16/09/2025
The Maid’s Silent Dream
Amara was only sixteen when she left her village for the city. Her mother had fallen sick, and her father had no job. With three younger siblings to feed, Amara had no choice but to work as a maid in a wealthy household.
Her days began before the first light of dawn. She would scrub the marble floors until they shone, wash clothes until her hands were rough, and cook meals she never got to taste. The madam of the house often scolded her for the smallest mistake, while the children shouted at her as if she were invisible.
Yet, despite the hardship, Amara carried a secret dream. At night, when everyone was asleep, she would sneak into the corner of the kitchen where an old newspaper lay forgotten. With a stub of charcoal, she traced the letters, teaching herself to read. She dreamed of going to school, of one day writing her own name in ink, not just in the shadows of charcoal.
One evening, the young son of the house forgot his schoolbook on the dining table. Amara opened it carefully, her heart pounding. The pages were filled with stories, poems, and lessons. For weeks, whenever no one was watching, she read a little more. Her world began to expand beyond the walls of the house—into places she had never seen, into hopes she had never dared to keep alive.
Years passed. Amara saved every little coin she earned, hiding them in an old tin beneath her thin mattress. One day, when her mother was strong again and her siblings old enough to help at home, Amara left the big house with only a small bag and her precious tin.
She enrolled herself in night school. The teacher, surprised at her determination, encouraged her. Amara studied tirelessly, cleaning houses in the day and learning at night. Slowly, she began to write—not just her name, but her own stories.
Her first story was about a poor maid who dreamed of freedom. When it was published years later in a local newspaper, Amara cried. For the first time, her voice had been heard.
She was no longer just a maid. She was a storyteller, a dreamer, and proof that even the poorest heart could hold a fire strong enough to light the world.