Sands of Redemption

15

Georgia dozed beneath the air-conditioner in the common area, her book resting in her lap, head slumped over the back of her beanbag. She murmured a protest in her sleep as Ali pushed his way into her dreams.

No more his charming, charismatic self, he was furious and horrifying as he blamed her for his refineries burning. Terror shot through her at the thought that she might have left her departure too late, that she might never get home.

Even as she woke, she could still hear Ali's voice. Blinking, she realised it was coming from the T.V. Sitting up, the book slipping from her lap, Georgia watched, appalled by how truly unpleasant he looked when he wasn't his usual, charming, totally in-control self. He was shouting at the reporter, complaining about the increasing violence in Karduh Province.

'Georgia!' came Bianca's cry.

'What?' Georgia spun around, startled. Both she and Natalie were white with fear. 'What's the matter?'

'You haven't spoken with Rana at all, have you?' Bianca asked.

'No, why?'

'It's just that, nobody has,' Natalie said.

'What do you mean?' Georgia's whole body went cold.

'It looks like she's disappeared. Nobody knows where she is.'

'What are you talking about? I thought she was at her parents'?'

'She was,' Natalie answered, biting her lip, 'until this morning.'

'Apparently her parents found her bed empty when they went to wake her up for breakfast,' Bianca added.

'You don't think she's run away?' Georgia said.

Natalie looked at her, her expression reflecting the same disbelief Georgia felt. 'We can only speculate.'

Georgia pressed her lips together. 'Where is Hana?'

'At reception.'

Georgia got to her feet.

'What has she said?' Georgia asked, taking long strides down the hall.

'She was the one who told us to ask everyone,' Bianca answered, hurrying alongside her.

They both stopped at the top of the stairs. Below, Habib sat at the desk with his head in his hands while Hana spoke on the phone in rapid Arabic. Noticing the two of them, Hana turned away.

'Jesus,' Georgia said, gripping the landing's rail, 'everything is turning to shit.'

'I know, right?' Bianca said. 'It's like what else can go wrong?'

Georgia gave her a querulous look.

'What?'

*

The rest of the week went by at a snail's pace; the hostel quieter, less active, more subdued. Ever since Rana's disappearance, the hostel, Georgia's vacation, Bianca and the others, had taken on a kind of darkness she had never experienced before. Daniel had left, Rana still hadn't been found, and Bianca and John were seriously considering their departure.

For the moment, Georgia was deadset on remaining but it didn't mean she couldn't see the possibility of her own exit coming around the corner. As it was, Hamrachi Hotel was already half empty, tourists preferring to detour around Abassa and its increasing problems.

The protests in Karduh Province had finally descended into serious violence. There had been explosions, riots, assaults and the destruction of property. Meanwhile, the popularity of Mahmoud Bishara and his Fundamental Islamic party was on the rise. While on the sidelines the Mujahideen were doing their very best to fan the flames of discontent with their online political and religious rants.

The country was reaching boiling point. As to what that would entail, Georgia could only guess.

*

'So how did your class go today?' Bianca asked.

They were sitting on the edge of the hostel's rooftop. Leaning their backs against the safety fence, they stretched out their legs in front of them. Down below the traffic roared in a continuous frenzy. Above, a sash of cloud draped the rising moon.

'Yeah, good. Not so many students anymore, though. Is it the same with you?'

Bianca nodded but her thoughts were elsewhere. She took a breath. 'Georgia, I've been thinking long and hard about it and I've decided to leave Abassa.'

Georgia wasn't surprised but it didn't mean she wasn't upset.

'Georgia?' Bianca said when she didn't respond.

'What do you want me to say?' Georgia said without looking at her. 'I don't want you to go.'

'I don't want to go either but I have no choice. It's getting dangerous. I've checked online and there are seats left on a flight to Turkey on Thursday morning. I'm going on it.'

'Oh.'

'You should come with me.'

Georgia gazed into the distance, the glimmer of the Cultural Centre muted and dulled by the dust cloud hanging over the city. 'I don't think so.'

'Why not?' Bianca said, exasperated. 'What could possibly be holding you here? I mean, really? This is not the most ... appealing country in the world, particularly now when we can't even do what we want anymore. And besides, it was only just recently when you said you hated the place and wanted to go home. What's changed?'

Georgia shrugged. 'I was just a little bit homesick, that's all. Everyone gets that. I don't want to leave Hana and Habib and my students just yet. And I don't want to go back to the crapheap that was my life back in Australia.'

'But you don't have to go home, you know, if that's what's stopping you. You can come with me. We can travel together! We can go to Turkey, Morocco, Jordan, Egypt, if the Middle East is what you want to see. That would be fun, wouldn't it?'

'I don't have the money for that.'

Bianca was starting to get annoyed. 'Well, can you at least do it for your safety? Like I said, it's getting dangerous, anyone can see that.'

'No, it isn't. You're just reacting to what's happened here at the hostel, not because of any real, tangible risk.'

'You don't think that's tangible enough?' Bianca exclaimed. 'Look at what's happened! Rana's been abducted ...'

'We don't know for sure that's what's happened.'

Bianca snorted. 'Please, you're not stupid, you don't actually believe she ran away.'

'It doesn't matter anyway. Rana's situation is terrible but I don't see how it should affect me.'

'What about what's happening in Karduh? What about all the protests around parliament and the palace? Aren't you worried?'

'No,' she clipped, glaring into space.

Bianca gave a resigned sigh. 'Well, if you're so intent on making the wrong decision, I won't stop you.'

'Thanks.'