Adaliya went to her local high school where she usually was teased. She was called by different names like- ‘weirdo, ugly, Negro, etc.’ she was pretty used to it. She tried to ignored people but for some reason it was impossible.

She tried to focus on her studies but was not interested in that too. She attended school regularly but sat like an absent minded. Her teachers were also not that co-operating. They cursed her for her bad grades and moreover her complexion, indirectly.

One day she scored a d- in maths test and her teachers yelled at her bitterly said, “Adaliya, You will have to study hard child, because you will have to take care of your own expenses as you know no man here will marry you for your face.”

That day, as she was heading to the canteen, the meanest girl of her class, Suzie, the daughter of the mayor, blocked her way and said, “Hey weirdo, so poor your condition is. D-! What a grade! You know I’ve got a scholarship and now am going to the topmost school in the whole state to study there.” Adaliya replied in a relieved tone, “Ah! Finally the biggest trouble of my life is going to be gone. Congratulations to you and many more congratulations to me.” Suzie ragefully said, “Do you know who you’re messing with.”

“Not a God, not a superhuman either, just a normal human, nothing so special.”

Suzie got angry and pushed Adaliya. She fell really hard. Adaliya also got angry and pushed Suzie even harder. They broke into a huge fight. The principal was informed. Suzie was only suspended for a week as she was the mayor’s daughter and, Adaliya was suspended for a month.

In the evening, after being fed up with the tiring day, she went to her favourite place, which was a forestry area. That day, she sat down, closed her eyes and started singing,

“I know why the caged bird sings,

It cannot fly and it cannot leap,

So he sits down in a corner to weep.

“Who is going to wipe my tears”, he cries,

But the free bird leaps as he flies.

For the caged bird sings of freedom.”

Her voice was full of pain and her eyes were full of tears. She laid down under a tree and closed her eyes again, this time, to listen to the free birds singing around her.

That day, she went home late. Her stepmother, who was a racist herself, yelled at her, “Congratulations! You are suspended, little piece of trash. Why are you always out with that awful face of yours? People might get scared of you. You know what? From now onwards you will only leave for school and then come back home the right next second of your school bell. You should be grateful to me that I’m not stopping you from going to school and scaring the other children. Once your dad is out of town, you’ll never be out again. I don’t know why he hasn’t sent you to the orphanage again yet. Children like you belong there. I wish you were never born, or even better, your mother was never born.” Saying this she snatched the necklace Adaliya was wearing, which was the only thing Adaliya had of her real mother, and threw it in the raging fire of the burning stove. Adaliya left to her bedroom in tears and buried her head in the pillow.

She was weeping and in a very cracking, trembling and low voice, she sang “I know why the caged bird sings…”

*****