Breaking Britain (Completed)

Chapter 38

38
Saturday 5th January 2030
22:30

               Hussain sat behind the recycle bins, hugging his whimpering sister. The rain was coming down strong, yet he refused to move, for fear the men that had given chase were waiting for them.

                'I want ummah', Rasher said through her sobs.

                'Me too....me too', he kissed her on her forehead and the hair that had fallen down over her face stuck to his lips for a few seconds.

                'Why are they doing this?', Rasher asked.

                Hussain looked at her. 'You remember two weeks ago, you came me and told me about the girls at school bullying you?'

                Rasher nodded.

                'And what did I say to you?'

                'You said I should stay away from them'

                'That's right. What else did I say?'

                'You said that they are jealous of my beautiful face, my brown golden skin and of how smart I am'

             'Exactly. The same applies here. These people are jealous of the things we have'

             'Does that make them bad people?'

             'What do you think?'

             Rasher thought about it for a while. She didn't think Rosie was a bad person, even though she was pushed over by Rosie in the playground.

              'No. It doesn't. It makes us bad for having things and not sharing our things with them in the first place'

               Hussain smiled. 'You are sweetest little thing'

               'So Hus, why did they have to hurt Ummah?'

               Hussain's smile disappeared. 'I don't know, little one. Maybe we should go?'

                She held him tight. 'I'm scared'

                'I am too', he answered.

                She released him, held his hand and nodded.

                They got up, staying close to the wall, they peered out into the street to see if anyone was around. It was quiet.

                'Let's go. Uncle lives a couple of roads down. It shouldn't take long. Hopefully, because of the rain, no one will be around'.

               They set off. It didn't take long for them to reach uncle Genesh's house. It was a terraced house, in a nice neighborhood. Rasher liked staying round at her uncles and was keen to get inside.

                 'I'm going to get you to hide. I'm going inside to check everything's fine'

                 'No', she cried loudly, 'you can't leave me'

                  'I won't be long'

                 'No, you can't', fresh tears started to flow.

                 'Okay little one. You come with me'.

                  She smiled, using her wet sleeve to wipe away the tears that had intermingled with the pouring rain.

                  Hussain lifted her into his arms and rushed to the side of the house. There was a gate there, but the bolt was accessible by putting your hand over. They had done this many times, when they had arrived at their uncles only to find he hadn't returned from work. They would enter through the back, where their uncle left the kitchen window closed, but unlocked.

                 Rasher pulled the bolt back and they pushed the gate open carefully.

                 They got to the back, their uncle had left the window ajar.

                 'This time wait. I'll only be a minute', he sad firmly to his sister.

                  She gripped his forearm. 'I should go. I'm smaller'

                 'No. This time you do as I tell you. You wait', he was adamant. He was worried that his uncles house was no longer his uncle's.

                 Hussain climbed to the window, squeezed in, trying to be as quiet as he could. There were cups left on the side, which he avoided knocking off. It was darker inside than it was outside. He took a moment for his eyes to acclimatize, while listening out for anything untoward.

                He eventually made his way to the back door, unlocking the bolt and opening it, just enough for Racher to rush in. She threw herself into his arms, as he crouched down to her.

                'Don't turn on any lights, try to keep quiet and keep close to me. Okay'

               'Where's uncle, is he alright?'

               'That's what we're about to find out. Now do as I say'

               She nodded.

               'Repeat it'

               'No lights, be quiet and keep close'

               'Good lets go'

               Systematically, Hussain lead his sister from one room to the next, checking the whole of downstairs. Nothing seemed to be missing. They headed upstairs and again checked the two bedrooms and the bathroom. Hussain checked his uncle's wardrobe and found what he had expected to find, missing clothes. He guessed his uncle had left, knowing that this area was becoming unsafe.

               'We're staying here for the night, in uncle's bed'

               'You're staying too?'

               'Yes little one. I'm staying right here with you. Now get into bed'

               'I don't have my night shirt'

               'That's okay. I need you to sleep in your clothes tonight'

                Racher gave a confused look towards her brother, but did as she was told. She kicked off her trainers and took her wet coat off and huddled into bed. She hugged the pillow and started to gently cry herself to sleep.

               Hussain looked at her, thinking how brave she had been, wondering if she realized she would never see her mother or father again. Hussain stood by the net curtain and looked out. Across the road, in the house opposite, he could see a man pacing back and forth with a baby in his arms, attempting to sooth the baby back to sleep. He found it strange how most of Britain was carrying on, with blinkers over their eyes.