The Snowflake of Summer

Chapters 5-6-7

Chapter 5

When my father and Kabil finally drove back into town on the afternoon of the sixth day after their departure in their rusted station-wagon; the entire township had assembled to greet them. Many people asked my father questions of their journey.  But he ignored any individual inquires directed at him and instead chose to address the considerable gathering that lay before him by standing on the roof of the station-wagon. He spoke slowly and purposefully:

‘We have travelled far. We have seen the most lurid places imaginable. We have visited the most desolate. We have befriended the recluse.  Yet to our end, unsuccessful we have been’.

My father’s words were profound, and the gathering fell silent. Unexpectedly, Kabil also rose to speak.

‘We will not cease our endeavours until our sons are done justice’.

However brief their address was, I could instantly observe the effect it had upon those listening. People were awed by their resolve, and Yasir thanked both my father and Kabil solemnly afterwards.  The day after my father returned-the market reverted to its usual liveliness. Passers-by and people that drove through our town were totally unaware of what had transpired less than a week ago, which I suppose, was better for business. 

Chapter 6

A few weeks after the incident, once the initial shock that had affected our town began to wear-off; life returned to a certain level of normality. And after a few months it was as if nothing obscure had even happened at all. Jamal and Husani’s parents were both moving on with their lives; working. And Husani’s parents were focused on raising their other children.  Yet still, no one could grasp whatever motive which fuelled such an unprovoked act of violence; this made for thought-provoking conversation, and continued to do so for many months thereafter.

I and Samir increasingly began to spend more and more time with each other. A relationship started to form between us. Given that we were the only two children that lived in the entire township, excluding our siblings; the reader would be inclined to assume that such closeness would be a matter of inevitability. However I do not for a second feel, that our closeness was the result of any social necessity. I and Samir were polar-opposites; rather something else had motivated his attachment toward me. As the weeks and months passed, the temperature began to drop; it became colder and so our way of life began to enter a new phase in its endless cycle. My parents no-longer travelled to the distant fields during these colder months. The crop that the summertime yielded from the fertile soils in great-abundance had ceased to grow. At night the moon would shine on us almost like a second sun. I remember lying in bed on one occasion after some strange sound had awoken me. Rain; It was beginning to fall. Drop by drop at first, but gradually increasing its intensity, until I feared that the entire country might flood. It crashed loudly against everything that it made contact with; dirt, soil, tent and house. It was a rare experience. I slipped out of bed and made my way to the front door where I stood not a moment longer than it needed to as I opened the door impatiently. I walked outside into the rain. I lingered to absorb the indescribable beauty of the scene surrounding me. The radiance of the moon shone against my cheek while the rain slithered across every region of my body. It was cold, but surprisingly, it was bearable. How I wished that I could spend an eternity in this singular moment, frozen in time. I was free; free from all the constraints of my punitive reality. Free to forget; free to dream. Why, I was in such a euphoric state, that I began to suspect my mind of playing tricks on me. I thought I spotted Samir across the street. Was it really him? I stared into his eyes and he returned the gesture. I don’t know how long we just stood there gazing into each other’s eyes. Was it a matter of seconds, minutes or was it hours? I honestly didn’t know. I became distracted momentarily by a bright flash behind me; I turned around to watch the horizon as it filled with several rapid explosions of blinding light; a series of monstrous thunderclaps followed this most magnificent display. When the horizon cleared; I turned back around to face Samir again. However he was no longer there. He had vanished without saying a word. I slipped back into my bed. Adham was fast asleep, and the rest of the house was utterly silent. I drifted peacefully to sleep as I listened to the rain-which continued to fall well into the dead of night.