The landlord gave them a final warning.
Sami’s school sent a notice about unpaid fees.
One evening, Amina opened the refrigerator and found little more than a bottle of water, some leftover rice, and half a loaf of bread.
She closed the door and leaned against it.
For the first time, she began wondering whether she had made a mistake by marrying a man whose loyalty to his father seemed stronger than his commitment to his own household.
That night, she confronted Malik.
“I cannot keep living like this.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t! You leave every morning looking for work, and I stay here trying to make food stretch for three people. We are drowning, Malik!”
He lowered his head.
“What do you want me to do?”
“I want us to stop pretending everything will somehow be fine.”
Her voice broke.
“Perhaps your father should move in with one of your brothers. They have bigger houses than we do. Why must we be the ones to suffer?”
