The Life of Zara

CHAPTER TWO

I sat down on the bed. After trying to eat something, I feel a little better. I turned to look at Laila. She is waiting for me to tell her when I'm ready . She's not asking me what I want to talk about. This is so unlike her.

"Laila," I called her name to get her attention. She turned to look at me without answering.

"How much do you know about my relationship with aunty Hafsa? "I asked the question even though I know how much she knows.

"She adopted you. And brought you here." She answered looking unsure as if she is scared her words will hurt me.

"That's not all of it. My mom gave me out to aunty Hafsa."

"You have a mom?" She asked shocked.

"And a younger brother too." I added.

"I use to live with my mom, dad and my younger brother in a small town in Mumbilah."

"Have you heard of the place before?" She nodded.

"It's a small town. That consist of mainly hills. It's a grass land. A beautiful place. I smiled thinking of the bitter-sweet memories. It was a happy family for us. We have no other family members because I learned that my mom ran away to get married to my father. We have no other relatives. Thus we get along with the neighbors very well. They are the closest thing to other family members we have. But there was a war. It started with killings of few people around our small town. Later they attacked the village. I was very young to understand most of it. They were killing the males, abducting females, and burning houses. It is the most terrifying moment of my life. We fled together with some few neighbors. We lost my father on the run. Dead or alive we don't know. But we have to continue with the run. We couldn't stop. Else we will all die."

"We were able to make it to another village. We decided to settle there. We got some help from the people there. Mom rented a small house with the little she has. She was very weak from what she had to go through. She looked older in Just the past few weeks. I tried to look for jobs. It was a village and I couldn't find a house that could employ a maid. We were at extreme poverty. We hardly have what to eat. Sometimes my brother and I will work at farm when ever someone needed help. He was very young. But he was strong. He will always say he will work hard and buy a house for mom and I." I smiled at the memory. Blinking away the tears in my eyes.

"We stayed in that village until I turned 14. At 14 I look older than girls my age. I look like 16 or something. Having no father or someone to look after me, the bad guys around always try to get to me. My mom was very scared. She will send me to sleep at our neighbors place. Aunty Hafsa came to live in a house close to ours. She came to look for her lost brother. She helped us alot. She is a good woman. She spent four months in our village when she decided to leave. Mom asked her if she could take me. She believes my life is in danger with her. She entrusted me to Aunty Hafsa. When I was told I refused. I couldn't leave my mom and younger brother behind. But mom was adamant. I had to leave."

I broke down at the painful memory. Laila hugged me with tears running down her eyes. "It's okay, she whispered rubbing my back. You don't have to say it all. It's okay."

"I want to let it out Laila. Let me finish, I have started telling you. Let me tell you all." I couldn't stop the tears from falling. I don't even know what I am feeling. My chest feels heavy. My heart feels like bursting. I shake my head from side to side. "I will tell you all of it." I murmured.

"You will tell me rest okay?" Laila whispered rocking me like she would a baby." But let me get you some water first." You should rest a little. She got off the bed and went out.

"Here," Laila said handing me some tissues. I blow my nose and took it to the trash can at the door. Getting back on the bed she handed me a glass of water. I gulped it down and place the empty glass on the bedside drawer. I straighten my body. My back against the headboard, folding my legs I took a pillow and hugged it. Laila sprawled on the bed her face in her hands. She stared at me without uttering a word.

"At last, I had to leave." I Continued. It was the most heart stopping, heart breaking moment of my life. Yusuf, my younger brother refused to see me go. He said he is busy. But I know exactly how he feels."

"Laila, when aunty Hafsa brought me here. She treated me like the daughter she never had. She makes sure I lacked nothing. She was more than good to me. She did everything and more to me. But her family did not feel the same about me. I thought they simply dislike me. That things will change with time. But no, they hate me. They called me names. To them, I'm a beggar, I'm a bastard, a w***e that sleeps around. They never see any good in me. They never miss a chance to insult me. But when ever I'm in the presence of aunty Hafsa, they pretend to love me. To care for me. To be my family. I have to go on with it. Even if I complain it will be me that will look bad. Afterall I don't want to cause any problem between her and her family. She has done more than enough for me. "

The tears are no longer falling, I could only feel the pain in my heart. And the constant headache I'm feeling this days.

"It's okay," Laila tried to comfort me. "You don't have to say anymore. Allah is with you. He will find a way out for you. You should continue to pray."

Laila is helping me prepare food in the kitchen. She insisted on helping me before she leaves.

I'm not even sure if he will eat the food. He hates me Afterall. He always look at me with disgust. To him, I'm selfish, a witch, a w***e. I don't have to ask anyone to know his mom put those ideas in his head. I sometimes wonder how much she told him to make him hate me this much or how she did it. Aunty zainab, his mom is the youngest sister of Aunty Hafsa. Not even in my wildest dreams will I ever think of marrying her son with the kind of hatred she feels toward me. She wished I never came to their life. When Aunty Hafsa told me Ahmed proposed. I thought he likes me. I didn't know he was forced into the marriage. I still don't know why Aunty Hafsa did this but she aksed me to trust her. That she will tell me her reason only when the time comes.

After setting the dining, Laila decided to leave.

"Thank you. This means alot to me." I smiled giving her a quick hug. "You are the best."

"You don't need to thank me." she waved me off as we walked to the door the same time Ahmed is coming in.

"Ina wuni" (good afternoon) Laila greeted him.

He didn't answer, he only nodded his head in acknowledgement.

"You don't have to walk me out." She wishpered as she rushed out. I turned and found Ahmed staring at me with a displeased look on his face. His gaze is making my skin itch. His face cold.

"It seems you are getting comfortable in this house already." He voiced out the words. His voice thick and stern.

I stayed rooted. I don't know how to handle a situation like this. He is looking at me from head to toe as if analyzing a specimen only that he has that look of disgust he always show to me.

"I don't want to see her in this house again you selfish brat! Did you hear me?"

"What?" How could he do this to me? Why would he do this?

"Did you not hear me?" He asked again taking a step closer.

"I heard you.." I managed to voice out.

"Good. You are not here to get comfortable." With that he walked to his room slamming the door shut.