Break Of Dawn

Chapter 11.

PART II.

I was asleep for most part of the journey,
and when I did wake up there was really nothing to see.

It was pitch black outside occasionally breaking the ebony monotone were lights from other vehicles and shops.

The bus reached Isiolo early morning.

The sky was a dark shade of blue black, with the eastern horizon beginning to wake up with the red color of sunrise.

I alighted, and looked around. It was barely morning, but the town of Isiolo was awake and bustling with activity.

Aisha had told me that she would pick me up at the bus terminus, so I just relaxed.

My stomach growled, and I remembered that my last meal had been yesterday's lunch.

I spotted a food stall manned by a middle aged man, who had a beard dyed red.

He wore a long white kanzu,
And a cap,

He was Muslim, and I felt a familiarity that warmed my heart, though I had never seen him in my life.

I walked over and greeted him,
"As-salaam Aleykum , "
That was my very first salaam,
My very first greeting of peace,

And I felt peaceful, rejuvenated, and new, like a white feather dipped in creek waters and brought back up,

" Waaleykum Salaam warahmatullahi wabarakatu, "
He greeted back,

He asked me if I was new, and I told him yes,

I bought a snack, that I had never seen before, it was yellow, warm and soft, with sugar crystals sprinkled all over it,

And the kind man give me another one as a 'welcome to Isiolo gift'

I stayed a while longer,
watching the man and his family work and serve their customers,

Aisha looked younger than I had last seen her, and happier.
I watched her from a far, greeting folks she knew,
talking a little with ladies especially at the stalls.

She was holding a large bottle of what seemed like milk.
Our eyes met, and she broke into a smile. I stood as she came close, and got lost in her embrace for a moment.

Apparently Aisha knew the food stall man, whom I later learned was called Galgalo,

She supplied him 2 liters of milk every morning.
We sat down at the stall and she ordered tea for both of us, it was really cold so the tea did me good.

I watched as she talked to Galgalo and his wife, and sipped her tea noisily.

Aisha was a typical Somali beauty, with flawless brown skin, dark lips, pearl white teeth and a good soul. She had henna on her hand and nails,

When we got up to go I came to the bottom of what had been puzzling me that whole time,

Aisha looked younger and happier, but there was also something different.
Now I saw it,
the  slight bump under her dira , she was expectant.

I smiled,
It had really hurt her when Achmed died,
made her hopeless and haggard. But now there was hope, the flame was rekindled.
I was happy she was happy,

Despite being pregnant she insisted on carrying my bag for me,
"But you are..., "
I said looking at her tummy,

" Oh this,? "she asked pointing at herself,
" I'm pregnant, not sick! "and my bag was on her back with no time.

I stayed with her and her husband,
a quiet man who was non the less very hospitable.

They took me with them to the mosque on Friday,
After ibada, the women were catching up with each other mostly speaking in Somali which I didn't understand,

They'd inquire about me, and Aisha would tell them something in the language.
It'd be followed by calls of,
"Masha'allah "
" Allah is great"

With them patting my head, pinching my cheeks and others even hugging me. I felt very special that day,

Over the following week, I learned how to milk a camel, how to make anjeera (and it turned out terrible, runny and burnt, as always)

Aisha wasn't as understanding as my dad, she became irritable and impatient sometimes,
But I tried to understand her, being pregnant and all.

Just when I was beginning to settle down, she asked me one afternoon,
"What happened to your plan,? "

I froze, and my brain went blank, what to do? What to do?

" I... Um... I didn't really have a plan "
I was waiting for the roof to collapse over my head,

Looking at Aisha, her face bore no expression, she just looked at me blankly.

T

hen she burst out laughing,
" Why are you looking so serious? "

That made me remember my dad,
Eva don't look so shocked,
My dad, my family,
Oh God,

" I knew you didn't have a plan, many 17 year olds don't usually have tangible plans, "

Yeah, too busy worrying about boys and acne to have real plans.

" But I have a plan, "

" You do? "

" Yeah, I do.
But you will not like it, "

A kind of fear gripped, I felt totally vulnerable. I didn't want to ask, but I did anyway.

" What is it,? "

She took in a deep breath, looked at me for a second then looked away,
as if she didn't want to witness my reaction.

It couldn't be that bad, could it?

" You are leaving! "

What?
I wanted to scream my lungs out but it came out barely a whisper,
" Nooo....! "

****      ******     *****    ******
Glossary.

Anjeera - a kind of african pancake.
Dira - buibui /abaya /a long loose dress mostly worn by muslim women.

******     ******     *******

Hello guys,
Eva has to go, again!
My poor baby,
*sniffing, *

Tell me what you think so far, I always love hearing from you.

So go ahead beautiful people,
Vote, comment and share.

See you in the next chapter,

Until then,
Happy reading.