Chapter 5: The Unseen Wounds
Not everyone welcomed the change. Brenda stood by the door of the recreation yard, her arms crossed, watching Maya walk back from the library with a group of women carrying books.
""Look at the schoolteacher,"" Brenda sneered as Maya passed. ""Thinking a few books make you better than the rest of us.""
Maya stopped. Instead of walking away or reacting with anger, she looked directly into Brenda’s eyes. Up close, without the shield of aggression, Maya noticed the deep dark circles beneath Brenda’s eyes and the faint tremor in her right hand.
""Nobody here thinks they’re better than anyone else, Brenda,"" Maya said softly, ensuring only Brenda could hear. ""We’re all just trying to make it home.""
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Brenda’s posture stiffened, her jaw clenching tightly. ""Home? Some of us don't have a home waiting, princess.""
Before Maya could respond, a guard barked an order for the line to move. But the exchange lingered in Maya’s mind. She realized that Brenda’s hostility was born from deep isolation—a defense mechanism built by someone who believed she had already lost everything.
