After the Last Tear: Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Marriage By Cassila K

Chapter 33

The first time I met Joseph was in a camp in Goma.

At that time, the situation in eastern Congo (DRC) was chaotic.

Militants, driven by the scramble for mineral resources and ethnic conflicts, frequently attacked villages. Hundreds of thousands of people were forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in larger cities.

When I arrived at the refugee camp, a few doctors were treating a little girl.

She had been injured in an explosion, with a small pebble embedded in her ear. She cried in pain and struggled violently, making the doctors hesitant to proceed.

Someone called out, "Joseph!"

A tall man responded and stepped forward.

He examined the situation and surprisingly pulled out a few playing cards from his white coat, performing a magic trick on the spot.

The little girl was quickly captivated and stopped struggling, giving the doctors an opportunity to act.

When the pebble finally fell into the tray with a "clang," the cards in Joseph's hand had disappeared, replaced by an African violet.

The little girl stared wide-eyed in amazement and tugged on his sleeve, trying to find the vanished cards, but to no avail.

She clapped her hands in delight, pulling at her parents' clothes as she squealed

with joy.

Joseph handed the flower to the girl and escorted her grateful parents out of the medical tent.

so unique that I couldn't resist

the camera caught his attention. He turned around, slightly surprised, and

"Country A," I replied.

Chinese, introducing himself:

I asked, "Where did you get that

flowers were a rarity in

proudly. "I grew

discovered a small garden he

to the African violet, agapanthus, tropical orchids, and Congo

these?" I

on the table, he answered

I was puzzled.

explained, "You probably think food, clean water, and medicine

I nodded.

gentle but firm tone, he said, "Here, everything pushes people to forget beauty, but flowers help them remember they're

when there's hope, there's

across his face, and he winked at me. "That's why

like a beam of light, striking a chord deep

me.

myself unable to look away from his lively,

the entire camp, only Joseph and I were from Country

Joseph was incredibly

treatments and even assisted me in completing my first-ever

he noticed an unusually high mortality rate among AIDS

distributed antiretroviral drugs, but they're still dying in droves..." "That doesn't make sense unless they're not taking

volunteered, "Let me