Finding Muna: A Palestinian Novel

Chapter Twenty Four

Muna wouldn't stop feeling odd and out of place, she kept feeling anxious for a few days after the first day and no matter how much she seemed to convince herself nothing was wrong, it just wouldn't work.

She had tried calling her parents multiple times but to no avail and when it got to a point, she stopped because she thought it was one of those times when she wouldn't be able to reach anyone for days, considering most of the network companies were already destroyed.

But she couldn't get over the nagging thought at the back of her head concerning her spiritual life, with the way things were going, she was lucky to even be alive at that point, and anything could happen to her at anytime.

She was over the edge, always looking around and jumping at the slightest thing, she was very distant from her friends and barely spoke to anyone. She couldn't point her finger at what's wrong, yet she was desperate to know and get the nagging feeling off her chest, all she needed was a phone call from either of her parents, to calm her down and tell her everything is alright.

Because she knew something was definitely off.

She was sure of it.

She didn't put much thinking into the lack of proper communication between her and her parents the past few weeks, she thought it was because of the network and she didn't bother too much knowing they were living in safety and security anyways.

Her mind never crossed the fact that her parents might worry their heads off to death, of course she was aware they would be affected, but she didn't think too much of it. And considering the last time she spoke to her mother was more than two weeks, she couldn't help but conclude.

Her heart started to beat abnormally fast and she felt jittery and anxious yet again, she huffed in frustration and pulled the front of her hair with tension as she narrowed her brows. She shut her eyes deeply and before she knew it, she started to tear up.

She grunted angrily and hit her fist against the ground, frowning as her hand began to throb, she hissed as loudly as she can as she looked ahead miserably.

If only she could find a way to know what happened, then she'd get the weird feeling off her head.

She'd never felt that way ever before in her life, and now that it was happening, for four days consecutively, it was either her death was nearing or something bad had befell her parents.

She pulled her hair once again in confusion and then she moved abruptly towards Reem's bag and impatiently unzipped the zipper, she grabbed the Quran and flipped its pages open in desperation, her eyes searching for a verse that would ease her mind. Her hands were still shaking and she started to shiver in fear, she moved closer to the tent's corner and covered herself with her wrapper.

She spotted a verse in the second chapter of the Quran but she decided against reading it, she had concluded that the chapter would make her fearful when all she wants is comfort.

She opened the third chapter up and read the first verse she laid her eyes on, "Indeed, those who disbelieve and die while they are disbelievers – never would the [whole] capacity of earth in gold be accepted from one of them if he would [seek to] ransom himself with it. For those there will be a painful punishment, they will have no helpers." (Qur'an 3:91)

She dropped the Quran on her lap and started to cry helplessly, her heart continued to hammer against her chest. She couldn't understand why the world seemed to be against her, she couldn't quite figure out what the problem was and why all of that was happening to her.

Although she didn't live a good life, she knew she wasn't a bad person either. All what was currently going on was too much for her little heart to handle. She hadn't even clocked thirty yet she'd seen all the horrors anyone could possibly see, all because someone wants to forcefully take another's land.