Shards of love

retched fabric,thin, wo

ead down half-lit streets. Wash floors, soak uniforms, scrub dirt-stiff collars till her fingers ached. Rush back home, c

ing had started to

thighs, in the sudden weakness that came from standing too f

ied to hide it, A

more often. Not in the usual curious way, but in a quiet, ca

e afternoon as they walked toward the sch

him briefly. "

it," he pres

ded. "Not everything is something, As

week for two months," he s

of her tongue but wouldn't fall. How could she explain everything without sounding b

he'd been taught to def

be f

to say more, but nodded

r life reached a

lothes by hand. Tekiyah didn't complain. She packed the clean ones, carried the heavy basin through the compound

dren and no functioning washing machine. Tekiyah's wrists ached by

s became blurry. The teacher's voice sounded distant, like it was comin

elt her legs giving out, she moved quietly towa

dy gav

muffled ga

kne

as her name,again and agai

kiyah, can y

en. Light stabbed at

" she mutt

eeling beside her, one hand on

oncerned. Others whispered. A few just stared. But all s

o someone.

t up. "Please don't mak

back against the wall. "You fainted, Tekiyah.

. Shame crept up her throat. Her secret had cracked

quiet now. Not touching h

he finally whispe

hy

"Because there wasn

between them

le face, her dry lips, the way her sleeves hung too loo

as this bee

then met his

uld have

money? That I wake up to scrub other people's toilets before school?

dn't meant to say so much. But o

don't want pity. I don't want anyone lo

y. Just sat with it. Let

y: "I don't

look

you carry yourself like a queen with the weight of t

ughly. She hated crying.

lled out a wrapped sandwich. "

hesi

anything to me. Just let

he food, not the fainting,but the way he said

st want to see her story,b

k the s

. Carefully. As if each bite was reminding her:

not in a happy, fairy-tale way. It was the weight of pre

d. The clouds hung low lik

ne girl" and waved weakly. The woman offered her a fried y

. Idris was asleep on the mat. Her mother was boiling wate

d in school," she s

inked. "Wh

ent there this after

e guilt settle

d at her. "Why didn't yo

want to

d slowly, then pulled he

when you hide thi

ed against h

ll weak but her chest less tight, she thoug

e didn't feel the need to