17
Nousha
Zahra woke suddenly in the night and tiptoed into the living room, convinced she’d heard rustling outside her window. When she risked a look, the hostel grounds were deserted. A crescent moon floated in the clear night sky. She opened the window a fraction and the thin curtains moved slightly in the breeze from the ocean. She could smell a salt tang—was it the smell of the sea? She had never seen the ocean in her whole life. She promised herself she would take Ahmad to the beach soon. Through the open window, she could hear the dull rhythmic sound of the surf. A small animal scampered across the grass, startling her before it vanished into the trees.
The silence helped her to organise her thoughts. She would have some Australian money soon, thanks to Karim’s earlier gift of Am
