prologue
Sefrou, Morocco, 1994
There was nothing out of place about that evening. It was same as always. Dassa could still smell the usual mixture of 'kharqoum' and 'skinjbir' between the alley.
She stopped suddenly.
"Oh not again, I forgot what father asked me to get" She whined.
"Hey Dassa!"
She turned, it was Casmir.
"You, what are you doing here?" She smiled, revealing a dimple in her left cheek.
"To marvel at your beauty of course"
She blushed and continued walking, holding tightly to her bible and pulling her veil together underneath her chin.
"Don't tell me you're seeing the rabbi again"
"Mind your own business Casmir"
Dassa began to gaze around just in case she caught sight of what she had been asked to get. She didn't know what it was but she knew it was present right there in the market.
"Something's odd today you know" Casmir said, he paid for an orange and began to peel it with his fingers.
"How do you mean?"
"The wind" Cas pointed upwards, her eyes traced his index finger and she looked up at the skies which had just began to darken.
"Don't tell me you forgot again!, you did, didn't you?"
A familiar voice resounded bringing her mind back to the busy six o'clock street of the Sefrou market.
It was Jamal, Dassa's brother.
"You should be looking out for the Argan oil dad asked you to buy instead of chatting with your boyfriend"
"Argan oil, that is it ! and by the way, Casmir is not my boyfriend and you are supposed to be at bible studies, you don't even know the books of the Torah, that is embarassing"
"No one asked me what I wanted to be, yet you all assumed I want to be some rabbi or something" He kicked a pebble.
"You are a boy, it is your duty to know these things" Dassa said fixing his cap well on his head.
"See you later, boussa!
Casmir smiled at her and winked.
"He did not just……" Jamal began to say.
"Shut up Jamal, now if you want to be acting all responsible suddenly like a brother you should get your little butt to class right now"
"But….."
"No buts, we're going" Dassa grabbed her twelve year old brother by the ear and pulled him towards the Argan oil stand.
"Ow, ow…." He cried out in pain but she ignored.
"Ssalam" Dassa smiled at the familiar face who smiled back, she recognized her, she had come to their home once with her son who had some form of rashes.
" Argan oil?" The woman asked with a smile. Dassa wondered how she knew.
"Your father buys from me all the time" She seemed to have realized Dassa's look of confusion.
"Oh" Dassa smiled.
"Hello Jamal"
"Hello" The boy in pain waved back and the woman giggled.
"I'll take a litre"
"Sure" She handed the bottle to Dassa who had to let go of her brother's ear to take the bottle and pay.
YOU ARE READING
BLOOD BY THE HAND OF GUILT
Mystery / Thriller"Blood by the hand of guilt" tells a story of a girl whose world is torn apart by greed corruption and blood shed. Her faith becomes the only barrier between her and vengeance. But when her veil and family are snatched from her she makes a vow that...
