"When everything went dark, she became the light."
Slight dour note-
This is a collaboration. Friends who find the oddest things pleasurable took their pleasure in writing a story together. Let me state who is the author of which specific chapter
Ch...
The Sun rose, it was time for Mariam to wake up. Another day of labour and misery.
Mariam never smiled anymore. Her cheeks were getting sucked inside her mouth, her navel and spine were becoming kissing cousins.
Yet, she wasn't completely broken. Something in the spark of her eyes, told that her will was as fiery as ever. She was determined to cure her father and give her family financial security.
Mariam got out of her bed, which wasn't precisely a bed to be called, just a bundle of sacks she and her sisters shared.
"Sana, wake up," she prodded her sister.
"Sard off," Sana groaned and buried her nose to the pillow.
Mariam sighed. Sana would wake up by herself anyway.
So she left the small, barren room to wash her face. Then the doctor, Hakim, his name was, came in.
"Assalamu Alaikum," Mariam greeted.
"Walaikum Assalam," he returned with a smile which didn't quite reach his eyes.
After a few minutes, when Mariam was cutting some fruits for breakfast, she heard her mother crying. She ignored it, she had heard her mother cry many times and failed to comfort her, but when it wouldn't stop, curiousity won and Mariam urgently left the kitchen to her father's room.
Father was lying with his eyes closed as usual, if the family hadn't known what pain he was in, they would have thought he was just peacefully sleeping. Beside the bed Mariam's mother sat, weeping.
"What happened to Ummi?"
Hakim shook his head sorrowfully, "I am sincerely sorry, Mariam, but thou father's illness cannot be identified, no doctor in Jeddah can find the cure."
Mariam stood silent, holding back her tears. She couldn't cry, not now.
"...is there no other way?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Your father is a merchant, perhaps he has gotten some foreign disease. I know a very skillful doctor who often travels and knows many of the diseases unknown to us."
This brought hope to young Mariam. "Where does he live?"
"Near the Masjid-al-Haram."
"That's a day away, and I can't leave him here, nor can I send my daughters penniless," Mother began crying hysterically afresh.
To this no one could argue. There were bandits, rogues and as Jeddah was close to the sea, pirates and the Turk barbarians even.
The day was gloomier than ever. Mariam, Mihrimah and Sana left for their daily jobs. Before, the sisters used to tease each other terribly, but now each had compassion for the other, knowing what they were going through.
Mariam was on her way, then she saw a poor old man with no legs begging. She smiled at him sweetly, giving him the bag of dates she had brought for lunch. "I can endure a day without lunch. Kindness is premised on the concept of altruism and prosocial actions."
As she walked towards a narrow lane, all of a sudden a big man with an eye patch appeared before her with a double edged dagger. "Give all ye have poppet."
Mariam took the courage to meet him in the eye. "I have nothing that can be of any use to thee, sir, please let me go for the sake of the One who has created us all."
The thief was surprised by her bravery. He looked at her innocent face and his heart wrenched. "I have seen mice better fed than you, lass. Scram before I change my mind."
The day was scorching hot and Mariam's veil was halfway to slide off. Her clothes were damp but she still kept on politely persuading pedestrians to buy the vegetables.
A storyteller was nearby, surrounded by a dress circle and singing at the top of his voice:
"There one lived a King Whose court was full of bling, He had a wife he held dear But her mind had not the virtue to bear, The charms of other men."
Mariam saw a little boy walking straight towards the storyteller, interested.
"She had been unfaithful and The King's mind became wrath and sorrow's nest, For each day he married a beauty And beheaded her the next."
"Murad!" A fat, rich looking man shouted. Mariam realised it.
By the road, carriage was approaching, while Murad was crossing.
"Then a beauty came Who had wits and charm both..."
Mariam dashed towards the lad, scooped him up in her arms and jumped away from the carriage.
The man came and hugged the boy, nearly in tears. "My son, you fool!"
Mariam sat up, coughing. The impact got the air out of her lunges. The rich man helped her up.
"You are a brave young lady. You could have done nothing, yet you risked your own life," he said with admiration in his eyes.
"Blood never sleeps, had I watched him die and did nothing, Allah would punish me."
"Indeed, you are gallant and wise. I must reward you." He took out a pouch with the jingling of coins.
Mariam smiled blissfully and accepted the bag. "Thank thee sir, truly! You are an honourable emir!"
When the man left, Mariam took a peek inside the pouch. She gasped.
Twas shining gold coins, each one of them!
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