Times were hard
She was earning a living
Three jobs a day
Paid the rent, school fees and food on the table
No Easter, summer vacations or Christmas parties
Meals were breakfast in the morning
Porridge, homemade bread, water for tea
Bought charity clothes from the dollar stores
Lived on friends’ generosity and borrowed money
Bankrupt, the banks refused to give us credit
Milk tokens from the government 
Water was rationed
Bathed once every two days
We hardly had any visitors
Played indoors; the streets were not for children
High-density, high-strung and bullets through the windows
Times were hard
She was earning a living