The Rough Tide

chapter 7

HAPPY NEW MONTH!!!
Here's another chapter

*Sadiq

The nurse at the nurses station told us the room they were in and we were almost there, but then down the hall from where we were I saw a doctor talking to a woman, looking closely I realized it was Zara. The look on her face made me stop dead in my tracks and my heart went out to her.
   She had her hand clamped tightly over her mouth, which after several years of knowing her, I knew she was biting her palm, something she did whenever she was desperately trying to control her tears.
   Beside me  Abbas and Aneesa were frozen too, no doubt as shocked as I was.
   I watched  her nod at something the doctor said before he stood up and walked away leaving a sobbing Zara behind. I saw Aneesa quickly walk into my line of vision and go to comfort zara , closely followed by Abbas.
   I too moved my feet though it felt like I was lifting large tonnnes of steel. Zara was crying vigorously now, no longer trying to fight the tears and it made me wonder what the doctor had said to make her like this.
   I looked at the door of the room she was sitting next to and it read "05", just like the nurse had said

"Bring her in" I said to Abbas and Aneesa as I pushed open the door and walked in after them promptly shutting the door.
  I looked around the room and saw Ameera lying on a bed hooked to a monitor and drip, an oxygen mask on her face,  my heart constricted at the sight of seeing such a sweet girl like Ameera with an oxygen mask and tubes sticking out of her arms, I looked away not able to stand the sight, I looked to Rafik who stood by the wall looking at Ameera, Mami was sitting on a chair by the bed, holding on to Ameera's tiny hand, but she got up immediately and walked to Zara . Abbas and Aneesa flanked Zara's sides as she sat on an empty chair, Rafik too came to stand close to her, worry written all over his face as he watched his sister cry. I for one couldn't move and stood transfixed by the door and then all of a sudden Zara stopped crying and the room was silent except for the beeping sound coming from the machine Ameera was connected to
"She really is sick..." Zara said quietly as she wiped her cheeks "...my little girl is very sick" and her voice cracked at this
"Sshh its o.k..."Mami said "...you don't have to say it now"
"No Mami, you need to know, I want to tell you now"
She paused taking a deep breath before she spoke again
" the Kasai procedure failed, that's why she is like that and her abdomen, swollen. The doctor said that there was some kind of pressure coming from there which ruptured her esophagus and that's the reason she ...she threw up...threw up the blood, he said that now..." Her voice broke and a chocking sob escaped her lips but she still went on "...now she needs a transplant...a liver transplant, ya Allah, Mami Ameera is so little and she needs ...she needs a liver transplant, and he says.. He says if it's not done...if its not done she won't make it"
Her voiced hitched completely after this and the tears came with full force
"She's too young Mami, my little girl is too young" she said amidst tears
"Its OK zara , In shaa Allah it will all be OK, we can't question Allah's decree, we can only pray" Mami said as she dipped to hug Zara to her chest, tears rolling down her own face. I watched all of them with tears in their eyes and fear of what the future may hold for Ameera etched on their faces as they came together to comfort Zara, I wished I could give her that comfort too, but i wasnt allowed to.
   I felt the tears sting hot in my eyes and then the searing pain came in my chest and I knew I had to get out of there. I quickly left the room after one more look at the bed where my little princess lay.
   On my way to the car, I thought of Zara, how she became after Khalid's death and just when she was beginning to get back on her feet and be her old self, this happens.
   Then I remembered the last verse of suratul Baqarah that says
   "Allah burdens not a person beyond his scope..."
    "Oh Allah, give Zara the strength and willpower she needs to pull through this test you've set for her, Ameen"
*****
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Ramadan's around the corner, who is as excited as I am?
Happy new month once again.
Vo-co lovely readers.