Zaria was now in Primary Six—at least secretly. In her heart, she had moved beyond just dreaming. She was learning, growing, and chasing something real. Even though her name wasn't on the school register, her mind sat in that classroom every day.
Teacher Lilian had gone above and beyond for her. Not only did she continue preparing lessons, but she also convinced her fellow teachers to help. Mr. Kamoga, who taught science, provided simplified worksheets. Miss Grace prepared creative writing exercises and English passages. Together, they built something like a school-in-the-shadows, crafted especially for Zaria.
To avoid raising suspicion at home, the teachers helped design a special study kit. The booklets were disguised as recycled market packaging. They wrapped the pages in old newspapers and tied them with string, so to anyone else, it looked like a bunch of trash Zaria carried from the forest.
At home, Zaria's workload only grew heavier. Since her promotion to housemaid had been "sealed" by her father months ago, Sarah made sure she didn't rest. She cleaned, washed, cooked, and even repaired torn clothes. The only comfort she had was the storeroom—a small, dusty space in the backyard that served as her bedroom and study den.
Still, Zaria's spirit remained unbroken.
She studied every night with her small torch, using her knees as a desk and an old sack as a chair. Despite the exhaustion, she still found comfort in the pages. Sometimes, she'd pause just to dream. Her journal—an old, half-used exercise book she'd rescued from the trash—was now filled with scribbles, reflections, and hopes she hadn't shared with anyone.
> "I dream of being a doctor and helping children who don't have medicine," she wrote one night.
"Or an aeroplane engineer. I want to touch the sky and fix the machines that carry people to better lives. Maybe I can write about it one day too, so others don't give up."
---
Her growing confidence didn't go unnoticed.
One evening, Sarah narrowed her eyes as Zaria greeted a neighbor respectfully.
"You've been talking too well lately," she said, her voice laced with suspicion. "Almost like those girls who go to school."
Zaria immediately shrank back into herself. "No, Mama. I just hear things in the market."
"Hmph," Sarah muttered. "Talk too much and you'll talk your way out of this house."
Zaria kept her head down, but her fingers clutched her basket tighter. She had to be more careful.
---
Meanwhile, trouble brewed elsewhere.
Linda's mother, Mama Agnes, had begun to notice that her daughter often lingered in the evenings, sneaking out with books wrapped in banana leaves.
"Linda," she asked one day, "who are those books for?"
Linda hesitated. Her mother wasn't cruel, but she was known for being strict.
"They're… for someone who needs them," she finally said.
Her mother gave her a long look. "You're not stealing from school, are you?"
"No, Mama!" Linda said quickly. "It's… it's for Zaria."
Mama Agnes's expression softened slightly. "The girl who lives with Sarah?"
Linda nodded. "She's very bright, Mama. But she's suffering. She studies in secret and wants to become a doctor—or maybe an engineer. Teacher Lilian helps her too."
There was a long silence.
Finally, her mother sighed. "Keep your secrets, but be careful. Helping people is good. Just don't get into trouble."
That was as close to permission as Linda would get. It was enough.
---
Back in the shadows of the forest, Zaria's learning continued to bloom.
Sometimes, Teacher Lilian would meet her with a thermos of porridge and slices of roasted cassava.
"You need energy, my little genius," she'd say warmly.
The teachers even started preparing mock exams to test Zaria's progress. She scored above 90% in nearly every subject. Linda, now second in class, was proud—not jealous.
One afternoon, after completing a science test under the tree, Zaria looked up at the sky.
"Do you think I can make it, Linda?" she asked quietly.
Linda looked at her friend—the girl who carried firewood with one hand and her future with the other.
"I don't think," she replied. "I know you will."
---
That night, Zaria returned to her journal.
> "They don't know it yet, but I am going to fly. I will wear a lab coat. I will fix airplanes. I will write books. I will not stay hidden forever."
She tucked the journal under the bricks behind her mat, next to her torch. Her mind was alive with knowledge and her heart pulsed with courage.
But as her hope grew, so did the danger.
Sarah's suspicion wasn't going away. One day, she noticed a piece of lined paper peeking from Zaria's dress pocket. Zaria quickly shoved it back in and faked a sneeze.
That night, she buried all her study materials in a small hole behind the latrine and covered it with a rusted iron sheet.
"I have to protect my dream," she whispered.
---
In school, Teacher Lilian began speaking to the headteacher quietly.
"I know it's risky," she said, "but we can't keep hiding her forever. She deserves a real seat in class."
The headteacher sighed. "Without her parents' consent, we can't register her officially."
"I know," Lilian said. "But maybe—just maybe—if we speak to the district officer..."
The seed had been planted. Change was inching closer.
---
Back in her storeroom, Zaria flipped through the English textbook again, pausing at the photo of the airplane.
> "I will fly above it all," she whispered. "I will rise above this house that never loved me."
Then she smiled, closed the book, and went to sleep.