Amina woke up before the dawn call, the air still heavy with the cold that seeped through every crack in their old house. Rain from the night before had dripped through the leaking roof again, pooling on the floor in quiet, mocking circles. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Her body felt heavier than usual—too many nights of studying under a failing roof, too much noise from the previous night's robbery scare, and too little food.
Her grandmother, Mama Grace, was already awake, humming a quiet hymn as she arranged the buckets that had caught the rain.
"You didn't sleep well again," Mama Grace said gently.
Amina managed a tired smile. "I'm fine, Mama. Just thinking about school."
Mama Grace touched her cheek. "Child, you're carrying a lot. But God doesn't put fire in a person just to let it die."
Amina nodded, but her mind hung on the tension that had been building at home these last few weeks. Maryam's hostility had sharpened, almost as if she felt something slipping out of her control. And her half-siblings—Daniel and Sarah—had started avoiding her, nervous, unsure what was true or false anymore.
She dressed quietly, but before she could step out, Maryam's voice cut through the house like a blade.
"Amina!"
She froze.
"Come here. Now."
Amina stepped into the living room, her heart sinking. Her father stood in the corner, arms folded, face drawn with disappointment he didn't understand. Maryam, in her crisp morning wrapper, held Amina's school bag in one hand and a letter in the other.
"What is this?" Maryam hissed.
Amina stared at the letter—it was the principal's message about her upcoming scholarship interview. She'd kept it hidden because she knew Maryam would try to destroy it.
"Who gave you the right," Maryam said, stepping closer, "to apply for anything without your father's approval?"
"I—I didn't apply alone," Amina said softly. "My teacher helped me. She said I have a chance—"
"A chance to embarrass this family?" Maryam snapped.
Amina's throat tightened. "It could change my life."
Maryam laughed, sharp and cold. "Nothing about you is changing. Not when I've spent years correcting the damage your mother left behind."
Anger flared in Amina's chest. "My mother never damaged anything!"
Maryam's face hardened. She tossed the letter into the coal stove. Amina lunged forward, but her father grabbed her arm.
"Stop!" he barked.
"But Dad, she—"
"Enough, Amina! Why are you always causing problems in this house?"
Amina stared at him, tears blurring her vision. It was always the same. Maryam spoke; he believed. She defended herself; he scolded her.
Maryam crossed her arms. "You see? She's getting bold. She's forgetting her place."
Her place.
Those words dug into Amina like claws.
She swallowed hard and forced herself to breathe. She couldn't crumble here. Not yet.
Amina walked to school with shaking shoulders, but when she reached the compound gate, she straightened herself. Fatima spotted her from afar and ran up immediately.
"You look like you fought a dragon," Fatima said, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It was worse," Amina whispered. "It was home."
As they walked into class, Amina noticed John sitting by the window. He offered her a small smile—the kind that said, I see you're hurting, even if you don't say it. She sat near him, grateful for the unspoken support.
Halfway through class, the principal's secretary walked in.
"Amina Mahmud, principal's office."
Amina froze.
Her heart hammered as she walked down the hallway. Had the school withdrawn her chance because she didn't respond to the letter? Had Maryam called to block her completely?
But the moment she stepped into the principal's office, she frowned. A man she had never seen before was waiting.
He was tall, middle-aged, wearing a neat grey suit. He turned when she entered and gave a gentle smile.
"You must be Amina."
"Yes, sir…"
The principal motioned for her to sit. "This is Mr. Raymond Thompson. He's one of the coordinators for the scholarship board."
Amina blinked, confused. "But—I didn't confirm my interview date. I thought—"
Mr. Thompson raised a hand. "Your teacher reached out on your behalf. She explained your situation. We decided to visit instead."
Amina's breath caught.
Visit? Who did that for her?
Mr. Thompson studied her face. "We've reviewed your academic record. Your scores are exceptional. Beyond that… your teacher said you have remarkable character."
Amina's eyes burned.
Maryam had burned the letter. But her teacher, Mrs. Olaniyi, had refused to let Maryam destroy her future.
"We want you to take the preliminary tests next week," Mr. Thompson continued. "If you pass those, you'll move to the final interview stage."
Amina couldn't speak for a moment.
"Sir… thank you," she whispered. "Thank you so much."
The principal smiled proudly. "You deserve it, Amina."
When she walked out of the office, her legs trembled—not from fear this time, but from relief so powerful it felt like a punch.
Fatima saw her in the hall and hurried over. "What happened? Why are you smiling like someone who just found money?"
Amina laughed through her tears. "Fatima… I still have a chance."
That evening, Amina returned home with careful hope, but as she stepped through the doorway, the air felt wrong—heavy, tense. Her father sat at the table, face tightened with suspicion. Maryam stood beside him with folded arms.
"Where were you after school?" her father demanded.
Amina froze.
"In the principal's office," she said carefully. "There was a visitor—"
Maryam slammed her hand on the table. "Lies! You think we don't know you've been meeting strangers?"
"What strangers?" Amina asked, confused.
Maryam pointed at her like she was pointing at a criminal. "Someone reported seeing you with a man today."
Amina's stomach dropped.
She wasn't even surprised. Maryam was inventing lies again because she sensed Amina slipping out of her control.
"It was the scholarship coordinator," Amina said firmly. "He came to the school."
Maryam let out a mocking laugh. "Scholarship? You? Who would give you anything?"
Amina swallowed the sting. "It's the truth."
Her father's jaw tightened. "Enough. I won't tolerate secret meetings with men."
This time Amina couldn't hold back.
"Dad, why won't you listen to me for once? Why do you believe everything she says without asking me?"
The room went still.
For the first time, Amina saw something flicker in her father's eyes—doubt. A tiny crack in the wall Maryam had built around him.
Maryam saw it too. Her face hardened.
Before Amina could speak again, Maryam grabbed her wrist and dragged her toward the inner room.
"Since you want to act grown," she said coldly, "let's see how far this foolishness goes."
The door slammed behind them.
The shouting started.
And by the time Amina stepped out again, her eyes were swollen, her cheek burning, her spirit trembling.
But deep inside, a new fire had lit.
No matter what Maryam did—
She was going to take that scholarship test.
And she was going to win.