Nomads

Chapter 1, Pt 4- Mahha

Al Saqr decided that it was time for him to focus on his business, and went out to explore the market.

That whole day, he spent walking through streets, alleys and exploring the market shops. He picked up and bought anything that he found peculiar, and the things that he thought he wouldn’t find in other lands. From small, local made wooden sculptures to excellently woven fishnets. From strange rocks to a collection of different coins used only in Karawa. He went to eat the food that some vendors were selling on the streets. Some cuisines had an overwhelming aroma of strange spices. When the sun started to set, he thought that searching for Mahha was not in his best interests. He had been having a peaceful day, he wanted to rest that evening; he also that if Mahha did want to speak to him, she wouldn’t have left that early.

He walked along the shore again, but instead of going in the usual way, he took a right to make his way through a garbage heap of fishing nets, ropes, and small wooden planks that may have washed up ashore. He was hoping to find a rocky part of the shore that he had spotted from an alley in the market during the day.
He walked his way through a beach of sandy ruble and ruins of broken boats and a huge, wrecked ship that looked almost ancient, covered in moss and its hull filled with foamy sea water. ‘Who knew destruction could be this beautiful?’ he thought.

He kept walking further, until he could hear the soft, distant sound of crashing waves. He walked on and was amazed to see the sight of huge rocks lying randomly at one part of the beach. A few rocks, sat just in front of the sea, in an irregular circle, forming a small pool of water as sea water entered and left it through small gaps.

He had never seen such a thing. He smiled to himself with a mixed feeling of content and happiness. He had finally found a place too beautiful for the worldly human’s comprehension. He climbed onto a smaller rock, wore off his bag, sword, and clothing; and placed them on the rock.

He climbed down the rock into the clean, cool water, not risking a jump for he did not know the depth of the pool.

Not a single human in sight; just him in a cool rocky pool of water with the deep blue ocean beyond, warm setting sun, sea birds flying to their nests and cool wind blowing.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and his mind, again, cleared itself of all the moments of the previous days to lock them away in his Pandora of memories.

After about half-an0hour of taking dips and swimming around, he wanted to sleep there. Spend the rest of the evening just floating on the water.

But his mind was freckle; the clearance of moments always lasted for a short time for
relaxation. He knew how to lock away his memories in a chest, but he did not know how to stop the chest from opening on its own. The memories of Mahha from the last night, her tears and her story came flooding back into his mind.

He knew he could enjoy his solace no more. Anxiety was growing in on him. He decided that it was time for him to find Mahha and help her before she turned to prostitution again. He got out of the pool, had a hard time climbing the rock back up with slippery feet. He dressed up, and sat on the rock for a while, contemplating his further course of actions. His unstable mind quickly jumped from one course of action to other, also thinking about the worst and the best outcomes of each action simultaneously.

After not being able to decide on one course of action, he stood up and thought that it would be the best to search for Mahha first and see what he could do when the time comes. He turned around
to leave, and saw a dirt laden, but beautiful Mahha staring at him with sadness in her deep blue eyes. He was taken aback, but immediately maintained his composure and kept a straight face.

“It was hard finding you.” Mahha said with a half hearted smile. Alsaqr kneeled on the rock and bent down to give her a hand as she held it and climbed on the small rock. They both sat down on the rock. The sun had almost set, only a dark orange sky remained.

“I just wanted to thank you for yesterday,” Mahha said with her head held low, “you don’t even know me.”
“I didn’t know you,” he corrected her, “but I know you better after what you told me about you.

Moreover, it’s the duty of a capable person to help someone in need. You don’t have to thank me.” He smiled, trying to lighten the air.

Mahha smiled softly, “I don’t know why I said all that yesterday, but it felt better. It felt like the weight of a thousand pounds was taken off my head. I have known you for a few days, but you know my problems already,” She said, “it feels easy to talk to you.”

“Well, that is different than what you told me on the shore last time.” Alsaqr taunted and laughed.

“I am sorry about that!” she smiled and snapped, “I have been feeling bad about it ever since you just walked away without saying anything that day. You were hurt, but you said nothing. Why?”

Alsaqr sighed and smiled, “I don’t want to hurt people for showcasing my own emotions, or make them feel bad about the way they treated me. I’m just a temporary piece and life is too short to spread sadness or hate.”
“Remember how you had walked out on me the day before too?” He continued. I suppose now, you understand how it feels.” He laughed.
“I do.” She said in slight embarrassment, “it’s just that when you told me that the illness my mother suffered from was of western origin, it reminded me that when my mother was still in her… line of
trade, she also had to deal with western customers. Alsaqr nodded and remained silent for a while, not knowing what to say.

“Have you eaten anything?” he asked after a while. “Not really.” She said.
“Your sister?”

“Nothing”, she said with a sigh. “How old is she?”
“Ten years since she was born.”

“Poor little soul.” Alsaqr said in disappointment, thinking such a young child had to suffer.

“How old are you?” she asked.

“Seventeen.” He said.

“Seventeen!?” she exclaimed as her eyes widened in shock, “I never thought that such a man so much younger than me would help me so much. I am twenty one.”

“I can understand.” He said and laughed. He reached into his bag, took out two silver coins and offered them to her.

“I cannot take this.” Mahha said, astonished.

“Do not worry. You will not be doing it for free,” He said and smiled, “You will be my translator and help me find new objects for further trade until I set sail from here.”

“You are too generous”, she laughed in confusion, “This is not normal for a human, what exactly do you trade?”
“I am a trader of… STRANGE objects”, Alsaqr said, slightly emphasizing on the word strange as he usually did.

“What are these strange objects, exactly?” Mahha squinted in suspicion.

Alsaqr laughed, “They are anything from pebbles to objects supposed to be cursed by ancient spirits.
From combs made out of shells to just dirty water. You see, objects from a particular land are strange for the people of other lands. They find it enticing, how things from an unseen part of the world look like, how people of those places look like, how they live their lives and how their food tastes like. Small objects like these from their common lives are of much interest to the people of different land.” he said.

“I'm listening.” Mahha said, interested to know more.

“Honestly, my trade is based merely on luck. I don’t really invest much in my goods, so I make a fair amount of money. I just happen to find them lying around or in cheap local shops, and sometimes in dangerous caves. On very rare occasions, I find them from people. So, my business is open to all kinds of people. From rich lords and ladies, monarchs, and merchants, to a child who has no money at all, but is deeply interested to have small things from those strange lands.”
“Now, that is interesting.” Mahha said.

Alsaqr handed her the two silver coins again. She accepted them.
They spent the next three days exploring the whole village. Mahha often showed him some hidden spots on the outskirts of the main area, spots like small waterfalls, small caves and the skeleton from the carcass of a huge, dead whale that had washed ashore a few years ago. In the evening they would sit on the rock near the ‘Wrecked Beach’, as Alsaqr had named it, and they would talk about their little lived lives.