Sorry, but I need to correct this. Maya wasn't present. She heard about the incident and decided to stop talking as a result of her trauma. She thought that her telling the truth had caused the man's death. So, except to her brother Bailey, she didn't speak another word for about a year.

Also, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings is the first part of her seven-volume autobiography. :-) I should know. I re-read all the books back in the summer. I'm a Maya fan. :-)