Under the Olive Tree

5. Khamsa

It was late in the afternoon when Amani's eyes were no longer too heavy to open. She turned onto her back to stare up at the painted ceiling of butterflies above her with a heavy sigh, counting them the same way she'd grown accustomed to doing every day. Identifying each pair of fluttering wings had become a morning ritual that pushed her mind to softly pull Amani from her sleep.

As she counted the twenty-seventh wings, her mind finally woke enough to remember the dream she'd just dreamt in her last moments of rest. Amani abandoned the numbered mission and allowed her thoughts to play out the only scene she could remember.

She'd been standing in an empty street of aged travertine tiles, freshly washed in a way that left the crevices damp with the darkened residue of past dust. Cerulean blue doors and window panes lined the beige home to her right and two motorcycles were parked behind one another opposite of them. Amani's footsteps followed the dark line of stone that followed the street's center.

Her eyes scanned the wooden chairs near the end of the walkway before rising to the colorful lights hanging from the wooden covering stretching between the homes. Each round bulb hung from the thick vines growing from the roofs of both homes, across the covering, and dangling down a few inches above her head.

Amani's heart grew more in her chest with every step she took forward. The sound of her own sandals against the tile joined the rustling of the leaves and jingling of the lights were the only reminders of life filling the night around her.

She'd smiled at the overwhelming feeling in her breast, knowing it was sweet and full, but knowing nothing else. Whatever it had been, she savored every string in her heart it tugged on and, even as she lay in her bed, felt it fading beneath her covers.

Then, she remembered that she'd turned around to find that she wasn't alone. A man was following behind her wearing a white thobe that illuminated him in her eyes. Once she looked closer at the approaching figure, Amani saw Bread Boy.

He was smiling at her a full smile that he didn't even try to hide and his eyes were on hers like all he needed was her gaze. Amani saw the lights' reflecting in his colored irises more clearly with every step he took closer to her. She pulled in a sharp breath to pass oxygen to her weakening muscles because she'd wanted Bread Boy to look at her but, if this was how his attention felt, she wasn't sure she could hold her strength in front of him.

It was unlike anything she'd ever felt. A feeling that filled her chest but left a dangerously massive abyss in her stomach. The confusion made her fingers ache.

His lips parted and she didn't hear his voice but saw the single word melt into his smile. "Amani."

The gulp that raced down her throat was involuntary as he stopped in front of her, peering over her features with an overflowing softness in his gaze. He glanced down and Amani followed him to see him pull his hand from beside him, reaching for hers.

She froze and he paused, watching the hesitation on her features. Amani met his gaze then looked down again, unsure what to do with his sudden desire to touch her.

If she was awake, he would never do such a thing. This was a dream though, wasn't it? So, she could do what she wanted.

So Amani had suppressed her racing heart and-.

A loud boom rocked the house and tore Amani out of her daze. She gripped the blanket as her bed creaked loudly under the sudden impact, unsure if she was still dreaming. But her Aunt's scream wasn't a creation of her imagination and Amani realized that whatever she'd just heard hadn't been in her mind.

"Get down! Amani!"

She pushed her blankets off hurried onto the floor as another blast rocked the village. The frame hung by the wardrobe fell to the floor and shattered behind her. "Auntie!" Amani cried out, feeling as if the entire world was vibrating with the force that blew through her.