But the stress of hiding it takes a toll on Nana.
Before the sun is fully up, she forces her aching body up from the straw mat herself. Her limbs feel heavy, like stones pressing down on her, her back throbs with a pain that will not fade. Her body is no longer just hers, and she no longer gets to forget that—the exhaustion haunts her skin, seeps into her bones.
Slowly exhaling she braces herself against the cold air of the morning.
No one will care if she is tired. No one will care if she is in pain.
She is nothing here. Less than a maid. And if she does not work, she will not eat.
Her fingers tremble slightly as she reaches for the ragged dress folded at the edge of her mat. She pulls it over her thin frame, wincing as a sharp pain shoots through her waist. It’s unbearable some days
