Finding Muna: A Palestinian Novel

Chapter Twenty

Muna was still in the tent sniffling as she wiped her tears harshly after the conversation with her father, she couldn't get over how lifeless he looked. And it was very painful because she was the one who brought it upon him.

Her dear father.

Her eyes were stinging in the urge to see her mother and she felt restless, she felt in her gut that something had happened and it wasn't a pleasant one. But what could she do? She had already mixed herself with the poor people in Rafah camp, waiting to find out if the next explosion would wipe her out or not.

Even though they had spent only a few days in the camp, Muna couldn't recall how many explosions and missiles she heard only meters apart from them. And she kept seeing more and more people flood the camp, while some people complained they have been kicked out of their houses, other say theirs was demolished.

Muna was tired, she was unsure of what to do. She came with the original plan to help her people out and now she was as needy and as desperate as they were.

Her relaxed posture was disturbed as she heard loud screeched sound of tire against the ground, she jerked up immediately and looked around in fear and horror, wondering what was going on.

She was sure it was a car, and for it to swerve in like that, then it either wasn't an ordinary one or the driver was simply drunk.

She knew it was the former judging from the screams from her neighbours, Muna was on her feet at the point, wondering if she should go outside and see what was happening for herself and find out how to escape or stay in her spot and pray with everything in her that whoever it was wouldn't check the tents out.

Then she heard shooting and more scream, her heart began to hammer violently against her chest as she fell on her knees immediately with tears in her eyes.

"God please!" she begged desperately.

"Please save me this once and I'll become Muslim after this, I promise you!" she continued in desperation, forgetting her friends for a moment.

And then she suddenly realized it and rose to her feet again in panic, hoping that one of the screaming voices didn't belong to any of her friends. If she lost any other person apart from Reem, she would lose her mind.

She dropped herself on her butt and started to cry her eyes out; she arched her back in tiredness and desperation and pulled on her hair in pain and regret.

She was still crying when Lamees busted in and in urgency, she tapped on her shoulder, "Muna!"

Muna opened her eyes and immediately stopped crying, then she stood up instantly and pulled Lamees into a hug.

"Muna, it's not the time for a hug, they're taking Mr. Ahmad!" Lamees said and Muna frowned then her eyes widened in realization and she rushed out of the tent.

Her eyes caught the vehicles that were leaving; she saw men and children packed in the back of the car with Israeli soldiers sitting on either side of the car to make sure none of them escaped.

She was terrified because she caught a glimpse of Mr. Ahmad's gloomy face; he looked scared and unsure of what they would do with him.

Muna fell on her knees, wailing. She had seen a video of some people in concentration camps only a few hours ago, she never expected it to happen to Mr. Ahmad, the closest person to family they had in Gaza.

Lamees was desperately busy trying to call April back amongst the crowds that were running after the vehicle, April lost her mind and started to run after the truck, yelling at them to take her wherever they were taking her Reem's father.