"Your silence will not protect you." - Audre Lorde
Chapter 10: Protect Your Own
Recap:
"Go away Hanaan." He demanded punching the wall again.
"Rasheed please stop!"
"Damn it Hanaan I said leave!" He scowled.
"Just tell me what's wrong!" She insisted.
"What's wrong?" Rasheed questioned in a dangerous tone, "Because you would understand yes? You with your perfect life, with your cheery confidence and flawless record? With your brother here to protect you and your perfect family?"
"You don't know anything about my family." Hanaan stated coldly. Rasheed was taken aback by her tone, almost prompting him to apologize when Hanaan continued. "And you're right, there's no way in hell that I could understand what you're going through but I can help."
Rasheed remained silent.
"I can help if you let me,"
"Everything is wrong." Rasheed muttered. "The war, the refugee camp. My family shouldn't have to be suffering in the cold while I am all nice and toasty with our central heaters blasting everywhere!"
"Suffering in the cold? Why?" Hanaan asked.
"They're living in bloody tents Hanaan!" Rasheed exclaimed infuriated. "No protection from the harsh weather, hot or cold. They'll get sick, for sure they'll get sick with that winter. The diseases travel fast in those camps."
"Don't speak like that!"
"If they didn't die from the war, they'll die in the camp."
"You said you came here so that you can help them. So now stop acting helpless and help them." Hanaan asserted bluntly.
"How!?"
"Donations."
"What?"
"Donations." Hanaan repeated. "We collect blankets, old coats, and old sweaters, anything we can get our hands on. Maybe we can even raise enough money to buy small heaters. We just have to figure out how we send it there. Do you have any idea?"
"I – uhm – Yes." Rasheed managed to say, surprised at how easily she was able to come up with a solution. "The refugee service will be willing to help I'm sure. They can get in touch with the camp."
"Excellent." Hanaan said, her mind churning. "So you do that and I'll set up the advertisement for this on Facebook and on the school newspaper."
"How will you get it on the newspaper? Things like this are not advertised there," Rasheed said.
"I'm the co-editor of the current events section, I'll manage something." Hanaan explained simply, "The more publicity we get for this thing, the better."
"We'll have to book a spot at the University Centre to collect all these things though." Rasheed pointed out. "And we need someone else to be there when we both have class."
"Ammar knows the student association, I could ask him to get us a place." Hanaan resolved, "And I'm sure people will be willing to volunteer at the table, we'll just ask around."
"Wow, that's – that's perfect!"
"It is, I'll inform when Ammar manages to get us a spot." Hanaan said, checking her watch. "I've got to get going, see you,"
"Hanaan," Rasheed called, as she stopped, holding the door half open, "Thank you."
"Any time."
"You did WHAT?!" Hakeem, Hanaan's brother, exclaimed. "Ammar what the hell are you doing? You're meant to protect her from these-"
"I don't need protecting, I can think for myself!" Hanaan argued.
"She won't listen to anyone. You know that best." Ammar said, taking the phone from Hanaan.
"So let me get this straight." Hakeem said, "She's just helping him put together this thing, just this one time?"
"She can hear, it's on speaker." Hanaan interjected. "And it's just a donation event, no big deal ok. Calm down."
"Ammar!" Hakeem bellowed.
"I explained our dear sister the consequences!" Ammar exclaimed.
"Apparently you didn't do a very good job!"
"Clearly." Ammar muttered.
"You guys are way overreacting!" Hanaan declared.
"Are we? Because now he knows you are willing to help him." Hakeem began. "It starts with something small like a charity event. Then he'll need help for something else, and who else to turn to than the mighty Hanaan?"
"Not to mention his status is shaky as hell back in his home town." Ammar added. "People will be after him. Once you associate yourself with him, you're in the down."
"This is all based on assumptions. Prove it and I'll listen to you." Hanaan debated.
"We just gave you a perfectly logical explanation Hanaan, stop being so stubborn!" Hakeem sighed frustrated.
"How about this, we give him one month. If he comes asking for help again, you steer clear, understand?" Ammar proposed.
"He didn't ask this time either, I insisted on finding out what was wrong, he didn't even want to tell me."
"Smart guy, he doesn't ask directly. Got to give him credit for that." Hakeem muttered.
"How about this." Hanaan said. "If he does ask anything that might put me in danger, or anything that might put my name in the list that his name is on, I will steer completely clear."
"Deal." Hakeem and Ammar agreed.
YOU ARE READING
More Than Tomorrow
General Fiction"It was inevitable. It happened so slowly, so imperceptibly, that no one saw it coming. And then... Chaos. Everything I knew, my home, my life, was destroyed right in front of my eyes." Rasheed had it all. A loving family, caring friends, and was on...
