Magic legs

It was a long journey. The longest my mother had taken. With me hanging onto her back, my stumps sticking out from the cloth sling she tied round her body to support me, I was sure I made it harder. But she didn't grumble. She continued to put one foot in front of the other, walking the dusty track to the city.
"You're getting magic legs today," she had said as she buttoned up my dress, my 'best' dress. She had a broad smile on her face-not the one she wore when she laughed, the one she could hide behind, the taught smile that looked like it had been painted on. That was her way of protecting me. But the crack in her voice and the well of tears in her eyes said it all.
"Why are you so sad, mama?" I asked.
She took my face in her hands.
"I'm not sad, Dafina. I'm happy. You have a real chance of a life now, and that makes me more happy than I could possibly explain."
Magic legs. I wondered throughout our journey what the words 'magic legs' meant. They bounced through my mind, surrounded by the twinkle of promise. Would I be able to tell them what to do? Would they grant me wishes? Could I fly with them? The possibilities seemed endless to me. But when I asked mama what my magic legs were she said she didn't know. I believed her. I could tell when she wasn't telling me everything. She was always lost for words when she knew something and didn't want to tell me. The surprise of my magic legs would be for both of us, and that made me happy. I was happy my mama was going to get a present aswell. I clamped my arms round her neck tighter.
"Careful, Dafina, you'll strangle me."
"Where are my magic legs, mama?" I asked.
"The hospital. We have to find Dr Abasi," she said.
When we got to the hospital there were many other children there. They didn't seem to be waiting for magic legs like me, but they did need the doctors for something. Some were coughing, some were crying, some weren't doing or saying anything. But I didn't have time to worry about them. Dr Abasi call me into his room.
"Time for my magic legs, mama?" I asked.
She picked me up and nodded.
Dr Abasi was nice, but he smelt funny, like the hospital. It was a kind of smell that stung the inside of your nose, that made you want to hold your breath. But as soon as he showed me my magic legs I forgot all about the smell. He let me hold one of them. It was hard and shiny, nothing at all like my mama's leg but it had a brand new shiny shoe on the end. All I could think about was how that shoe would match my dress. Did the doctor know my dress was pink?
He sat me on his doctor bed and strapped the magic legs to my little stumps. I didn't know what to expect at first but when he picked me up and stood me on the floor I felt like I was a giant. I was so tall I could see over his desk, I could see out of his window. Better than that I could walk. My steps were a little wobbly at first, mini steps, but as I got better I was striding round the room. I even managed a little skip and jump, which made the doctor and my mama laugh.
When we left the hospital with my magic legs, mama asked if I wanted to be carried home, because it was a long way. I told her no. I told her my magic legs were magic because she didn't ever have to carry me again. I told her I wanted to walk home, putting one magic foot in front of the other.