TEN
No matter how certain you were that escaping to the desert was your only path to salvation, you didn’t know if you possessed the courage and determination to follow through with it. The feeling of suffocation that had afflicted you in the garage now returned violently, as though someone had suddenly come and placed a giant boulder on your chest. Frustration and despair built up and hindered your breathing.
Hawaa was on her way back from the market with a basket full of fruit and vegetables when she saw you putting your hand to your chest, loosening your tie and the buttons of your shirt with nervous jerky movements to give your lungs room to inhale. Alarmed, she put the basket to one side and raced over, supporting you and helping you up the stairs to find something to relieve your c
