[SCENE START]

INT. CRAMPED APARTMENT - NIGHT

The apartment is small, sparsely furnished. A single bare bulb hangs precariously from the ceiling, casting long shadows. AISHA (40s, weary but strong) sits on a low stool, mending a torn piece of cloth. IFEOMA (10, bright-eyed despite her circumstances) sits beside her, carefully drawing in a worn notebook. The air is thick with the smell of woodsmoke and something indefinably melancholic.

IFEOMA (Looking up from her drawing) Mama, will Papa ever come back?

Aisha sighs, her gaze drifting to a faded photograph on a nearby shelf – a smiling man in a military uniform. She picks it up, her fingers tracing his face.

AISHA (Softly) No, my love. Papa is gone. The war… it took him from us.

IFEOMA (Whispering) I miss him.

Aisha pulls Ifeoma close, holding her tight. Tears well up in her eyes, but she quickly wipes them away.

AISHA (Trying to sound strong) I know, my sweet girl. But we have each other. We must be strong. We must rebuild our lives.

IFEOMA But it's so hard, Mama. The market is empty, and the landlord keeps threatening to evict us.

Aisha nods, her expression hardening with a mixture of anger and resignation.

AISHA The war took everything from us, Ifeoma. Our home, our land, our peace. Now, even the little we have is threatened by these vultures. They prey on our weakness, our vulnerability. They care nothing for our suffering.

IFEOMA (Confused) Vultures, Mama?

AISHA (Explaining patiently) They're like birds of prey, Ifeoma. They circle above, waiting for the weak to fall. And here, in this city, there are many vultures. Greedy officials who steal from the widows and orphans. Men who offer false promises and take advantage of our desperation.

Aisha recounts a fragmented memory of the war – the sounds of bombs, the screams of the dying, the chaos and terror that tore her world apart. Her voice trembles, but her eyes burn with a fierce determination.

AISHA (Voice breaking) I saw things… things no mother should ever see. I saw my husband… (She pauses, unable to continue) I saw so much death, so much suffering. And yet, here we are, still alive. We survived the war, Ifeoma. We will survive this too.

Ifeoma reaches out and takes Aisha's hand, her small fingers intertwining with her mother's.

IFEOMA We will, Mama. We will.

Aisha looks at her daughter, a flicker of hope in her eyes. The strength of her love for Ifeoma is her only shield against the harsh realities of their lives. The scene ends with Aisha and Ifeoma holding each other, a silent testament to their resilience and their shared struggle.

[SCENE END]