The Importance of Encouragement

On the evening of this day of fasting we lay in our earthenhearts, in a very low mood. The light went out and tempers reached their lowest ebb. Our senior block warden was a wise man. He improvised a little talk about all that was on our minds at that moment. But he also mentioned what may have been the real reason for their deaths: giving up hope. And it was to me that the warden pointed to give this advice. I was cold and hungry, irritable and tired, but I had to make the effort... Encouragement was now more necessary than ever.