these foreign 3？”She held her pen right before my eyes. “Hold it firmly,”she encouraged me,“for this pen and the new foreign language will be your compass to 4around the world.” Sadly, my mother died of breast cancer when I was six.
Turning seven, I 5 30 miles to live closer to my school. But “closer” is a6 term in Uganda, which means I had to get up as the 7sun rose and then ran 8.8 miles barefoot to 8. Also, I needed to carry a stick to look out for snakes and dogs. During the 9 season, the path to school was 10 daily and I'd swim with one hand, using the other hand to hold the book bag on my 11.
Research shows 70 percent of poor children don't 12 primary school in Uganda. Reasons for this high dropout rate (辍学率) includes the long distances some children must 13 among many other reasons.
Fortunately, I've made it. Whenever I see the sun rise I am reminded of the 14 of my mother, who inspired me to dream big and to use the 15 of the pen to make my dream come true.
