Hopscotch

A courtyard full of the sweet fragrance of jasmine, the sound of sparrows chirping away noisily and a little girl hopping away on the hand-drawn hopscotch grid. Brushing strands of her brown hair off her forehead with the back of her tiny hand, humming something to herself, lost in her own magical world of princesses, fairies and goblins. Little does she know that years later she would still be playing hopscotch, but this time not on some crooked chalky lines but on the grid designed by life. And this time it will be much more trickier, with the added burden on her frail shoulders and the straight lines turning into more of a labyrinth, she would be panting away trying to avoid the hurdles. But the little girl's spirit and determination has now grown stronger as she evolved into a woman. She might be frail but even more relentless now to cross the rocky paths of life to the other side where there is love, laughter, peace. She continues with a new-found strength, not willing to give up. The ray of light is now getting closer, the sweet-smelling jasmine almost within reach, the faint sound of music becoming clearer... she's almost there, almost...