Finding Muna: A Palestinian Novel

Chapter Sixteen

Life wasn't the same after Reem's death; life became terribly slow, terribly painful, painfully scary, but the bitter truth was that they had to move on, whether they wanted to or not.

Lamees found it hard to believe Reem was truly gone.

And Muna found it harder to believe.

And Reem's father.

But not April.

April didn't believe Reem was dead, there was no way, during their last conversation, Reem promised April to take her to the place her previous primary school was, and Reem wasn't one to break a promise. She was always true to her words and made sure she fulfilled her promises, however small they might be.

And that was what April was holding onto, her promise, even if Reem really wanted to die, she would firstly fulfil her promise, she wouldn't do something as cruel as dying when April went out for barely six hours.

April was terribly quiet and withdrawn; glaring daggers at anyone who approached her to tell her once more that Reem was indeed dead, or anyone who tried to tell her to leave the spot where Reem's room was before it was destroyed.

There was no tears on her face, in fact she didn't look like a grieving person, she simply looked like someone who was on a bad day, waiting for their friend to come over to comfort them. It was getting on her nerves that Reem hadn't returned, she wanted to inform her of the house that was destroyed, but she was nowhere to be found.

She sighed as Mr. Ahmad approached, staring up at him with her lips pressed into a thin line and her eyebrows narrowed, squinting her eyes at him questioningly.

"April, we have to go somewhere nearby to seek shelter, it's winter time and sitting here for long isn't good for you," he said softly and she nodded.

"Yeah, but I'm waiting for Reem, she'll be back soon, it's almost prayer time, she never misses her prayers," April said with a tight lipped smile as she looked behind Ahmad to see her friends, watching her with a look on their faces. She knows what the look meant, and she wouldn't let anyone pity her over the lie they were spewing at her.

Ahmad sighed and ran his over his face exhaustedly, "Look April, it's not easy for me to explain this over and over again," Ahmad said as tears filled his eyes and April's face hardened.

"Reem is in heaven now, she's safe where she is, I don't know why you think it's harder for you to accept than it is for me, oh my dead Reem," he covered his face and started to cry, April kept quiet as she watched his shoulders shake at the intensity of his tears.

Why was he crying?

"This is the third day April, we cannot keep staying here, almost everyone is gone, there's no means of survival here anymore, we have to look for a refugee camp to seek shelter," Lamees said as she slowly approached April who instantly glared daggers at her.

"Get the hell out of my sight! We aren't leaving until she's back!"

"She isn't coming back though; it's a miracle we're still alive April, for how long do we have to remain here?" Lamees fired back angrily and April stood on her feet immediately.

"Wow, so this is how much you love her Lamees? Suggesting we leave without her? If she were here would you say that?"

"I'm glad you know she isn't here any longer April! If I was the one who died, Reem certainly wouldn't leave you alone to go crazy no matter what, and I'm doing what she would have wanted assuming she was here. I don't know what you think you're doing April but Reem wouldn't like to see you this way, would she be proud of what you're doing?" Lamees questioned and April seemed tongue tied, she could only glare at her with her lips tightly pressed together while Muna watched the both of them.