Spirit Blood

Chapter 5: Crime

Everyone was quiet as the doorbell rang. Rubina stood motionless, staring at Chima and Raoul, hinting for them to answer the door. However, neither Chima or Raoul was going to confront whomever was awaiting behind the door.

The bell rang once again.

"Someone answer it, " spoke Rubina firmly.

No one budged.

Tasmia then lifted herself off the ground and went to the door. Her mother carefully watched her as she answered the door.

Tasmia lifted her frame with her tiny toes to peer through the keyhole. As she squinted her eyes to capture a better look at who was at their door, she gasped.

Raoul felt a chill run down his back. He had a good hunch of who came to have a visit.

"What is it Tasmia?" frantically asked her mother.

She took a moment to gather herself before she answered. When her unsettled nerves regained steadiness she answered, "The police."

"Ommo! Yallah why are the police here?" blurted Chima. She placed her hands against her heart as she could feel her blood pressure rise exponentially.

Tasmia looked at her family for answers on what to do. She stared at her mother's face for anything, but Rubina was still flustered with shock.

Voices began to speak behind the door, "Hello? This the Ibrahim's residence?"

"Wallah Rubina, that your family. What they want?!" Chima grabbed her arm, tugging on her, scared of what the police wanted.

Police made Chima uneasy. But, she was not alone in this feeling. The entire family was always cautious when it came to law enforcement, especially for the sake of Nani. Nani was not a legal immigrant. She came to America in the 90s when Rubina and her husband came. She first intended to just visit the States and return back to Bangladesh. However, the village where she lived was going through blood-shed over the border dispute between Myunmar and her home country of Bangladesh. Thus, she remained in the states. Year after year passed, and Nani would live a few years with one of her children and then move to the next. She always shifted from house to house. At that time, if law enforcement ever came to one of their homes, the family would secretly move Nani to the other relatives home, hiding her from immigration officers. It wasn't until Rubina's husband died that the family had to figure out a more permanent living situation for Nani. Thus, Nani was now placed in the care of Chima, her only daughter.

"Rubina, why they here? You know Nani is not legal pagal!"

Rubina slapped Chima off her arm. "Chima shut up. Just act like we aren't here and they will go away. So, sssh." She lifted her finger and pressed it against Chima's chapped lips, silencing her from speaking.

Rubina motioned with her hands for Tasmia to get away from the door. However, Raoul began to approach it.

"Yah Raoul, don't..." before Chima could finish her sentence, Raoul had already opened the door to the officers that stood before him.

There were two officers standing before him. One was dressed in the typical police uniform as one would suspect, but nonetheless intimidating. She had her brunette hair tied into a sleek bun with no stray hairs flying out. Her skin was bare of any makeup except for the bright red lipstick that tinte her lips. She didn't smile, holding a poker face as she looked at Raoul. However, that was not intimidated Raoul the most.

The second officer was a tall, brooding man. He wasn't in uniform, but instead wore black slacks and a blue button-up. He wore no tie and the first few buttons of his shirt were undone, exposing just enough of his chest to make it known of his fit stature. His hair was cut short and it didn't help that his hair was bald. He appeared to look almost bald. However, that didn't make him any less intimidating.