The Voice

The Voice

Chapter 1: The Voice of a Silent Childhood

“Some pains settle so deep in childhood
that you learn how to smile,
but slowly lose your voice.”

I started understanding things very early in life. Perhaps because favoritism existed in my home, and even as a child I could feel the difference. Life showed me things that not everyone gets to see or understand.

My father enjoyed welcoming people into our house and taking care of them. He loved hospitality, laughter, and being praised by others. But he never thought about one thing—that some of those people carried impure intentions, especially toward the girls of the house. I was young, but not blind. I could sense things no child should ever have to notice.

From childhood, I dreamed of becoming a singer or a writer. I believed my voice would become my identity. But my sister, Kangan, never liked that dream. From a very young age, she tortured me and scared me. The fear she planted inside me grew with time. Even when I grew older, that pain kept holding me captive—so long that one day, I lost my beautiful voice.

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At school, my appearance became a reason for mockery. My face was laughed at, my confidence crushed. Behind my silent eyes, I carried countless tears. Every day brought a new wound, and I learned how to endure quietly.

If life took many things away from me, God also gave me a blessing—my mother. She was my strength. She stood by me at every step and gave me courage when I felt broken. She reminded me that I was not weak, only exhausted.

When I reached 10th grade, life tested me again. My school principal scolded my mother over unpaid fees, even though I had already paid them in cash. During that argument, I was made to sit outside the classroom in front of everyone. I endured humiliation and shame in silence.

But even in that darkness, there was light—my teacher. They stood up for me, supported me, and proved that I was innocent. Still, the principal continued to trouble me, even during my exams, as if every hardship was meant only for me.

That was the moment I realized—
life doesn’t only give pain;
sometimes it also reveals
who truly stands with you
and who only wants to break you.

This was just the beginning.

End of Chapter 1