THE RISING SUN

CHAPTER ONE

The calm surroundings of Ashurla overtly revealed its beautiful scenery. The sweet smells from the desert wind, and the dangling trees stationed in serried ranks in each compound, which were not only for beautification, but also for the safety of the buildings, had always made the neighbourhood an appealing haven for residents. It was a sizable village located in the countryside with loving neighbours all around. Despite the fact that social amenities were not sufficient in the area, the residents were always content with what they had, and were always going about their activities with the available amenities provided by the state; grooming their wards in a way that would preserve their belief, and enable them to persevere economically.

The thick thud produced by her fall left Mrs Aysha's spoon clatter on the floor as she dashed out of the kitchen to see what was happening.

"Oh dear! What happened to you?" she asked.

As she struggled to explain, her mum patted on her back, and assisted her move into the sitting room.

"Just quickly go and have your bath while I arrange the shea butter for you; I already have some cool water in the bathroom."

After some minutes, Zainab had finished bathing, and her mum had also finished backing the few loaves of bread she had in the oven. So, she set the dining table and invited her to dinner. As they were about having the meal, a familiar noise sprung outside.

"Oh! Your dad and your brother are back."

She couldn't utter a word, but the grin flowering her face showed that she was pleased at their return. She would always remember the next gesture according to her mum's teachings. So, she suspended eating, and ran out to welcome them.

"You all returned at the right time. It's an omen of good fortune." she said with a wide smile on her face. So, she gave her dad a hug, and Abdul, a wave that was only peculiar to both of them.

"What could make our return a special occasion?" Abdul said to himself, pondering on what his sister had just said.

As she led them into the sitting room, the aroma from the dining table revealed the type of cuisine served on the table.

"Oh! I should have known" , Abdul said to himself.

"You're welcome, honey!" Aysha said with smiles on her face as she moved into Ahmed's arm. Then, she turned to her son and fondled him on his back.

"Would you have your bath before eating, or ...?"

"A served meal does not require any delay in eating it, so we will eat before bathing."

The entire family burst into laughter. So they moved on to sit at the table for the dinner

While eating, the memory of her fall crept into her mind. She lost her appetite, and the content of her mind began to show on her countenance.

As her mum, Aysh knew that bread with Tzatziki Sauce was her favourite. She also believed that the meal was tasty. But what could be the problem? Initially she could not lay her finger on anything. But the vibe created by Zainab reminded her that she was yet to tell her what really made her to fall.

"I think it would be better if I first talked with her privately", she said to herself. In order not to create any discomfort at the table, Aysha decided to cheer her up.

"Eat, my dear! I'm glad to have made your favourite, and I'm sure you are too."

Zainab was immediately recovered by her mum's words, so she wryly smiled, and nodded.

After dinner, Aysha invited her to the tree where they used to have some rest at noon. She felt it would be witty to begin with the first incident.

"Why did you suddenly fall so heavily earlier?"

She also tried to gather her wit. Although she was taught never to lie, there are certain tensions that lying can calm.

"Mum, this is already weekend. Remember, the deadline for our upcoming GCSE is in the next two weeks. We're yet to register for the exams, mum."

"Was it what actually made you fall down?"

"I was really lost in thinking about it, mum, so I missed my step, and fell down."

Aysha's approach might have given her an answer contrary to her expectation. She had a deep breath, and thought about it for a while.

"Don't worry, your father will do something about that."

So, she dismissed her, and advised her to apply the shea butter before resting in bed. Aysha reflected on the current situation for some minutes before she went into the room to meet her husband.

She was just a baker, who was only selling loaves of bread in the area of little population, it was not flourishing, not in the least. While Ahmed was a farmhand to some families that were able to hire him.

"What do we do now?" she said to herself. Then she stood sluggishly and went into the room to meet her husband.

"Why has your mood changed suddenly, my wife?"

She inhaled and exhaled deeply.

"Zainab was reminding me of the upcoming GCSE that her brother and she are yet to register."

"I don't really know how to register both of them all at once. To my mind, let Abdul register for the exams first. After all, she's a girl, even though she's more intelligent."

Aysha had no reason to argue, because she already knew that registering both of them would be difficult for them due to the paucity of finance in the family.

"It's ok then! I hope she really understands us!"

"She should; she's not a baby", he said to himself, and turned to the wall lying down to have a nap.

Of course, Aysha would think about the issue over again before joining her husband in the bed. Her eyes were glistened with tears as she felt deeply sad about how an intelligent child should not be preferred to her brother in a situation like this, just because of gender discrepancy. She sighed deeply and later joined her husband in bed.