BANE

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN (ONE)

“You are not taking food to the girl upstairs tonight.” John, her husband, bellowed. Naomi wondered why he said that. Who else is there to serve the girl apart from her?

“What did you do to her?” she demanded boldly.

“What did you say?” He asked. Naomi swallowed. She knew he was trying to intimidate her.

“I said what did you did to her?” she repeated. She tried to act courageous, although, deep inside; she was shaking like a leaf. He stared at her as if he couldn’t fathom what she was saying. She moved back, scared that he would hit her, but to her greatest surprise, he burst into laughter. He turned and left her standing there like an idiot. She wondered what had come over him.

Naomi had seen a young girl with one of her husband’s friends and she wondered who she was. She was surprised to see a girl so young hanging out with a bunch like that. 

She knew it wasn’t any of her business, most of all; she didn’t want to have anything to do with people like them. She’d had enough.

**********
“Why are they silent?” Mubarak asked.

“The question is, who is behind all of this?”If only they could tell.

“I wonder what Banan would tell mother when she gets home.” Zaid said absent mindedly. He felt like screaming .

“You said you went out together right? She would probably not go home today, and then, she would suddenly appear one day and tell a cock and bull story that would convince anyone.“ Sabiha didn’t know how Banan’s mind worked anymore, but that seemed like a story for anyone to tell and others to believe. “The only thing I am certain of is that they would never let us go, exactly why they brought you here.”

“Then we would find a way.” Zaid sounded determined. Sabiha on the other hand simply sighed .

**********
“It’s eight o’clock and they are not back yet. What could they be possibly doing outside?” After what happened to Sabiha, this was enough to scare any mother out of her wits. “Nadine I still can’t reach them.”

“They could be at home. Try calling their friends.” Mrs Anwar made a few phone calls, but no one seemed to have seen them, not even Hannah, whom Banan claimed she was going to visit. “They haven’t seen them Nadine.”

“Try calling Mr Othman, maybe they’re with him.”   Mrs Anwar remembered how Mr Othman had called at her house, asking the same question about his daughter. Her heart skipped a beat. After speaking with him, she turned to Nadine with fear in her eyes. “He hasn’t seen them either. I have every right to be scared.”

“Calm down Nadia, let’s wait for a little bit. I am sure they will come back at any moment.” Nadine tried not to worry. She just hoped everything was alright.

“But they never lie to me about where they’re going to.”

“They’re kids Nadia, they all get rebellious and do things that they do not usually do at a point in their lives. Let’s just assume that this was just one of those moments.”

“You do have a point... I pray so.” How could she explain to Nadine the uneasy feeling she had.


*************
“Have they called?” Nadine asked sitting up.

“Nadine, it’s past midnight. I don’t care what you think but I am going out to look for my kids.”

“You’re free to panic sis., I’m beginning to panic too.”

Mrs Anwar grabbed her car keys, she wasn’t sure of where to start looking but she knew she couldn’t sit back and do nothing.