Mabasa Akawanda Avanaamai
4:50 a.m. Alex, mucheche, ari kuchema uye haana kunyatsokotsira, anokwira pamubhedha kudivi raHelen, amai vake. Vamwe vana vaviri—Penny (5) naJoanna (12)—nomurume waHelen, Nick, vari kudzipfodora hope. Helen anokwidza Alex pamubhedha uye anomuyamwisa. Hope hadzichamubati zvekare.
5:45 a.m. Helen anonyahwaira kuenda kukicheni, anobika kofi, overenga.
6:15–7:20 a.m. Nick anomuka. Helen anomutsa Penny naJoanna, anobika kudya kwemangwanani, oita rimwe basa romumba. Nenguva dza7:15, Nick anoenda kubasa uye anosiya Joanna kuchikoro kwake. Amai vaHelen vanosvika kuti varere Alex.
7:30 a.m. Helen anosiya Penny kukireshi kwake. Nguva yokuenda kubasa inopa Helen mukana wokufungisisa nezvokuva amai. “Ibasa rakaoma zvikuru kupfuura rimwe randati ndambova naro,” anodaro.
8:10 a.m. Pabasa Helen ane zvokuita zvakawanda kwazvo. Ari kunetseka kuti kuita pamwe pamuviri kungareva kurasikirwa nebasa rake. Mhuri yavo inoda mari yokuwedzera.
10:43 a.m. Helen aisa foni pasi—foni yevana vake—waanoshanda naye Nancy anomunyaradza achiti: “Uri kuvabata zvakanaka kwazvo.” Misodzi inoyerera pamatama aHelen.
12:05 p.m. Helen anotora chingwa chine nyama pakati otanga kufunga nezvenguva apo mwanasikana wake wokutanga akanga asati aberekwa. Kare ikako akanga ane zvirongwa zvaaiita panguva yake yaanenge “asina zvimwe zvokuita.” ‘Zvazochinja zvino!’ anogumisa kudaro.
3:10 p.m. Pashure pokugamuchira foni dzakawanda kubva kumba nezvokushereketa kwaAlex, Helen anotaura kuwirirana kukuru kuri pakati pake nevana vake: “Hapana mumwe munhu wandakamboda zvakadaro.” Rudo rwakadzama kudaro rwakamubatsira kukurira kuomerwa kwokutanga kwaakanga asingafungiri.
5:10 p.m. Atora Joanna kuchikoro, Helen anombonhanya-mhanya kugadzirisa zvimwe zvinhu. Anofonera Nick omuyeuchidza kuti ijana rake zvino kunotora Penny.
6:00–7:30 p.m. Asvika kumba, Helen anotora Alex anga achirerwa naambuya kuti vambofurwa nemhepo, anoita basa romumba, anobika kudya kwemanheru. Abvunzwa nezvezvinonyatsodiwa nomwana, Helen anotura mafemo oti: “Mwana hapana chimwe chaanoda kunze kwaamai vake: maoko avo, muviri wavo, uye mukaka uye anopedza hope dzavo dzose.”
8:30–10:00 p.m. Helen anobatsira Joanna kuita basa raapiwa kuchikoro uye anoyamwisa Alex. Nick paari kuverengera Penny kwehafu yeawa, Helen anoita rimwe basa romumba.
11:15 p.m. Penny naJoanna vaenda kundorara, Alex achakamuka mumaoko aamai vake, asi anozokotsira hake. “Ndofunga ava kuda kurara zvino,” Helen anoudza Nick, ave kutotsimwaira hake.