The Girl in The Green Scarf

T h i r t e e n

CHAPTER THIRTEEN
HAMSA

"Trust, but verify."

―Ronald Reagan.

The jerk and I go back to ignoring each other after our argument. I am baffled by what I learned and still can't believe he was the one watching me that day by the river. He simply invaded my privacy without thinking twice.

But it's like the English to disrespect other people's rights. Nothing new, I shouldn't have expected him to be any better, after all he is the son of their leader, he's probably worse than most.

I pace around the room, doing some zikr as I wait for the sun to start setting. Since I have no way of knowing what time is it, this is the only way I can determine when to pray Maghreb.

Jerk is sleeping; it seems that is all he does besides annoying me. But then again there isn't much to do around here. I've come to notice that he talks during sleep, but I try not to focus on what he says.

As I pass in front of the entrance I see a flash of blonde hair before a body crashes against mine and holds me in an embrace. It's Yasmeen and she is shaking so hard, that I shake with her. I push her away to get a look at her and see panic is written all over her face.

"Oh my God, Hamsa, you are okay, you're okay. I thought they hurt you." She keeps repeating.

"Whoa, whoa, Yasmeen chill, I'm alright." I say softly assuring her, but she doesn't stop shaking and bursts into tears. I hold her face in my hands and make her meet my gaze.

"Look at me. I'm fine!"

"But... you won't be for long." She manages to get out between her sobs.

"What do mean Yasmeen? I'll be okay, don't worry about me."

"No you won't!" She snaps. "Talal has ordered your execution for tomorrow morning."

"What?" I ask, unable to decipher what she is saying to me. Maybe I'd heard her wrong, been tricked by a sleep-deprived, twisted mind.

"What-" I clear my throat. "What are you saying?"

But she just breaks down crying so hard and loud that I wonder how jerk doesn't wake up. Maybe he is up and just pretending to be asleep so he can eavesdrop.

"Yasmeen what do you mean execution?" I ask again, shaking her shoulders.

"He is going to get you shot to death Hamsa! Just like Amna. Don't you see? He gets of rid of everyone who questions his authority or poses the slightest threat to him."

"But I'm not a threat, that ... beast attacked me not the other way round!" I shout incredulously.

"I know. I believe you, but it doesn't matter to Talal. His mind has been made." She says sniffing.

"And everyone just agreed with him?"

"Of course not, Aminah is crying her eyes out in her tent since we heard the news. She thinks you are at fault but she's young and naive."

Aminah... she really thinks that?

"I couldn't wait until everyone went to sleep and bribed Adam to let me in see you." She says.

"It's final then." I say in a mumble.

I hear my heart go thump thump in my ear drum and palms get sweaty. My legs go weak and I feel they won't hold me up; I tumble back into my cot and place a hand on my forehead.

So this really is the end; I won't get to see Yahiya again, or fight with Zayn, or even hug uncle Yusuf. There won't be any more school days, or screaming kids; I won't live to see Anas grow into a superhero or Zeina lose her lisp and become a young lady. On the upside, now Yahiya won't feel obliged to dedicate his life to me and will find a sweet girl to marry, but I won't be there to watch it happen.