AMACon 3: Oikos - Children

Sacrifice - Dawn

"Just like the days, no two sunrises are ever the same."

She hurried towards his kneeling form as the sky lightens up with the first beams of Shams. The valley was dressed in hues of orange, red and gold but this time she didn't stop to admire it like she always did. She was in a hurry when her skirt suddenly got caught in a thorn and it won't come off.

'Do you plan on staying there the entire day?', his voice strikes her ears and she stops what she was doing and instead focuses on him.

Looking at him, you couldn't have guessed that till a day ago , the 8 out of 9 tribes of this valley had already decided he would be a great successor to his father, their Ameer Al Umara. Right now, he looked exactly what he was. A 12 year old Ra'id Jaber or as she liked to call him RJ.

Who was sitting there, with his hands tied behind his back and a scar on his face because of her.

'You're lost again, what's up with you, Meng?', he asks her curiously, 'Are you in love?'

'Do you really want me to give you a punch', she asks him in her threatening tone while tears begin to fall from her eyes. She had finally succeeded in taking her robes out of the thorn and comes near him.

'No, I don't think I can endure that much pain', he tells her with a smile.

'I'm so ...so sorry, RJ', she lifts the veil away from her face, 'I didn't have...'

'I am not holding you at wrong, Meng.. It was a tough choice. Handing over the control to him practically meant you would sentenced your entire tribe to death. You just saved your people, Meng. My life is not worth that much. Don't be sorry for that'

'RJ.. I..', she didn't know what to say to him.

'Meng, do you remember when we were on our way home yesterday.. You promised me something.', he looks at her.

'Yes. I remember', and she felt even guiltier now.

'Do you...think.. That', his voice cracks, 'That before I die.....'

'I'll do anything, RJ', she hold his face in her hand, 'Anything..'

'Can you do that face one last time..The one you did 9 years ago.. That made me fall for you?'

And right there sitting in front of him as the morning came alive , she knew, she had lost everything.