Ali's mother had died in childbirth, meaning Ali had never met her. She had never experienced a mother's love. Although her brother doted on her in every possible way, it could not fill the void of maternal affection in her heart.
That was until she met Ophelia. When Ali was sick, Ophelia would stay up all night caring for her, doing everything she could to cure her. For the first time, Ali felt familial love from someone other than her brother. Whenever Ali complained that the ginger soup tasted awful, Ophelia would make brown sugar from sugarcane just to sweeten it and take away the bitterness.
To Ali, Ophelia felt like a friend, an older sister, and even a mother. Though she always called Ophelia "sister," in her heart, she had long regarded her as a maternal figure. She loved and respected her, and she would not allow anyone to bully her—not even Ophelia's own biological daughter.
