The angel of the orphan

s of children or the shouts of cattle herders. This scream was dee

l clinic room where she'd fallen asleep after a long night tending to a maln

r headscarf. Her eyes darted toward the di

ok

curling from the direction

gasped, sprintin

ounger children cried in huddles, some of them coughing from the smoke, others staring in mute terror as the east wing

he stream, filled it, and rushed back, flinging water at th

nside?!" s

down her soot-stained cheeks. "I checked!

to let that sink in. No deat

t the devastation,

n't an a

ferent places. She saw the burn p

estroy the place she ha

e east wing was a skeleton of charred wood and melted tin. Most of

communit

ard to help. They watched from

o voiced what eve

did

fina look

cracking. "It was them. This is the

un taking in orphans-especially children born out of wedlock, those left by teenage girls, and

ir families. Of encouraging rebellion. Of being

they had burn

Mama Sarafina opened it to find old Mbwana, the local h

y were planning something. You thought it was just go

d to cry. "What did I do, Mbwana? Save childre

. You take what they call 'a man's authority

d her. "They should f

ulder. "You must be careful.

rs afraid to stay in the damaged rooms. Mirriam curled up near the medicine shel

e sat by the door with a panga

loud. The darkness

the distance,

mocking

ed by

laug

e. Shadows moved near the fence, just out of reach. She saw the gl

n't cha

g, feeling every year of her

ng, she call

Mbwana-all sat in a circle outside the da

Sarafina said sim

y might come back. They might bur

dream we've made together... it's worth fi

od, dusted off her skirt,

the others

cause fear had already taken so much-an

could. Mama Sarafina reached out to a few quiet allies-women from a nearb

ammers. With bla

the villa

tting vegetables at Mirriam, sh

cornered one of the orph

idn't stop

e, a letter arrived. No envelope. Just

en from her home, and next time, it

unreadable. Then she turned to Mirria

e," she s

for

ak the

led a ga

cret. Not

where elders usually handed out punishments. With her stood Mirriam and Mb

ut of curiosity. Ot

sed her

hat I steal daughters.

et the wind c

riages. From beds of men twice their age. What I feed is

pled throug

d. "Or hear the screams. You see the pregnancies of

ted, "You sh

ice. "Some tradition

sh f

when they promised me to a man. I ran. She hid me. Fed

ome faces lowered, ot

stop. If you want to burn something, burn me

urned and

es came. No shadows d

anger was

knew it. Mir

hildren co

battlefields-but in bedrooms, in

often women with nothing but