Tale In The Red Sand

Epilouge

Turin, Italy 1974

Hibaaq walked with guidance because she couldn't see what was in front of her, all she registered was that the ground they walked on was soft, as soft as grass, if the smell of morning dew wasn't already a dead giveaway. It smelt so fresh and if she strained her ears hard enough, she could hear a gushing body of water in the distance.

"Can I look now?" She asked, her fingers clasping over the thick ones that covered her eyes. She playfully tugged at them. "Come on, let me see."

"Not yet, just a little more."

She counted her steps after that. One, two, three, four, five, six — the fingers uncovered her eyes and Hibaaq slowly peeled them open to the view before her. She blinked once then twice, her eyes flitting around the green landscape, wondering if she was dreaming or if she was really standing in such an ethereal place.

Hibaaq widened her eyes to saucers at the majestic Manor House nestled amidst the lush, emerald green grassy fields. It was huge and littered with paned windows. The front and sides of the muddy brown brick was covered in vines, that grew the most beautiful climbing hydrangeas. The air was perfumed with the sweet scent of blooming flowers, their vibrant colours harmoniously dancing in the warm summer breeze. In the distance, Hibaaq spotted a serene woodland, with a thick line of trees standing tall and mighty towards the sky. A place where nature's beauty and serenity came together in perfect rhapsody.

Since leaving the car, they had trekked for awhile to reach the astonishing estate. Hibaaq kind of liked that it didn't have an extravagant driveway and a fancy fountain in the middle or humongous stairs leading up to the house. It was simply exquisite. Now the question is, why did her dear husband bring her here all of a sudden. She whirled around to peer inquisitively at her grinning husband. "Ercole, my love, what is this place?" She asked him.

"It's yours." He answered.

Hibaaq's jaw slackened, she couldn't believe her ears. "You mean to tell me, this house... is ours?"

"Not ours, it's yours, Bella." Ercole said again. "If you'll have me, I'll gladly stay," He jested. A minute had gone by since she said anything else, Hibaaq only stared hard at her husband to see when his mischievous grin would pop out and tell her it's all a big joke, but Ercole only returned the hard stare with a glimmer of entertainment lighting his hazel eyes.

"Not just the house by the way, the whole estate is yours. From the fields beyond it"- Ercole gently spun her around by the shoulders, and pulled her frame into his broad chest before resting his stubbled chin atop her covered head. His arm raised and he started to draw a line through the air.  "Through those woods, and a little further across the stream, it's all yours, Habibti." 'Habibti' was a new term of endearment added to her many other pet names, she couldn't say she liked it more than 'Bella' but it beat 'sugar cheeks' by a million.

Hibaaq was left astounded, she didn't no what to say, a 'thank you' she supposed, but would that simply cut it. "Ercole, I"- She paused, suddenly remembering something... her mehr. It wasn't money, or a car or a ring. She remembered uttering at her nikkah, 'an estate' and it wasn't something she calculated the night before or even days before then. Hibaaq didn't ponder on a fixed mehr at all until the imam of the masjid asked her for it. It must've been a nervous blubber, a thought in the spur of the moment because she couldn't think of a number to give. Now here she was, with what she asked for, five summers later.

"It took five years to build, and I know you didn't specify where you wanted it, so I figured my mother's hometown would be perfect to build it on."

If Hibaaq thought she was astounded before then she was incomprehensibly shocked now. "You built it, it wasn't purchased! What about the vines on the house, they look years old?!"