Restraint And Denial (An Arabic Love Story)

Chapter 9.

Chapter 9

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The Next Day

Zaid Ibn Al-Rasheed:

Sunlight unraveled the beauty of the world as it cast its gaze across the city of Doha, watching quietly as the fading crescent yawned drowsily, bringing forth happy clouds to adorn the magnificent sky. A cold swift yet gentle gale drew near, honoring the invitation of the trees and shrubs in a steady spirit of merriment. The birds chirped, taking their first flight which causes the wind to rush forward to witness the dawn of glory. It wasn't long until the wind ceased and blinked at something approaching them from a distance across the desert plain surrounded by huge mountains and tall palm and date trees.

Tranquility reigned supreme as the trees, the bright sky, the earth, and everything that made it beautiful rose and gazed at the figure expectantly, wondering who it was that had graced them with his presence. As the silhouette of the figure became clearer with every passing second dry leaves and bushes rattled against each other gently to not scare their visitor away.

First, a white horse came into view, then there was a man, a very handsome one descending the horse. Zaid stood at the top of a small hill that stood in the middle of their farm. The view from there was marvelous. He adjusted his headgear and watched as the wind helped the sand-dune to form steady waves of alluring beauty across the wasteland.

A gentle breeze blew across the mountains, carrying with it a very familiar fragrance, one which he was used to. He could almost hear the trees whispering as they danced to the tone of the chirping birds. He now realized how much he missed that place.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of someone's footsteps and turned to see his uncle heading in his direction with a camel. He greeted Zaid with a smile and Zaid amiably returned one.

"Marhaban ya sheikh," He welcomed his uncle as he came down from the small hill to reach for a handshake.

"I see you standing there!" Hashim shook his head in admiration as he looked around to see the nice job Zaid had done on the farm. Several hectares of the area had been cultivated and behind the borders of the farm was an endless desert. It was awe-inspiring to imagine that it must have cost him a fortune to grow those plants, given the nature of the soil.

"I was having a look at the farmland we are cultivating, everything is going perfectly as planned, Insha Allah!" He met up with his uncle and they both began to stroll towards the barnyard.

"How long have you been standing there?" Soon after the Fajr Salah, Ammu Hashim had requested that he meet up with Zaid at the farmhouse.

"Twenty minutes," Zaid replied, holding on to Aslam's rein and pulling it along. The horse was very attentive. It recognized his master's order and followed suit in his direction.

"You know son, one is considered poor if one doesn't have a child no matter how rich one may be." Uncle Hashim uttered shrewdly and Zaid gave a slight nod. "I don't have a son, alhamdulillah! But I'm glad that this family has you. You are like a son to me." To Hashim, Zaid was like the son he never had. He admired his determination and zeal to accomplish his responsibilities as the first son of his parents. He felt like the young soul was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders and needed to be relieved of his duty. " Every night when I go to bed I cry to Allah, wishing that He makes my greatest wish come true. I desired that I had a son."

"But you have three daughters, Alhamdulillah, those three are worth more than a son." Zaid pointed out. Hashim smiled wistfully, wishing that Zaid could understand his predicament. If only he saw things from his angle.