Broken Trails

Not again!

A month later, Fatima had settled in perfectly. She has her chores mastered and a nice allowance. Ghaada was happy to have her, she was good company and great help around the house. Now she wouldn’t be so lonely anymore. In the kitchen one morning, helping with breakfast Fatima worked up enough courage to raise a topic she had for so long been trying to bring up. “Auntie, there’s something I need to tell you, I didn’t tell you before because I was afraid.” Ghaada stopped chopping garlic and looked at Fatima intensely “go on” Fatima scratched her head and looked heavenward for help. “You’re pregnant?” Ghaada asked looking worried. “nooo! It’s nothing like that.” exclaimed Fatima with a shocked expression. Ghaada sighed loudly “Thank God, girl you scared me… come on, out with it, I hate suspense.” She said whacking Fatima playfully with a dish towel. Fatima smiled “okay… please don’t be mad at me.” “Girl, I’m not going to tell you again.” “Ok… umm… I have a little sister, whom I left with my neighbors.”    “What!” Ghaada was clearly upset by the news. “Wait, you don’t understand, I wanted to be sure that I had a safe place to stay before I mentioned her, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier.” “I am very disappointed, Fatima, you should have told me about her from the start, I dislike being deceived. Is there any other information you left out? Any lies? Anyone else I should know about?” Fatima shook her head and tears welled up in her eyes “no, just her, please, please, please can she stay here? I know I should have told you but I was scared. I swear she won’t be any trouble. Please.” “I just can’t believe, you would leave your sister with neighbors, for that long and without checking on her.” “They are good people, we’ve known them for a long time, they offered us a place to stay, it’s just that they are poor and I wouldn’t want to burden them. They only have two rooms for the whole family, that is why I left to find a job and I told her I’d come back for her.” “How old is she?” “She’s fourteen, please, she’s a good girl, she can help around the house and I promise she won’t be any trouble” Fatima said quickly wiping tears from her cheeks. Ghaada turned away from a very emotional Fatima and started chopping the garlic she had abandoned.  After two minutes she said “I’ll think about it.” without looking up from the task at hand.

That night Ghaada knocked on Fatima’s door. “Come in.” called Fatima sitting up quickly. Eager to hear what Ghaada had to say because she could think of little else since they last spoke. Ghaada walked in and shut the door behind her. “I thought about it and I don’t see why not.” Fatima’s face lit up “does that mean she can come?” Ghaada had barely said ‘yes’ when Fatima was hugging her, jumping up and down and thanking her profusely. “Calm down, Calm down” Ghaada said smiling. “When can you pick her up? I could go with you.” Fatima stopped jumping “noo, no no no, that won’t be necessary, don’t bother yourself, I can bring her on my own, I’ll go first thing tomorrow. Inshallah” Ghaada shrugged “okay”

The next day Janaan was on the farm, barefoot, dropping seeds into the holes Mayra had made. The search for Fatima, had sort of died down. No one knew where to look and there was no sign of her. People wanted to help but they also had families and needed to get on with their lives. Khalid had not given up though and he prayed that it was all just a scary dream soon to be over. “She’ll get tired and come back on her own, I’m sure of it.” He kept telling his family. Janaan was not so convinced although she did believe that Fatima was miserable without her. They were very close and did almost everything together. Cool soil squished between her toes as she plodded along through the rich dark earth. “I’m tired!” she announced “I’m going to get some water.” Mayra shrugged and continued making holes. On her way back to the house, Janaan remembered that Khalid was out and Ramzia had gone to pick up some beef for the evening meal. “I can chill for a bit.” She told herself with a smile. Just as she was entering the house she spotted Batool, the cleaner’s youngest daughter, running after her. Janaan stopped and asked the panting five year old why she was running. “u… the lady… the lady… she told me to give you this.” Batool replied holding out a tiny piece of paper wet with sweat from being squeezed to death in her little fist. Janaan took the paper, at first she couldn’t read a thing, the hand writing was extremely small, she squinted… “Meet me… at… the book…no, back… fence now!” Janaan read aloud. She frowned, scratched her cheek with her index finger thoughtfully. “Who gave you this Batool?” “The…the lady… she gave me this too.” The little girl said opening her other hand. Janaan almost fell off the steps when she saw what lay in Batool’s palm. The red and black yarn twisted into a friendship bracelet, was Fatima’s, made by Janaan herself, years ago. Janaan swallowed hard. “I’ll take that.” She said calmly, taking the bracelet from Batool. “run back to mommy now, let’s see how fast you can go… I’m counting… one… two”  the little girl started running, as fast as her little legs could carry her. As soon as Batool was out of sight Janaan took off running in the opposite direction, around the back of the house, her heart racing like a wild stallion. She was barefoot and dirty, her scarf sailed like a flag behind her. She scaled the fence effortlessly and there, not far off was a taxi waiting. Beside the taxi stood a lady in full hijab, Niqab and all, by her stance, Janaan knew this was none but her sister, Fatima. Fatima rushed over and hugged her “Act very calm, I don’t want the driver suspecting anything. Put this on.” She said handing her a black Niqab. Janaan put it on quick and they both calmly walked over to the car and got in.

“Janaan! Janaan!” yelled Mayra. “Has anyone seen Janaan?”

The search went on for days, weeks, months and soon a year had passed. “This is a test from Allah.” Ramzia told Khalid and Mayra through tears “we have to stay strong.” They prayed together in the last hours of the night, for the girls’ safe return. “Allah is with the patient.” Mayra reminded her mother. “Next it’ll be you.” Ramzia cried bitterly. “No, not me, inshallah, I’ll never leave you mommy, no matter what.” Ramzia hugged her daughter tightly and together they cried in the silence of the night.