The Elahim Brothers

Plates & Knives

"To contain it in the time, It started all the way many years ago when The Mattews shifted in the Manor below the hill. Mr. Mattews had only one daughter Miss Rosalind. She was always a friendly beautiful girl. She played with my brothers. When we grew up, we grew up in different schools away in the city, I was all while away as a teen. It was in the year when Al-Hassan was seventeen. He came home for vacations. Now the rules and guidelines of the house were clear and what was not mentioned was deemed permissible. We all never had the lady chat. We assumed there were no rules in the matter. They all were mixing rather say freely mixing. Nobody noticed behind the fancy knobs but one day My father found out about Al-Hassan and Miss Rosalind inclement in a love affair. My father did not say anything. Not a word. He bought the whole Mattew
land and Manor. They had to move out. The evening they left, my father had the whole land burnt down. Red is love. Red is the rage. Red is beautiful yet is dangerous. My father resents Women and all the more women who are wrapped in Red. Thus Scarlett must not survive within us if it wills to live"

"But that is not right"

"Who decides what is wrong anyway"

"but Al-Hassan loved her"

"who decides if it was Love at all"

"this is cruel "

"It isn't "

"was Scarlett's religion a problem? "

"Scarlett is the problem"

"I don't understand "

"you don't have to. The more you think the more it would worry you"

"but? "

"It's late. I must go off to sleep now. I will see you in the morning "

But it isn't fair.

But who decides what is fair anyways.

I pitied Scarlett. I now understand the Red envelopes. The griefs under Al-Hassan's eyes.
Beneath his heavy sighs. Clearly, they have just torn apart because of some stupid reason Mr.Elahim is insecure about Women.

The next day I saw no signs of Scarlett. Danish was more eager than anybody to see her, he even shaved.

Men.

I rolled my eyes. Al-Hassan shows no emotions. He's an endless treasure to look at perhaps that is why nobody ever makes an effort to ever ask him what I did today
"Why are you Sad Al-Hassan?"

He looked at me bewildered.

"I am not Sad Falaq-Naaz. What rubbish"

"But you look sad"

He stared me.

"I am not sad" he repeated.

"I'm sorry" I apologized.

I am stupid.

It's not like that.  I repeat to myself.  I knit another sweater.  I can sense that I am growing attached to the Elahim, even Mr. Elahim but I cannot let that happen because I want to leave.  The prospect of leaving this Manor has left my mind.

But I would miss them.

"How many?"
Al-Wildan asks.

"I don't know maybe if I could have one child it would be enough for me"
I answered.

"How do you know it's enough? "
He probed.

"I don't know, this time can only tell"

"Then how many shall I have? "
He asked to which I laughed.