The Endless Golden Dunes

Chapter 11: Abbas Against Umar

   UMAR

He had convinced himself that it wasn’t his fault he snapped.
  
As Umar sat on his bed, Umar thought of what had happened. He hated the fact he had been angered so easily. Hamza had just asked him for a name, that was all. He had acted as if he had insulted his entire bloodline. Umar felt especially terrible considering how polite and patient the man was with him.
  
Fortunately, Umar had ‘justified’ himself. He had a hard time trusting people, that was all. Hamza should have been more subtle in his aim of knowing his comrades. He should have been more considerate.
  
Those were the types of thoughts that kept Umar company. No people, no living being, just him and his mind which whispered strange things. Not all of those things were necessarily good or encouraging.
  
Umar saw one of his roommates, the one from Kufa – was his name Abbas? He came to him and stared at him. In the battle of silence, Abbas had the advantage as he was standing up, looking down at the sat Umar. Abbas looked at him in disgust. Umar looked up at him and sneered.
  
‘What the hell do you want from me?’ Umar asked.
  
‘Nothing. I want to talk to you about certain things.’ He replied.
  
‘Abbas, leave it already.’ Ilyas said with particular distaste.
  
‘Aye, otherwise you two will start some kind of brawl in the end, and you will receive whips.’ Adam shuddered at the thought.
  
‘I simply think that this brat should learn how to respect people,’ Abbas said. ‘Tell me, shakhi, why are you doing this? Honestly, not even a prostitute begs for this kind of attention.’
  
Umar stood up quickly. He looked at Abbas right in the eye.
  
‘Say that again to my face one more time. I dare you.’ He said.
  
Adam looked around for Hamza. To his dismay, he was reminded that he had left a while ago. As soon as he turned back to the two, Salman went in between them.
  
‘I think this fight should be broken–’
  
‘Shut up!’ Umar yelled. ‘What the hell do you know about these types of things? You’re supposed to be in a school, a damned school! Instead, what are you doing? You come out here with a wish that you want to die. You’re a damned ass!’
  
‘I recommend watching your tongue.’ Abbas said with a frown.
  
‘Or what? What in the Seven Hells are you going to do about it? Now again, say what you said. Say that line about the prostitute.’
  
‘I need not to. It seems that your mother was already–’
  
A punch came. It had brushed against Salman’s cheek, but it hit Abbas nonetheless. He stumbled to the side and he grabbed hold of a bed. The rest immediately stood up and held back each of the two.
  
‘NEVER SAY THAT YOU SUG! YOU DOG!’ Umar yelled, fighting against Ilyas, Adam, and Ismael. ‘LET ME GO! LET ME KILL THAT HARAMI!’
  
There was Salman and Ali holding off Abbas, though there was no need for that. The merchant managed to keep his calm, and wiped the blood off his lips. He glared at his attacker.
  
‘A failure, that is what you are,’ Abbas said. ‘How sad and pathetic do you need to be for this?’
  
‘GO TO HELL!’
  
Abbas nodded.
  
‘I had clients that were less naggy than you. That is quite a feat considering the kind of people I have met. I can tell that you are spoiled by money.’
  
Hysterically, Umar laughed.
  
‘What about you then, huh? Why aren’t you spoiled yet? You think of yourself as so humble when you’re a merchant. Oh yes, I know you. A caravan was sent to Shiraz. That thing was owned by you.’
  
‘Shiraz, huh? So you’re a Persian? And, for your “humble” knowledge, I am not what you are because I know what money really is. I know its purpose.’
  
Umar’s smile was flickering. It sometimes became a scowl, and sometimes a grin.
  
‘Madman.’ Umar heard him murmur.
  
The door opened. Hamza came and nearly gasped.
  
‘What in the world has happened here?’ he asked.
  
He ran towards Umar and made the others unhand him. However, when Umar tried to storm away towards Abbas, Hamza was the first one to catch him.
  
‘Get a grip on yourself, akhi!’ he yelled.
  
Umar shouted and gave out screams. When Hamza tried to shut his mouth using his hand, Umar bit down. Hamza hissed.
  
‘Ya Allah, someone hold him!’
  
With the efforts of six people, Umar was tamed. The man sat down upon the bed. He breathed heavily, continuing to stare at Abbas. His eyes were sunken, but behind the darkness, there was a light blazing. A fire.
 
Abbas felt his cheek with his thumb.
  
‘For a man as thin as him, he has quite a punch.’ He commented.
  
Hamza ignored the remark and kneeled in front of Umar, keeping a steady grip on both of his shoulders.
  
‘What happened?’ he asked as calmly as he could.
  
Umar didn’t reply for a moment.
  
‘Did Abbas do something to you? Did he say something … inappropriate?’
  
‘Ask him; he’ll give you the answer.’ Umar replied.
  
Abbas turned his head towards Abbas, and frowned.
  
‘Abbas …’
  
‘He was asking for it.’ The man quickly said.
  
‘What did you say to him?’
  
There was silence. It seemed that no one had the guts to repeat what had been said.
  
‘I’ll tell you,’ Umar said. ‘He called my mother a whore.’
  
Hamza’s eyes widened. He stood up and knitted his eyebrows at Abbas, his mouth agape.
  
‘Is that true?’
  
Abbas averted his gaze. Hamza turned to the others. They didn’t say anything, and it seemed that the soldier had taken it as a sign that it was the truth. For a moment, Umar thought Hamza would go berserk. He should. If he was a true Muslim, a true momin, he should scold, yell at Abbas.
  
But that did not happen. Instead, the man stood up and sighed at Abbas.
  
‘Do not let that happen again.’ He said.
  
A warning? After all that, he lets off Abbas with a warning? If anything, at the least, Hamza should have reported this to Walid and he would flog Abbas. A type of acid was brewing inside Umar, making him want to vomit. Umar wanted to shout again, but when he opened his mouth, no words came out. It was as if his throat refused to take orders.
  
‘I should say that all of this started with him.’ Abbas said.
  
‘And you are to end it.’
  
‘You expect that out of me?’
  
‘I expect anything from anyone.’
  
Abbas turned to silence. He looked at Hamza, searching for any signs that he was lying, but there was none. He was honest.
  
‘I’ll see what I can do.’ Abbas said.
  
Hamza nodded and he turned to Umar.
  
‘And you will need to learn to control your anger as well. It will prove useful for you.’
  
Umar simply scoffed. Hamza turned to the rest.
  
‘We have stepped with the wrong foot,’ he said. ‘Perhaps we can change that? Second chances do exist.’
  
Heads turned to one another, but there was no reply. Hamza took it as a sign of uncertainty.
  
‘I suppose we do need a bit of time after this … incident.’
  
Murmurs were exchanged. Only Abbas and Umar were silent.