The Light At The Very End Of The Tunnel

Worlds Apart

Menna
I was laying in my bed. Threadbare once more and  looking at the peeling walls opposite the bed. It has been long. Too long since my heart felt any sort of glimmer of light. Darkness came at it from every dimension. And as hard as I tried, I couldn't find solace. It has been three months since I saw Firas. I have prayed for him not to find me. But prayed just as much for him to find me. Perhaps even harder. Love shouldn't be this hard. It shouldn't be this gut wrenching and filled with unending series of pain. And the only time I got a break from it was when Mama had the baby. But not long after that, I lost the only silver lining in my life.

Three months earlier

I got a phone call from Mama two days after Firas left. She sounded hysterical and I couldn't understand a word she was saying. She gave the phone to Baba but he too was sobbing. But he managed to tell me the gist of the story. Apparently the baby had been kidnapped. As soon as he said it, I knew I had to leave this house. I never imagined they would stoop so low as to steal an innocent baby from its mother. I hung up the phone feeling like a mountain was hanging on my shoulders. I did the one thing that I dreaded to do. I called Layla. She had said she would help me get out of here anytime I wanted. I had gone from being too stubborn to accept help from a stranger to wanting to stay by my husband. Now I needed to go. I needed to save my sister. To save my family. Layla promised to come over. So I used the time to go to Father. I was shaking from head to toe. My neck was shaking. I never imagined that to be possible, but my neck was literally shaking. I walked down the spiral staircase and stopped in front of his study. I knocked twice jitterbug from head to toe.

'Come in' He said calmly.

I took a huge breath and entered, my heart thumping. He looked up. And there was no trace of surprise in his expression. He looked like he had better things to do. So I got straight to the point.

'Let my sister go. I will leave for Abnub tonight' I said simply

He looked at me. Now he seemed surprised.

'I don't need anything from you. I just need my family safe' I added. 'And you won't see me again. Nor will Firas.' I continued when he didn't say anything.

'I didn't have a choice' He said his face casted down in shame. What did that even mean.

'We are heading for bankruptcy. And a marriage between Layla and Firas will bring an end to that' He said. Why was he even telling me. It was my turn to look surprised.

'And you think kidnapping my sister will do the trick of chasing me away. I might be poor Mr Anubis but I'm not incapacitated brain wise. If you had told me the reason behind all this hostility, I would have left quietly.' I said my anger masquerading my nerves.

'You are right. And I apologise' He said.

I was flabbergasted. This isn't how I imagined this would go.

'I didn't arrange for the baby to be kidnapped. But Adila must have. I gave her the resources to do as she pleased. I am not in anyway trying to shift the blame away from me. I am very much responsible for this.' He said removing his glasses, and putting them back on. Almost as though he was uncomfortable too. I couldn't think of anything to say.

'I shall arrange for your departure' He said quietly

'No sir. I do not need your help. Just tell her to let my sister go.' I said turning around and walking out of his study. I was so satisfied with my last words. So glad I didn't need his help to get back home.

Layla drove me to the airport and payed for my flight to Abnub. We didn't utter a single word to each other on the way. But she kept glancing at me uncertainly. Almost as though she was worried I would change my mind. When we were called to board, she held my hands and said

'I love him Menna. I'll take care of him'

I didn't know whether to strangle her or thank her. I simply nodded and headed towards the boarding area. She was very brazen I must give her that. She was telling me she loved my husband and that she'd take care of him. I wanted to hate her. I wanted to despise her so much but I didn't. I envied her instead. And tried my best not to imagine Firas and her in our bedroom. Their bedroom now I suppose.

Firas has gotten my family another house. But we couldn't stay there. He would be able to find me there easily. So we rented a two bedroom flat in one of the slums of Abnub. The only thing Baba could afford. It was even worse than our former house. Which we couldn't go back to either. The baby was returned to Mama even before I arrived.

Present time

'Menna' Mama said breaking through my thoughts. She was holding little Zara in her arms. I stood up, took Zara from her and sat back down. Mama and I were quiet as I rocked her back and forth until she fell asleep.

'You will make an excellent mother Menna. You are so good with Zara' She said smiling.

She had said the wrong thing. Because it only made me think of Firas. I couldn't imagine having anyone else's baby. He still hadn't found me. Or sent me a divorce. It was shameful but I slept better knowing I was still married to him. That I was still tethered to him somehow. Tears started to sting my eyes. I forged an excuse and handed Zara to mama. I had started towards the door when mama said.

'Stop it Menna. Enough. You need to forget him' She said tears swelling in her eyes.

I was so angry. How could she say that to me. After everything I've been through. And she was the one who started the foundation of this whole calamity. I didn't even turn around I just went on walking. Baba's horse Camilla stood chewing on hay right outside the door. She was very old. Standardbred and withered. I stood on her left side and threw a saddle blanket over her. I caught the reins in my left hand, then grasped the horse's wither, mane, with my left hand and the back of the saddle with my right. I placed my left foot in the stirrup, pulled myself up, and swung my right leg over her hindquarters. This was exactly how Baba taught me.

'Come on girl' I urged her squeezing my calves into her sides. She immediately started moving. I heard mama calling after me but I didn't stop. I let her gallop down the narrow streets picking up speed and causing people to disect along my speeding wake. I didn't stop until I reached the Locks Of Esna. I tied Camilla to an old rusty abandoned ship and stood in front of the water. Shivering slightly and breathing fast and hard.

'Menna' Someone said my name. That voice. It couldn't be....  I turned around. It was him. Firas stood a few feet from me. My heart turned into ice. I couldn't breathe. I clutched my chest gasping. I was dizzy and disoriented. I felt myself fall into his arms as he bellowed my name running towaeds me. And then I passed out.

'Menna!' Firas shouted shaking me. I was stirring. Trying to decipher how I came to this. Was this a dream. I was sprawled on the sand. My head in his laps. And he looked petrified. I raised my hands to his cheek. His eyes looked haunted. But they were sparkling with emotion. He was really here.

'Are you okay?' He asked, his voice sounding hoarse.

I nodded. Not trusting my voice. He picked me up hooking his hands under my armpits and pulling me onto his laps almost as though I weighed like nothing. Tears were cascading down my cheeks in waves. He wiped my tears staring at me. His gaze intense.

'You left.' He said softly. I shook my head not knowing what to say. My eyes widened when I saw that there were tears in his grey eyes. My heart felt like it was ready to explode. He looked like the definition of heart break. And my heart felt like glass exploding into a thousand shreds. I placed my hands on each side of his face shaking my head vigorously. Trying to tell him I didn't want to leave. But he brought me to him. Hugging me tight. And then we cried. I cried for all the times I missed him. For all the times I wished he was next to me. For all those lonely nights I cried myself to sleep. For knowing that I couldn't be with him. Our world's were worlds apart. And that was what made me pull away from him.