As she steps into the light I can see that she’s wearing the mermaid dress. Except it looks far too big on her, because it belongs to her mother I suppose.

‘Just outside,’ Aminah says, shrugging. She’s trying to act casual, but her voice is shaking.

Mama raises her eyebrows. ‘Don’t insult me, Aminah. You’re trying to tell me you dressed up in my clothes just to go outside into the courtyard?’

Aminah nods.

It was the truth after all.

Mama steps towards her. In the harsh light of the kitchen her skin glows like a wizard whose powers are charged, ready to strike.

‘Don’t lie to me.’ Mama’s eyes are fire, and her voice is ice.

And I could swear, just then, that the branches shrivel back and hiss in fear. They slither away from Mama like snakes along the wall, leaving Aminah to fend for herself.

‘I’m not!’ she insists.

I want so much to tell my grandmother that Mum is telling the truth, just not all of it.

‘What is this?’ Mama asks again, snatching what was in Aminah’s hands: a book of fairy tales. She opens it up and reads something on the first page. ‘What does this mean? “Move to England”?’

I stand up, walk over to them, and look at the inscription myself.

August 1989

Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair.

I’ll miss you when move to England, but I know we’ll always be best friends.

Love you always,

R

‘Explain,’ Mama says. ‘Now.’ The three syllables ricochet off the walls and ring around the room like angry bells.

But Aminah doesn’t speak. I’m not sure if she’s too scared to talk, or if she’s not sure what to say. But all too quickly Mama fills the silence.

‘I found the photos in your sister’s room! Did you make her hide them for you?’

‘What do you mean?’ Aminah looks confused, but I know exactly what Mama is talking about, because this is the argument Zaina warned me about.

Mama grabs a box from the table and shoves it into Aminah’s arms.

Aminah removes the lid and looks through reams and reams of photos. Aminah and Rawan rehearsing with the others over the course of several evenings. Aminah and Rawan in their secret hideaway alone.

I lean over and look at them all too.

‘I will ask you one more time, and this time no lying. Where have you been? And what does this mean?’ She frowns down at the book, like it’s cursed. Maybe for her it is.

Aminah sighs and tells the truth. She tells Mama about the play, and about Rawan and the others.

‘Why?’ Mama asks simply.

‘Because I enjoy it! And I . . . I . . .’ Aminah looks down at her feet. ‘I want to go to school abroad.’