When Fate Leads

Chapter 10

Salma ran to her room, almost tripping over on the course. She threw herself on the bed and began to cry.

What on God's earth is this calamity that has befallen her, Salma cried. Six weeks ago, she was an ordinary woman, living an ordinary life: waking up everyday, attending to her husband and his mother, going to her saloon and attending to her clients then coming back home: Salma would do anything for that life right now. There was nothing ordinary about her present life: there was nothing ordinary about UmarFarouq. Six weeks ago, if she was told that such life and such people as the likes UmarFarouq exist, she would laugh and call it absurd... but here she was on this island, in this life with a person that practically make things happen around the world.

She heard a soft knock on the door, she ignored it. Whoever it was has to leave, she was in no mood to talk to anyone. But the person at the door was determined, the knocking continued, Salma ignored it still.
It grew harder and harder and it was starting to irritate her, Salma stood from the bed and went to look at the mirror. Her face was a mess from all the crying, she took out a face wipe and cleaned her face. The person at the door was still knocking, Salma went and opened the door.

Just as Salma had presumed, it was Inna Gaji. The woman had seen her ran to her room crying and now she was here.

Inna Gaji went inside the room and closed the door behind her.
"Are you ok?" She asked Salma as she sat on the edge of the bed. "I saw you crying when you passed the hall, are you sick?"

"No, Inna Gaji I am fine" Salma replied

"But you were crying" Inna Gaji pressed, Salma remained silent "was it UmarFarouq? Did he say anything to hurt your feelings?"

"I just want to go home" Salma sobbed, she buried her face into her palms and cried.

"Oh! Dear" Inna Gaji exclaimed, she gathered Salma into a motherly embrace and tried to shush her.

"Why is everyone ok with me here against my will" Salma complained between bout of tears "why won't you ask him to let me go. I hate everything about this place..."

"Oh!..." Inna Gaji said and in her voice Salma could hear the disappointment,

"I'm so sorry" She apologized immediately, Inna gaji forced a smile. She didn't mean to get offended by Salma's words.

Salma continued,
"I'm sorry Inna Gaji if what I said came out as offensive. I mean no offense to you, you have been nothing but good to me since I have been here and I really appreciate it... but this is not my home, I had a life, a family. I would never see this place as my home and I shall never call anyone here family"

Inna Gaji was clearly offended now but still she smiled again, "You should rest" she advised "I would have Fatu bring you up some tea and cookies" and with that she stood quietly and left the room.

Salma was left alone to weigh on how she was wrong by Inna Gaji ... but she has to be angry, she has been denied her freedom and no one on the island was doing anything about it, not even Inna Gaji. The bitter truth was no one on the island was on her side, no one was her friend: they were all loyal to only one man, UmarFarouq.

Salma wasn't in attendance at the table for dinner and UmarFarouq didn't bother to summon her: after what happened earlier, he thought, such was expected of her.

But when UmarFarouq walked into the dinning room the next morning, Salma was present, sitting serenely at the table. She didn't move a bit nor did she even raised her eyes to acknowledge his presence.

UmarFarouq pulled out a chair and sat down. "Good morning" he greeted.

"Good morning" Salma answered.