Apple

This is "Apple". 16 years old. Another familiar story. While sitting on this 7km. long deserted beach I saw this young lady walking with a pot on her head. She walked up to me, put the pot down and started talking to me. I was surprised that her English was so good. She said she studied English hard because she wanted to become a tourist guide but unfortunately had to stop her studies at Junior High level as there was money for her schooling or food for the family. Naturally food won out. But "what was in the pot" I asked? "Nothing" she replied. She had walked 4 km down the beach to her Aunt's home to get some food for her brothers and sisters but her Aunt also didn't have extra so she walked the 4 km back with an empty pot and no food for her family. That now familiar lump was again rising in my throat when I asked what she would do for the evening meal. "No problem, we have enough rice for the youngest children and I will go into the ocean and gather some seaweed to boil for vitamins and catch some small fish to make a paste for the rice." "How about some bigger fish" I asked? "The big fish are too far offshore now to catch without a boat" she replied.
I wished her luck and we said farewell.
I will often wonder what will become of Apple and her dream to become a tourist guide. On my next trip to that beach I will ask about her.