Sheby decided to go at night, when it was cold and felt lonely. It fit her mood and it might make things easier.
She inhaled to steady her beating heart as she walked on the streets. She watched as children ran around their parents, happy and free, and she thought of her old self; though timid, she was happy and had never encountered danger.
She had no parents and had known herself as an orphan all her life. She found herself with other children who were only given two square meals, sometimes one, sometimes none at all, so they would have to find a ripe mango tree to climb and eat.
It was exhausting, so she ran away, seeking refuge, but no one would take her in. Then she went to Safiya's mother, and the woman didn't even hesitate to bring her to her home.
Despite the hardship, she was happy, especially when she became a maid. It was, after all, the only time she ate three square meals.