Dreaming for freedom

Chapter 2

I hurriedly pulled on my abaya and tried blocking the musty tunnel scent from my mind. I quickly lit a candle and began to hurry out of our tunnel. I thought of Spring, petunias and roses, of Autumn of leaves crunching beneath my feet, of hot Summer days and cool Winter breezes.

I was so lost in my dreams that I knocked into Mrs Ali, the head of the school. There are eight people who work in the school and mostly everyone else attends. 

" Assalamualaikum Sarah, " someone from a passing crowd called as they hurried past. 

" Assalamualaikum Sarah, " Mrs Ali frowned," Watch your step dear. "

I look at her sheepishly," So sorry, couldn't see that well. "

Mrs Ali raised her eyebrow at the candle, glowing brightly in my hand," You do know candles aren't coming until a volunteer comes in two weeks. "

" Yes, I know, " I quickly blow the candle out so that everything is dark again.

" It's good you bumped into me though, we're having a late night class for the adults and I might need an assistant, Karima couldn't make it. "

Every teacher apart from Mr Ahmed who insists he doesn't need an assistant and can deal with young adults ( 20 - 40 ), has an assistant. 

Mrs Ali deals with older adults and is also the head of school, her assistant is 17 year-old Karima. Mr Khan works with teenagers ( 10 - 19 ) with 20 year-old Nadia, and Ms Abbas works with youngsters ( 5 - 10 ) with me. Basma isn't a teacher but she's amazing with kids so she looks after all the kids below five. 

But I'm not in the mood to work with my very boring 'elders' today so I think up a lame excuse," I'm ever so sorry Mrs Ali but I really have to go to Karima's, It's been planned since ages! "

Mrs Ali gives me a withering look," And since I can't find anyone else I'll have to do it on my own! " She exclaimed, shaking her head.

Oh, not right NOW. Please can you go away? 

" Well, I'll take you to Karima's then, " she smiled trying to look helpful. Sadly this one knows when I'm up to something. She escorted me through the pitch-black tunnel until I lit my candle again and we travelled in semi-darkness for another ten minutes.

" What are you up to? " Mrs Ali whispered in my ear.

I twisted around, " Nothing! "

Creepy! 

" You are! You so are Sarah, and I really hope you won't set fire to the tunnels again. "

I blush red and look away.

Hey! That wasn't MY fault! I didn't want the tunnels to fire up! So maybe I lost it because Auntie Naziha was trying to act like a proper Mum, fussing over me, it was okay at first but when she started following me to SCHOOL! It got too much! 

I was holding a candle and I tilted it (only a small angle!) to the left, it was a TOTAL coincidence that Auntie Nahiza was holding the one and only world map on PAPER! It caught fire and so did Auntie's abaya . . . Life wasn't the best for a month. But luckily Allah forgave me and so did Auntie Nahiza so life goes on.

I keep slipping into that daydream of the outside world. Subhanallah!  That beautiful world, if only I could feel that breeze -

" Assalamualaikum Sarah? " Karima arrived in the doorway of her tunnel. Alhamdulilah, she's at home! 

She glanced at me in confusion, I gave her a quick purlease look. We aren't exactly best friends but her, Nadia and Basma are the only girls my age because most people here are adults and since there are no hospitals here not many people risk children. Most children here are from before we got to this bunker.