FADING TIES

PART 8

This chapter is written based on requests from reader
It reflects the ideas and suggestions she shared).

Recap

That night, during dinner, Mahad approached his mother, deep in thought.

Mahad: "Mom, I'm ready to go there."

Nadia felt both relief and sadness wash over her but tried to smile through it.

Nadia: (smiling) "Beta, are you sure?"

Mahad: "Yes, I'm sure, Mama. I will go there."

Nadia: "Alright, let's pack your things tomorrow, okay?"

Mahad: (smiling) "Okay, Mom."

Continue

Nadia: (on the phone) Omar, Mahad is ready to come and live with you all.

Omar: (smiling) That's great news! I'll tell Ibrahim and Yusuf.

Later that night, as they went to sleep, Ibrahim had a nightmare. He saw memories of his parents fighting, the painful scenes replaying in his mind.

Ibrahim: (sweaty, panicked) No, please stop! Mom, don't... please don't leave us.

Ibrahim: (crying) Mom... Mom... Mama, please! Yusuf's crying, look!

In his memory:

Nadia: (to Omar) Omar, I want a luxury life, and I want a divorce from you.

Omar: (teary-eyed) Please, Nadia, at least think about our kids. They are too small to go through this.

Nadia: (shouting) I don't care, Omar! It was your responsibility to fulfill my dreams, and you didn't. Take them with you, I'm leaving. If you don't divorce me, I'll get it from the court.

Omar: (almost crying) Nadia, please, just think about this once. Open your eyes! Don't make this foolish mistake. You're leaving a happy life behind.

Nadia: (angry) You call this a happy life? This is worse than hell!

Ibrahim: (pleading) Mama, please don't leave us! I'll be a good boy, I promise! I'll do everything you want. Look, Yusuf is too small... please don't leave us, Mama...

Ibrahim's eyes shot open, his heart racing.

Ibrahim: (sitting up suddenly) MAMA!

He looked around, breathing heavily, but no one was there. The room was empty. He reached for the glass of water on the table next to his bed, but the jug was empty. His whole face was sweaty, and his hands and legs were shaking. Even though it was cold, he was sweating a lot.

Feeling dizzy, he got out of bed and went to the kitchen to get some water. He filled a glass and drank it all in one go, but his head kept spinning, and he felt weak. He sat down on a chair, still shaking and breathing unevenly. His head hurt, and he felt sick, like he was about to get a fever.

After a while, he started to calm down. He leaned back in the chair and closed his eyes, trying to relax. But the heavy feeling in his body stayed.

Ibrahim stood up after some time and went outside for fresh air. He didn't put on a jacket or anything warm, but he didn't care. The cold air hit him, but it didn't help much. His body still felt weak and tired. After a few minutes, he came back inside, still scared of the nightmare. He sat on his bed, using his phone, trying to distract himself because he was afraid the nightmare would come back if he slept again.

At 5 AM, he heard the adhan (the call to prayer). Even though he felt sick, he got up, did wudu, and prayed. The prayer helped calm his mind a little, but he still felt unwell.