My Life Beyond The Pale

Chapter fourteen: Almost happiness.

It is evident that we overstayed our welcome. We were kids, but it still hurt to have their judgmental eyes following us to every room while not even trying to hide it. Presuming that we might do something even before doing it. We finished the semester while Listening to Mahmood nonsensical made up stories every night Until he exhausts himself and falls asleep. Because telling him a story only makes him even more awake. I still remember some of them about how he traveled with Santa Claus, or what we call Baba Noyil. Or how he will turn into a dove flying away carrying us with him.

With everything, I'll always be grateful for Razak's efforts, so my mother would get the justice she deserves. Mahmood wasn't considered a witness but evidence. Him retelling the story in the court always gave the same tear-jerking reaction, said Razak. But what can you hope when the judge and the cop dine at the thieves' table. Where lady justice blindsight, won't stop her from smelling money. He should be hanged for what he did, but fate had other plans for him. He will have to wait in his cell, awaiting his twenty-four years sentence. It is still hardly considered justice for all he did.

"Come on! Don't you want to go?" Razak's wife woke me up in the middle of the night.

"Go where?" I replied, what now, I thought.

"Come on! Your sister is dressed already."

Seeing my sister awake while they're gathering our luggage, made my heart beat faster than it should, I thought they were taking us to an orphanage. It turns out it's to our aunt's Maysoon's house in Basra. Razak has called and already arranged with her, for us to live there. It was less than eight hours drive to get there. The only thing I remember about it was being able to see camels on the way for the first time. Since I never get to do so when we travel aboard a train.

Razak parked his car in Maysoon's house through their large gate since the small one was for ordinary use. He got the two heavy bags from the truck, with both her sons helping him. We entered the house and set in the living room chatting. Razak asked about her husband since he's the one he should talk to, but she said he only gets back late at night. Maysoon's husband used to go to work in the morning, and just get back at night so drunk that most of the time, he goes straight to bed. That didn't work for Razak since he needs to get back on the same day. So he just told me to be good before leaving us with her.

We spend the whole day playing a video game and watching TV with her younger son, Rahman.

"My father will be home soon," Said Rahman, "Try to keep a low profile, and never mention you're staying with us for good."

"You mean you haven't told him?" I asked, "How will this supposed to work?"

"Don't worry about it; my mother will figure it out."

He got home, over 190 cm tall, wasn't that drunk that night.

"Hey!" He said, unsure if someone is with us or not. With a voice that always makes him sound like he's exhaling the words from his mouth and nose at the same time. "How are you doing here kids?" Turned to Maysoon and said, "Seriously what are they doing here, Who brought them here, Aren't they living with Razak?"

"Yeah, he brought them here for a while to see us." She replied, "Just until school."

"Ohhh I see!!" He replied, always stretching the words, then faced Rahman and said, "Take care of them, Rahman."

Then he went straight to bed since he already had eaten dinner outside.

It's two weeks before school, during it, Zainab and her family visited us, Maysoon and Razak arranged our school transfer, and spend every night renting videotapes from the nearest local video store. She was acting like the closest thing to a mother. They were much down to earth than I remembered. Or perhaps things have changed since the happening. She took us to shop for clothes for the new semester and also brought us a whole set of stationery items. Then to our first day at school where she spoke to the teachers about our story, asking them to take care of us before we received our yearly books and got back home. As we were walking in the son, I looked up to her with warm feelings, thinking if this is it. We might have a chance of a happy, ordinary life yet.