Sweet Obsession

Chapter 3

Loula

In the morning, I felt something nibbling at my nose, and I immediately opened my eyes and screamed. I stared at my attacker. The little lamb looked at me with big, black eyes, startled as much as I was. Relieved that it was not someone or something that threatened my life, I slowly stood up and looked around for its owner. And sure enough in a distance, I saw him. The shepherd, a thin, young lad, was coming my way, and behind him followed a small herd of sheep.

The young man, who did not look a day older than twenty years of age, walked up to me, smiled, and asked, "What is your name my lady?"

"Nadia." I quickly answered. I could not tell him my real name.

The young man bowed before me, allowing his hair that was pulled back in a ponytail to sway forward as he introduced himself.

"My name is Abdul." He said.

"What are you doing out here by yourself? Where is your chaperone?" He looked around suspiciously with his big, black eyes.

"I do not have one. I am all alone," I said too quickly without thinking. What if he alerted the villagers and they seized me and took me as a prisoner? I feared the worst.

"My lady, I will tell no one you are here. Please do not fear," he said innocently enough.

"Can you please help me, lad? I am lost and hungry, and I am scared." I hoped he would come to my aid.

It only took Abdul a few minutes of thinking before he announced cheerfully, "Well, you can come home with me. My mother and I hardly ever have visitors, and I know my mother would be delighted to meet you."

I believed him. His proposal sounded very inviting. They have no idea who I am, so they will not alert the palace.

So I eagerly accepted his invitation. Besides, had I not accepted, there was nowhere else for me to go. I followed Abdul as he herded the sheep toward his home. From a distance, I saw the little shack they called home. It was very small but looked warm and inviting. I waited patiently for Abdul to bring all the sheep to the stable, and then we went inside his home.

His mother greeted us at the door with a welcoming smile, exposing crooked, decayed teeth as she stepped aside for us to enter. Her gray eyes sparkled with curiosity as she closed the door and walked up to me. Her long, thick braid that hung low beneath her waist swayed as she tipped her head to the right and checked me out from head to toe.

Nervously, I threw her a smile and said, "Hello, my name is Nadia."

Abdul's mother wiped her hands on her worn-out apron, took my hands in hers, and held on to them. She seemed pleased that I was in their home.

"Please sit and break bread with us. We do not have much, but what the good Lord has given us, we will share with you." She gently pulled me to the wooden table in the middle of the tiny room and motioned for me to sit.

Not wanting to offend her in any way, I pulled out the wooden chair and sat on it. I looked around the small room and noticed it was almost bare of furnishings. There was a table with three chairs and two beds, one on each side of the room. There was a woodstove to cook on with and a sink with the only window in the room above it that was decorated with an old, cotton curtain. They did not have much, but they seemed like good people.

After washing his hands, Abdul helped his mother set the table. A hot bowl of potato soup and a slice of freshly baked bread was placed in front of me, and there was a slice of cheese and a glass of milk too. I devoured everything. I was starving. I sat quietly at their table while mother and son ate their food in silence, and when they were done, Abdul's mother removed the dishes from the table and dumped them in the sink. Abdul sat proudly in his chair, smiling at me.

The day wore on with the three of us sipping tea and listening to Abdul's mother telling us tales from long ago. Her words fascinated me. Clearly, she enjoyed telling her colorful stories, and she had us captivated as we gave her our undivided attention. I did not even notice that the sun had gone down and it was almost time for dinner until Abdul announced that he was going to the stable to check on the livestock while his mother quickly busied herself with dinner preparations.

The table was set once again with the leftover potato soup and a repeat of everything else we had for lunch, and it really did not matter to me because, by this time, I was starving again. Anything that was edible was just fine with me. We ate our dinner, and though it wasn't much, it was tasty. I was grateful for everything that Abdul and his mother offered me.

When we were done and everything was washed and put away, Abdul's mother smiled at me. "You look tired, my child. Would you like to rest now?" she asked politely.

I was very tired, and I nodded my head. "Thank you kindly. Yes, I am tired, and I would like to rest."

Immediately, Abdul stood. "Nadia, you can sleep on my bed. I can sleep on the floor by the fireplace," he chimed happily.

His mother quickly added, "Son, get the pillow from my bed and give it to Nadia. I do not need it tonight." And she turned with a smile and looked at me sweetly. "We are happy you have come to our humble home. Sleep now, my child. Rest your body, and God be with you," she said sincerely and hugged me. Then she turned, walked to the other corner of the room, and lay in her bed.

Abdul gave me his mother's only pillow and bid me good night, and he walked over to the fireplace, dropped on the floor, and slept on some blankets. I was feeling uncomfortable that I had the only pillow of the house, but I had no other choice. I did not want to disrespect them by not accepting their hospitality. So I lay in the bed, and I fell asleep almost immediately.

Early in the morning, I awoke to find the brilliant sunlight shining its way through the window. I looked around the room and noticed I was all alone. I got out of bed, walked over to the door, and swung it open. I found Abdul and his mother doing the outdoor chores, and when they noticed that I was looking at them, they smiled and waved. These people didn't have much material stuff, but they were loaded with other things that were more important, like love and kindness.

The day wore on. I helped Abdul with the rest of the chores, and his mother went inside to prepare something for us to eat. I was happy and felt serenity here. My mind relaxed, and I was at peace with myself. Thoughts of Nidal crept into my mind, but I quickly pushed them away.

Today, we had fried eggs, fried potatoes, and fresh bread. I was famished and sat down eagerly to eat. Abdul placed a glass of milk in front of me, sat down with his mother, and joined us. The conversation went smoothly at the table, and I was beginning to feel at home. But I knew that I had to pull my weight if I stayed here another day. After much deliberation, they finally agreed with me and gave me a task that I thought was easy enough. Abdul showed me the garden in the back of their home, and I was to fill up the basket I was given with vegetables. I plucked all the ripe veggies and skipped back inside the shack to show Abdul's mother. She told me to wash them and place them on the table, where she had placed a clean cloth napkin.

"This, my dear child, is our meal for tomorrow," she said cheerfully. And then her eyes filled with tears as she stared at me. "Nadia, forgive me. I do not mean to cry, but you remind me of my daughter. She died of the plague many years ago," she said sadly. "The same disease claimed my husband as well and left Abdul and me to fend for ourselves. We do not have much, but at least we have each other. Abdul is a good boy, and he provides for me. I just love him so much." She wiped her tears with her apron.

I walked up to her and gave her a bear hug. I felt sorry for her. She was a good person, and life was not fair to her. Thus, our relationship started and blossomed into a beautiful friendship.

***

As the days flew by, thoughts of Nidal were torturing my heart. I missed him tremendously and knew not what to do. On the one hand, I felt comfortable around these people who already felt like family to me, but at night when I lay myself down to sleep, my mind wandered to Nidal, and my heart broke in two. I cried myself to sleep every night and prayed I would be in his arms once again one day. But I knew it was too soon. Only time would heal our wounds and allow for us to start over again.