The Orphan Child

Chapter 16

He tread the familiar path not knowing where to set his mind on a destination. He knew most of the places off by heart and he often ran around these areas in his dreams, but only was it until now that it dawned upon him that this place didn't bring back any homesick feelings that he often spent nights on thinking when he was a teen.

This was it then. No more wondering about what it would feel like to be back in his homeland. He was done and there was nothing left tying him to this place. He only had one last visit to make and that, he decided when he saw the black gates across from him.

He just wanted to visit the graves of his loved ones before he left forever.

Opening the gates quietly, as if he would awake the dead, he trudged past the many new graves he had not seen before and made way to the end where he had many times sat crying.

There it was. Side by side. His mother and his fathers grave. They had died the same day, executed as he had been told for an act they both committed wrongfully.

Harris refused to dwell on those thoughts and instead focused on thinking about what could be possibly going on down there. Were they happy?  Did they know that their son had come to visit them? Did they know what was the state of him? Were they happy to see what their son had grown up to become?

For a while he sat on the dirt not saying a word and enjoying the closeness that he had with his parents. This was as close as he could be in this world and silently he prayed in his mind that he be reunited with them in the afterlife.

What a cruel world he was living in, and sometimes, even he wished to be taken early too. But that very thought then made him quiver, and even more aware of his deeds which he had been lacking in.

After a while he moved to his grandmother's grave which wasn't too far and strong emotions began to bubble and erupt which Immediately left him in a hurry to leave. He couldn't become weak again after having spent time in building himself strong over recent years.

His visit was over and he left back out the gate, careful not to make any sound without even a backward glance.

He had a while until Asr Salah and after that he would make a call to his chauffer that would take him away forever from this strange place doing strange things to his frantic, beating heart.

Silently he stomped over some over-grown grass cutting across the field and hoped to find an easier route back to the Masjid. He let his arms brush against the crops and felt like a little boy again.  He had done this many times before and he almost wished he could run just as wildly again but his maturity kept him in check. He couldn't bring himself to do so.

After passing through he noticed the scenery. It was different yet familiar. He had ran this way the day he lost his grandmother. And there it was. The big gangly looking tree he once took shelter under.

He walked upto it brushing his fingers against the bark suddenly feeling tired after walking for so long.

And just as he had done so before he took a seat in the shade of the tree and rested, but this time he was a man and he wasn't going to cry.

He simply enjoyed the greenery resting his head back and closing his eyes until drops of rain started to fall from the sky. At first it was a light shower. Harris opened his eyes not really bothered by the rain and caught sight of a house not too far in the distance. Immediately he remembered who this house belonged to and wondered if the residents still occupied it. It was a little bigger than he remembered. Perhaps it had been extended.

He continued staring at the familiar looking house almost expecting to see a small girl run out into the rain in excitement.

The rain picked up speed until it eventually started to invade his mouth and Harris opened his mouth inviting in the rain. Rain was a blessing he knew but the taste was just like water.

He blinked back the rain that had clung to his eyelashes and when he focused his gaze back on the house he saw a figure emerge.

With all the rain it was impossible to make out who it was but it was clear it was a lady. She looked up at the sky appearing to be considering whether to run out or not as she held up her long black clothing off the floor.

Zahras mother.

She jumped down rushing to save the clothes as she hurriedly snatched them off the line and ran back in. It was amazing how a lady of her age could move so fast. She was very slim. Perhaps more slim than when he had seen her last, Harris thought leaning his head back against the tree, and once again he closed his eyes, unbothered by the rain.

......

Zahra who was cooking rice that afternoon pranced around reciting over and over again the ayahs she had just memorized in hope of not to forget by night.

She dabbed a towel on her face as the kitchen became more steamy by the minute from the chicken curry she was currently making.

A glance out the window alerted her that rain was on its way. The sky had darkened which made her switch the lights on in the kitchen. How swiftly the weather would change, Subhaanallah! It amazed her every time. One minute sunny, next it could be a storm. Or one minute a storm and the next it would be sunny.

When she had managed to arrange everything to leave her cooking unattended, she turned the heat to medium so as not to burn the food and made way to fetch her dads clothing from the line that were drying outside. She hadn't noticed how much rain was pouring outside until she opened the back door to witness the heavy rain herself.

Deciding whether it was worth it or not to go and save the clothes after it had been half drenched, Zahras legs had already decided as if it had a mind of its own jumping out into the rain.

She snatched all the clothes with good timing and rushed back inside,  thankful that the clothes hadn't completely soaked in the rain, and when safely inside she resumed with cooking whispering words of her Lord.

...........................................

Assalaamu Alaykum. Sorry for the brief hiatus. Hope you liked this chapter.

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