THE TALE OF SARAH

Chapter Fifteen

"Umm Hakeem please, I don't want to tag along." Sarah pleaded as Umm Hakeem held her hand tightly and dragged her along.

Umm Hakeem was going to reprimand Hamad and she was taking Sarah along, against her wish. "You need to stand up for yourself as a woman, what if I am not here, won't you talk to him?"

Sarah bit her lower lip. No!, she will not talk to him. She didn't want to face him again. Besides, if she tries anything provoking, who knows what he'll do again? Even now that she was going, it was against her will. She was scared indeed. She didn't want to face her rapist, or worse, see the venue it happened. She had only started to discard the disturbing images, and now it was going to resurface again.

Umm Hakeem made sure she went to meet him in a time that he'll definitely be at home, Saturday morning. It was post breakfast, and he had eaten his breakfast. She dragged Sarah up the first stairs and to the middle ones and to the last ones until, Sarah wouldn't move again.

The images had started to return. The last time she was here, she was bloodied and bruised, staggering. She started to feel light headed, but she let Umm Hakeem continue. She didn't know whether she could do this.

Umm Hakeem dragged her to Hamad's room, and pushed the door open, which caused Sarah to jump slightly. She was tensed already.

They stepped into the room and saw Hamad about to sit on his room's sofa, when he stood up and turned around. He scowled upon seeing them, but he returned to his normal expression and said salam.

"Wa'alaykumus salam, if not that responding was fard," she pointed a finger at him, "I would've told you to keep your greeting to yourself. What did you bloody do to Sarah huh? You raped her? You used her? Don't you have manners?" She yelled.

"Keep silent!" Hamad boomed. "You old hag, you're just an ordinary worker here, and whatever I do is none of your business." He hissed.

"I know I'm just a worker here, and so is she," she pointed at Sarah, "but that doesn't give you any right to touch her! Do you know she is pregnant? Now what is she supposed to do with the baby?"

"If it suits her, she can get rid of it." He hissed again and then wore a devilish smirk after. And before Umm Hakeem could say any further, "Get out!" He pointed in the direction of the door.

Fuming, Umm Hakeem stepped out, still holding Sarah's hand. But Sarah was far from fuming. Big time trouble had just begun.

**********

"Sarah calm down! You have a living thing inside you now. Please?" Yusra pleaded.

Sarah had been sobbing hysterically since she came back that she now looked so disheveled. She could pull off as a zombie.

"I hate myself, I caused it, I caused everything. I should've done something." She said between sobs.

"You didn't cause anything, its just the will of Allah. We're all here for you please calm down."

"Its my fault. Its all my fault. I should've hit him or even kicked him. I'm at fault, I don't deserve to live. I deserve to-"

"Sarah please, stop putting pressure on yourself. You deserve to live."

"Your food is here, sit up." Fa'iza commanded as she entered the room with a tray of cereal.

"I'm not going to eat, I'll die of starvation instead."

"Sarah stop being silly! Sit up and eat." Maymunah scolded as she entered the room. "If you think you don't deserve to live, what about your baby?"

"Come on sit." Yusra said as she gently held her sides, using it to raise her. Once Sarah was up, she shrugged herself away from Yusra, and ran towards the door to the kitchen. On her way, she met Umm Hakeem, but she quickly ran past her. She was determined. She went to pick a knife a raised it up, about to injure herself when Umm Hakeem entered, followed by Yusra and the rest.