Malikati

Chapter 1: The northern caliphate border, Hamamah Umar Farouk “Ummi” a little boy tucked on the hem of her dress and she closed her eyes in frustration of having to cater to his excess demands. she had decided to join the women at the well and although she knew bringing him along would not in any way aid her but she was hopeless and could not leave him all alone after he had encouraged her neighbor’s son to have a little taste of the dessert sand. “Ya Allah, you do not give your servant what she cannot handle, rescue me from the snares of evil” she muttered and opened her eyes slowly “yes Saleem?” she answered, so sweetly that Saleem could not see through its trap. “You said we would be joining the feast, Ummi, but it has passed time and you’re still fetching water.” She pretended to not understand what he was saying in hope that he would forget about it and not bother her but fate had other plans. “Raghad’s marriage feast. Ummi, do you not remember telling me that her husband to be was a loose mouth and he smelt like the shepherds in the far east borders?”. Shame and guilt almost made her knees week but she stood firm, and looked around swiftly to see if anyone heard the careless babbling of her young son. Although she knew that the women at the stream definitely heard it, to save her face they pretended not to, but the occasional clearing of throats acted as a means to stifle their laughter. “this boy will be the end of me” she muttered under her breathe again but still picked him up grudgingly “ooh Raghad’s marriage feast, how forgetful of me Saleem, let’s hurry now before we miss the most important part of it” she tried to salvage the situation and with him at her hips, she asked the next person to fill up her empty bowl and leave it at the well as she would come pick it up after the feast. She left hurriedly with her son. “You hopeless thing, do I not feed you well that you should disturb me for a feast?” she smacked his bum the moment they had walked quite a distance from the well. He wailed in fake tears that would soften his mother’s heart and she who could not bear to scold her only companion who didn’t ask to be born into a life of suffering. “The things you do to me Saleem, I pray to heaven every day that you become a rich merchant so that I will be compensated.” Said, cooing him to stop his annoying wailing as they walked to the tent where Sayida Raghad would be wedded to her husband. The moment he saw the younger children running after themselves in a game of tag, Saleem who was once a crying mess in his mother’s arms became sober and without waiting for any other instructions from her, he flew out of her arms and ran towards his playmates. The neighbor’s son seeing him coming from a distance scurried away to find his mother. She sighed as she watched him run and almost fall, he was her world, the light in her dim eyes, if she viewed the world as a heavy grey cloud, Saleem was a color that seemed to stand out. he was the only thing belonging to that man that she had selfishly kept to herself all these years. She knew that she was pregnant in that dungeon and she knew the poison could affect her child but she had tested that man’s resolve, he might not love her but he was no monster. Like she predicted, her saved her. He had the physicians give her the antidote and then he dumped her by the shores of the northern border. A cruel lover he was but she was thankful of his ignorance of Saleem’s existence.it was as though he didn’t think that their nightly rendezvous could produce an heir. “Ya Allah, Saleem leave him alone …” she screamed at the top of her voice as she watched her son chase after the neighbor’s son. “Do not involve yourself in the affairs of children Ummi Saleem”. A deep voice said behind her and she jumped away in panic. Turning to give a scolding to the person who had crept up on her she met his brown eyes and a smirk on his lips. “Hamza son of the sheik, have some mercy and avoid creeping up on me next time.” “How can i? you are always lost in bewilderment of your son.” She took a deep breath and smiled, “that boy is like air, I take my eye off him one minute and the next he is causing trouble” “give him the space he needs to be a child Hamama” he said in a sultry voice and tucked the loose part of her hair behind her ears. She took a step back from him and this seemed to catch his attention. The silence between them thickened and could be sliced with a knife “you are an unmarried man Hamza, the son of the Shiek who has been nothing but kind to me. An entanglement with a stranger who has a son would be nothing but a scandal and a stain on your name”. it wasn’t as though she didn’t like the man standing in a loose flowing garment with his hair wrapped in a turban. She liked him, she liked the promise of stability that he brings, she liked his kind gestures, she likes the danger that comes with entangling in his love, she wanted Saleem to have a father figure in his life but… “why are you hesitant Hamama? Do you think I would not accept your son too?” “Your mother was part of the women who helped in birthing my son Saleem, when I was asked for his father’s name, I told her Saleem had no father and she judged me with her eyes, tell me son of the sheik, do you think that woman would watch her only son marry a sinful woman into her home?” He took a long stride and covered the distance between them, cupping her face into the palm of his hands, he asked “do you think I have no achievement of my own asides being my mother’s only son?” she closed her eyes and sighed, perhaps she was overthinking? “Sayida Hamama, I am going to the capital, I will serve under the Sultans army, I will serve diligently under him and his general that when I’m done, I will ask him for permission to adopt Saleem legally as my son, then I will give you the best of weddings, not as a stained woman but the mother of my son. I will marry you then not as the sheik’s son, but as a warrior marries his bride!” Her eyes widened in horror.