THROUGH HER LENS

gave a fa

he freshly cleaned hob. The room - thoughtfully furnished, if not fancy - carried the quiet dignity of a space kept with care. A small flat-screen TV mounted near the fridge mur

travagant, but everything necessary. The house - a semi-detached house, nestled in a q

n. She flipped slices of plantain in a pan, checked the toast, poured hot water into two mugs where ginger

ugh a home they managed out of duty more than warmth. As she worked, she hummed under her brea

1 A

st enough to carry upstairs. "You'll be

ans

d eggs, slices of avocado, a few golden pieces of plantain. Plates were arranged neatly, cutlery lined up wi

ded softly do

ooded sweatshirt, headphones dangling from her neck. Her curls we

g," she

ching her daughter's tone but

ate in silence - not a hostile one, but something duller. A space where wo

ons. On the fridge, a photo caught the edge of morning light - Helen and a much youn

tea, her eyes

sed to take pictures?

p, surprised b

did.

silver camera. She g

let go of it. Took photos of shoes, floo

kle. Maya didn't. She

it," Maya said. "I mean, I do

? That woman was everywhere with that camera. Naming faces, docum

ed down a

d. Then, quieter: "You nev

her eyes. "Not because I don't want to.

rugged, trying to sound offhand

skips ge

" Hele

thi

ain. Helen watched

it broke. Mr. Adeyemi said you have good hands - crea

ensed. She di

u I'm not

ance. And you've work

id stage with people I don't lik

r tea, keeping

stop. Guitar. Braiding. Enamel jewe

you ca

Helen's expression faltered, ju

nd I know you. I know when

d abruptly and grabbed

sh your food," H

not h

ya

get it. You

e front door clicked

he kettle began to whistle again, unn

se grew

e little girl with a plastic camera and a full s

closed h

ing moment, tim

hallway in a yellow princess dress, a cereal box crown slid

, you can't

of joy, full of trust. The way she would crawl into Helen's lap without asking

the flash

t on a plane seat, quiet as a whisper, staring

Nigeria. That

ince then, something in Maya had shifted. The child who once narrated her

throat t

memory in place, to wal

BEEP

one chirped loudly

0 A

ened h

lit, plates cooling on the table, tea gone tepid. The

the plates. Her movements were brisk now. Pl

ine anch

l near the fridge, and headed to her room to prepare

ing, folded