Dandelions

Chapter 7

Mara's POV

"Urggg.. Ummi Asma where can I take a bath?" I ask, as a silence prayer crosses my mind 'No, the place shouldn't be worse than the place what she showed as a toilet a while ago. A pit on soil covered by some date leaves and an old bucket with some water'.

"You can use my neighbor's stone tank dear. I talked to Juwairiyya" she says pointing her index finger towards a stone house not too far. "You see dear, we use the river but, you can't walk with your injured leg" the kind smile that spreads around her cracked lips adds her some unique beauty to her sunken face. "Come with me" she signs throwing the last piece of wet cloth in her hand to the nearby bush.

"You must be hungry. You didn't have anything so far and the sun has come to the top. I'll wait outside. Have a bath" she hands me over a bucket and a cloth as I enter the small room of four stone walls roofed with dried date leaves. What she called the stone tank in a medium sized pit carved in large stone. I pour some water over my head though it can't be called a bath. Yet, I couldn't remain without thanking the kind lady who sheltered me making my today better than the yesterday, the worst day of my life. The naturally heated up water doesn't fail to give a warmth for the aching body.

"Habeeba" I sigh as her smiling face crosses my mind. "Where are you" a tear drop doesn't fail to roll over my cheek remembering her innocent face.

I quickly changed into the dress Maimoona has left for me to wear. 'it must be her daughter's' I think as I adjust the dark blue gown with mended patches to fit me. I imagine Asma to be a girl of my size but shorter seeing the gown that fails to touch the floor.

I throw the shawl around my chest and neck making sure my chain is hidden. But what if she has seen it yesterday? No she wouldn't have, because my dress was unchanged and the dress I washed now covers the neck fully.

"Let me put it dry. Give it" Maimoona grabs the dress to her left hand and holds my left hand with her right to aid me in walk. The heat of the scorching sun creates sweat drops so soon not wanting to leave the traces of bath.

"We must tie your knee and the toe with the herbs again" she adds. "Andddd Mara, this dress...urggg..where did you buy this from?" her eyes wander through it giving me goose bumps. The dress looks brighten as the mud and the blood stains which had changed its color has gone away. "Is this from the local market of kingdom Azeeziya? Well Asma has a similar one. I think she took it with her. My brother once gifted her. Asma, my talkative little girl. I miss her" she sighs and I sigh too.

"Alright dear, come in and fill your tummy first. The porridge is ready as well"

"This is all what I can give my visitor at the moment dear, I'm sorry" she places two rotis, some dates fruits and a cup of porridge next to me with a weak smile.

"Anything that is given with love is great smaller though it is. This means a lot for my hungry tummy umme Asma" a calm smile blossoms in her lips as I eat a piece of roti. No, this doesn't taste good at all. Much harder than the roti I have eaten, yet how can I not appreciate it at the moment? Haven't I got something to fill my tummy at least?

"Don't you like dates. Eat them as well, let me bring the herbs to dress your wounds. Yahkoob, why so early today? Come in, come in" Maimoona's face brightens seeing the boy standing at the door, biting his fore finger.

"Mara this is Yahkoob, he is after his lessons from our local mosque, but Yahkoob knows you very well, it was him who saw you first" The innocent smile that blossoms on his oblong face makes sure to steal a soft corner of my heart.