Betrayed

Chapter Two

I locked myself in my room for the rest of the day. I tried to sleep at night but I couldn’t, my heart was beating so fast, and tears started streaming down my face. Yesterday my grandmother passed away and in four days they expect me to clap and dance at my wedding like nothing happened. They expect me to be happy when I’m being forced to marry a man who is twenty-six years older than me. After a while, I stopped crying and fell asleep.                                                                                      “Wake up,” Khala Aysha said.      
“What do you want?” I asked.
“Oh, I don’t want anything.” Khala Aysha said, “But I have to get you ready for your wedding.”
“Oh, no thank you” I snapped, “ I am not planning on getting married anytime soon.”
Khala Aysha sighed and sat down on the bed next to me. She stared at me for a while then sighed again. “ I can see myself in your eyes.” she said sadly, “ When I got married to your uncle, you weren’t born yet, your parents weren’t even married yet. I was twelve, all I wanted in life was to play with my friends and get new toys like theirs. My mother passed away when she was giving birth to me, and my father couldn’t afford my needs. I remember sitting there crying for him to buy me dolls like the ones my best friend Soma had, and I remember his smile that day ‘You want new toys Aysha?’ he asked and I nodded, he looked at me and said ‘I know someone who will buy you a lot of them.’ I smiled and got so happy.
 “The next day he walked in with your uncle, your uncle was young back then he was only eighteen, but the way he stared at me frightened me. I would never forget how he looked at me that day. They told me we’re going to play a game and I agreed. They gave me a dress and told me to wear it so I can become a bride and then I would look like the doll Soma had. That night people from the whole village came to the wedding at your grandmother’s house, they were all singing and clapping and I was so happy because all I had in my mind was that I looked beautiful and I was also thinking about the dolls that I will get after the party was over. I kept dancing and spinning around in my bride dress until later that night when he took me inside his house and my father left me that’s when it all hit me, there was never dolls or games I was trapped in that house with him forever and that’s when I saw him as a monster.” Khala Aysha stopped and shivered.      
“I am so sorry Khala Aysha” I cried, “ I never knew any of that happened to you.”
“Nobody knows, and if they know they don’t remember.”
“Is that why you act harshly all the time?”
“Oh no,” Khala Aysha smiled, “ My story is longer than that.”
“Tell me,” I asked shyly, “If you don’t mind of course.”
“ I was so mean to your uncle, I always called him a monster and threw stuff at him, but he never seemed bothered by any of that he always smiled and said he will give me my time. I always wondered why he never yelled at me, and then I began falling in love with him. I began letting him into the room where he was never allowed before, I began cooking food for him, and I started taking care of him. We both were so happy when I got pregnant he wouldn’t even let me out of bed, he always took care of me and then when I gave birth to a girl he was so sad, he tried not to show it but I could tell. He always wanted a boy and I knew that. Two years later your dad came back from the city with your mom in his hand and introduced her to us, he declared his love to her and that they are getting married. Your uncle got so mad that his brother chose a girl for himself and that she is from the city. He started fighting with your dad but your dad never cared. He made the wedding and it was one of the biggest weddings in the whole village. Everyone was there dancing and clapping. Your dad was so happy and your mom was shinning like a doll next to him.
“ Your uncle then came to me the next day and said he wanted another child, I asked him why. He said he is worried that your mom would give birth to a boy and then your dad would take all the money. We tried again and I got pregnant two months after your mother. I gave birth to a girl again and your mom gave birth to a boy. You would never imagine how mad he was then, he started beating me up and telling me that I am a loser because I only give birth to girls. I was so jealous of your mom because she gave birth to a boy from the first time and I couldn’t do that. Your uncle didn’t waste time he found a woman and got married again so that she would bring him the boy. I was shocked and depressed for two reasons, the first reason is that he married again on me, I was the first woman of this house and I deserved to stay the queen of it, that’s when I decided that being harsh is my only chance of surviving. The second reason is that the second wife was my childhood best friend Soma. She got pregnant and gave birth to twins, they were both girls. He got so mad again but she was lucky she did not have to see him frustrated at her for giving birth to girls because she passed away while giving birth.
“Your brother was five by that time, he was smart and beautiful. Your mother’s sister came to visit her. She stayed for two weeks, during those two weeks she met Hakim and they both wanted the same thing. They wanted money, so he married your aunt and they both decided to get rid of your brother. Your mom was pregnant with you, the day she was giving birth your dad was there in front of the surgery room the whole time. It was late at night, your brother was staying with his grandmother and they were both asleep. Your aunt went inside and took the boy into the bathroom, she filled the bathtub with water and drowned him. Your grandmother heard it, she went and caught your aunt but your brother was already gone. Nobody believed a word that your grandmother said, they all believed your aunt. Of course, your uncle and your aunt started celebrating the death of your brother, and then she got pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Then the second and the third. Yes, Fatimah, your aunt killed your brother and she is still alive and breathing without any punishment. Your Aunt is Ranya.”
“Are you kidding?”
“I am not, but you have to promise not to tell anyone that I told you anything. They would kill me.”
“I CAN’T I HAVE TO KILL THAT BITCH”
“You will just think about it that’s why I told you so you know the whole truth before they send you away.”
“Then how am I suppose to take revenge?”
“Be patient, you have a lot of years in front of you.” Aysha sighed, “And take my advice, listen to him and care for him, that’s how you will live like a queen.”
“Yes, Khala Aysha.”
“Now come on we have some shopping to do, time to get back to pretending.”
“Okay.”

Around the house colored lights filled the place, all the way until the end of the street, and back covering all buildings including the mansion. People from the whole village gathered in the street, the music was so loud that neighborhood villages can hear it, men were dancing, and women were singing. Aba Hakim stood there smiling and shaking hands with men. Inside the house women were gathered singing and clapping, Ranya Hanem dancing in the middle, Khala Aysha standing proudly behind me clapping while smiling. Me sitting down on a chair dressed in a white flowing dress, my hair up with the front curled down my face, and make-up shining on my face. I watched all the people around me dancing and smiling. I thought about how I would feel if I wasn’t being forced. I managed to smile while clapping, at least if I can’t be happy then like Khala Aysha said, I have to pretend to be happy. My four cousins were dressed in shiny new dresses, make-up filled their faces, they were all happy and dancing. Khala Aysha leaned in and whispered in my ear “I am sorry love, it’s almost over.” I managed to smile at her. Suddenly all women stopped dancing and took a seat on the side leaving the middle space where I sat at the end of it empty. Aba Hakim walked in and all women started clapping while he walked over toward me and took my hand in his, then we started walking towards the door. Before we got out of the door he stopped and covered my face with the big white shiny scarf falling down from my hair behind me then we both stepped outside. The place was filled with men, and women were following us from the inside. Aba Hakim walked towards a huge man with a big beard who is wearing a suit. we came to a stop in front of him and then Aba Hakim hugged him and whispered, “Take care of her.” The huge man nodded and stepped towards me, he removed the scarf from my face and kissed my forehead then he took both my hands in his and started dancing, around us people cheering and dancing. I kept moving my arms pretending to dance while I stared at the huge monster who is now my husband. Finally, he took my arm in his and started leading me towards a shiny black Marcides Binz, he opened the passenger door for me and once I and my big dress were inside he ran towards the driver’s side and started driving out of the village. He looked at me and smiled showing his white teeth, and I stared right in front of me at the dark long road leading to Cairo.