Amina’s Lemons

It wasn’t the alarm that woke me up at 5:47 am on Tuesday, it was my mother’s ragged breathing. This only meant one thing: she needed her routine hypertensive drugs.
It ran out last week, and I was yet to gather enough money to replace them for her. I’m Amina, a photographer, and I’m not having the roaring 20s I thought I would. I can barely make ends meet with the freelancing photography gigs I get.
I’ve thought about tossing the camera away for a more stable job, but that would mean giving up on my passion.
On my way home from a modeling shoot, I got a text from Mrs. Williams asking me to come over that evening. Mrs. Williams was one of my favorite clients–her pre-wedding photos were stunning, and I was proud of the work I did.
I was shocked when I entered Mrs. Williams' house and saw Nora Awolowo sitting there. Nora was a famous photographer, and I was starstruck. Mrs. Williams seemed amused by my reaction.
Nora stared at the pre-wedding pictures hanging on the wall, and stared back at me with a kind smile and said, “Amina, your talent is truly remarkable. You have the ability to capture the essence of a moment in a photograph.”
She proceeded to ask me what I’d been up to, I admitted that things had been slow for me. I told her that I wasn’t getting many photography jobs, and I was feeling discouraged about my future in the field.
She shook her head, and began to recount her experiences from when she was still a budding photographer. She told me about all the challenges she faced, and how they shaped her career.
"Amina, never give up.” She reached into her purse and pulled out a business card, handing it to me. “Come to the studio, I might have something for you.”
For the first time in a long while, I smiled genuinely from the depths of my heart. I had a feeling that something great was coming.