the chronicles of Night:the forgotten Diary

legal custody

 Alexandria-circa 1941 afew months  before the raid on alexandria...

Dear Diary,

I have no memories before being found on the Nile River, prior to age 12. I can't remember who I was, or what I was doing but I can see that there was something because I have frequent nightmares. It's all in a hidden fog but I can sense its presence, locked in a mental chest surrounded by barbed wire and electrified. I have this journal that I was given, that has the story written of what I know one day I will lose, as a record for when I do gain my memory and I know I will. Sadly, such beauty and innocence will quickly be forgotten when it all comes back. This will only be recorded on these pages, but right now I look all wet from apparently drifting down the river. I must have hit my head on a rock or something because my head hurt like a massive migraine. I was sick and nauseous. I knew my name was Kaliya, I knew I could hunt, fight, and read and I knew how to sign language all of which was rare, given I was an Egyptian slave and education was for the rich or nepotism. I was a little numb but I could feel myself, barely.

It's cold, and I passed in and out of consciousness, drenched and cold and weak. Just before I fell asleep, burned out, not at all in living conditions, I saw a shadow of a woman tower over me but her image is faint and blurry and I pass out. I don't know how long I'm out, seconds became minutes, and minutes became hours, and it feels like I was out for days. I didn't know how much time passed and when my vision finally came back I was floating, moving but I wasn't keen enough to focus, and again I was out. Another long period seemed to pass and I woke up to see the same woman from before watching me from her cot on the floor. I was a little defensive and I instantly brought up some of the moves from my mind that I knew so well, and yet I'm shocked, nothing came to mind I just huddled in the corner with my hands up and I shivered, but she understands my thoughts because she smiles softly and pats my head as if I was a child, wait I was a child wasn't I? Yes, I was 12 that notice didn't leave me, I was a young-blood my birthday was in 1928, but why do I feel older?.

She started talking to me asking questions. " little one your name ? hungry? I see your timid Your shivering or are you just  cold let's get you out of those clothes" I looked around the house, it was hot out, and yet the water made me shiver and my voice jumped in pitch as I sneezed. I didn't want to get sick so I went along with her. She takes me into another room, her room looked, and asks me to take off my clothes. At first, I was hesitant. I don't think it's wise so I finally open my mouth and begin the first communication with this woman that will one day become quite the building blocks to me knowing family life..  

"me you doont knaow. whay I shoould bear myself? I mean I-?" 

I continued, moving my hands around in between us between her and me. I ask a little bashful. She understood my reasoning and held up her hand and smiled at me softly cutting me off, and blinked slightly a sign of calm understanding said; 

" AA Rassi, may deear, Niale, mud, zweat, and zeand, bada for beautiful zkin, let meh freshen youah Tekram aanak"   She said speaking an Iranian accent, in Alexandria was a rarity, but she meant a sense of generosity and dignity towards me. It was those sayings I trusted so a little subconsciously, I stripped down for her and bathed in a stranger's house,though I must have been slightly off it was different here I could feel it, I never could bathe, not like this, not from where I came from..wherever that was.

As soon as I got out nice and clean, I got a view of my body as I was dressing in the traditional baby blue sleeping thobe, I held the fabric and I understood it but am still unsure how it happened how did I pass so many years and yet there's nothing to remember?. A beautiful but fair girl 5'3 fairly lean, it seemed whatever I did before made my body lean and strong, but what I noticed though were all the faint but noticeable scars, up and down my arms, back, and even some on my chest and neck. My hair was shoulder-length on the sides scarlet red, it fell to the middle of my back it was bold enough that, coupled with my olive-fair Egyptian skin, it made my deep large cerulean eyes seem piercing. I looked at my image and tried to get any sort of past imagery, but all I saw was the 12-year-old girl in the mirror.

I look away and soon the woman enters and smiles, just after I hide my body in what underclothes she gave me. they were slightly smaller but they were clean and nice.

 "zere now,even in muk I knew you look bretty now come' 

 I was still shy, honestly slightly defensive, maybe suspicious even. I slowly walked over sat down and calmly waited, I intertwined my long feminine fingers in my lap and straightened my back. It makes my chest perk up underneath the woman gives me that stops just above my navel, I notice that when I sat up straight It tended to make me look taller, it added a few inches to my height. I question if she can see my scars.

I was only wearing the thobe at the moment, but I guessed that was custom from a woman to a girl. a moment of quiet passed and finally, she spoke; "better now that you freshened up?" As I sat there, letting her brush my hair, I was silent, focused on trying to find my memory. I answered her by nodding rapidly. I flinched and closed my eyes, each time her comb yanked my hair a little. Finally, what I was waiting for came a few moments later.

"Better now I hobe little mizz, now introductions? like your name?"

I looked at an angle and thought about it, through the haze, a name came up but I didn't know if it was my name or a name I heard but I latched onto it. "Kali, Kaliya no yeah Kali... but it doezn't zound wise, I can't recall no family, no friends, no life..I'm just.. a name just a headache..in  tick fog"

 The woman scowled but patted my shoulder and smiled. 

"ah I see..Kali I'm Hasina Kesi, My daughters in ze room Rabiah youngest 15, eldest Nailah 19 also oters, oldezt boyfriend living here, and little friends living with while zeir barents are away, interact zome time here will..helb, we found you washed ub on the sore, no on Nile no time to relax  Ahlan was Sahlan" 

I nodded softly and shook my head. " "Ahlan wah sahlan a zaying zat means familiar obenly its welcoming....it calms me, maybe before  sleeb, I may remember" 

I descended, following Hasina out to a living room of three people, and I heard voices in the back. instantly I felt eyes on me; I felt my temperature rise. 

"I-I'm zorry worrying everyone" was all that I could say. The Eldest sis is talking with an older male they seem to be a couple based on their talking and interactions. A long brown-haired girl stepped to me and I just looked down, slightly unsure if I made the right decision to come out, naturally being fairly young I hid behind Hasina, but the youngest was insistent. "hey come back don't hide  I'm Ra-i-lah, ahlan wah swalan I'm te most-" "Ra-i-lah you zcare her you little twit" The youngest turned to her sister and gave her the tongue. "big Sis Na-i-lah Fout Bil Heyt" I'm frozen,because I recognized what she said, she had told her older sister to "enter the wall" and after that I was shocked because she bit her thumb at her I chalked this up to sister bonding maybe I haven't learned to socialize, and apparently what was her name? Ra-i-lah tried to grab at me, chased me and I ran unsure behind the couch.  that's when the older sister returned her gesture by sticking her tongue at her as Im slightly watching from behind the couch; "little sis you chase her you twit Dammak 'til" why dont you listen?" 

Now that wasn't very nice and Im shocked I recognized that she basically meant that her sister's blood was heavy, Ra-i-lah scowled and looked over at her older sis. "ok older sis what can you do?" I listened to their back and forth,using their banter to recognize the language and the motions since Ive got nothing to reference., not realizing they were talking about me competition about me so I got up and stepped to them. "I am sorry I'm.. I am just jittered, I can't remember anything..Im Kaliya.." I again feel my temperature rise in my high cheeks and scan their emotions and find no judgments in their eyes...