The Eternal Glass Ceiling :: The Neo-Reconquista

Strict and Severe, Musa

Running down the stairs with haste Ashiq began to lose control of his pace throwing him off balance until he skipped a step nearly twisting his ankle. He slipped and fell throwing his body to the bottom of the temple. Luckily he managed to land on the grass below. "Ouch!" he grumbled in anguish pushing his body up off the ground. That's when he looked around the village only to witness the hellish scenery laid before him. There were dead Moors and Spaniards scattered across the site. The huts were reduced to ashes as the trees remained burning.

Then the sound of a gun brought Ashiq's observation to an end. A minié ball hit the ground next to his feet penetrating the soil leaving a deep hole piercing through the earth. He looked up and there was a Spaniard clutching a rifle as he ran down the stairs towards Ashiq. Ashiq picked up a stone and threw it at the man to slow him down. He blocked it with his rifle causing him to miss a step which led to him slipping over the moss and falling down the stairs. The young Moor dashed through the jungle pushing all of the leaves and vines out of his way, as he attempted to distance himself from the Spanish soldier. He ran as fast as he could without looking back just as his mother had instructed him to do so. Suddenly he heard a loud grunt coming from that direction which alerted him that the man was still hot on his trail. Ashiq continued running until he felt a sharp pain surge through his ankles causing him to fall to the ground. He laid there for awhile and decided to remain low crawling into the bushes nearby. He could hear nobody chasing him anymore. Only sounds he heard were the insects buzzing and clicking in the trees.

As he laid there peeking out of the bushes, he began to wonder where did Musa run off to. It was pretty obvious that Musa was a the least favorable of Ashiq. Keeping their history in mind, it wouldn't be a major surprise if Musa had abandoned the boy. Ashiq never knew why Musa treated him so differently from the other brothers but he picked up on it at a very young age. Tariq and Yusuf took their time when teaching Ashiq valuable lessons about life and combat. They used grace and patience with their little brother, but Musa always roughed him up calling him "soft". Musa would even go to the extent of verbally insulting Ashiq about his ginger hair and freckles, exclaiming that he was an illegitimate child with no claims to the throne, stating that he was the son of a Slav.

These words made Sultana Nazia Zamora very angry with her middle child, Musa. The more angry Sultana Nazia became with Musa's treatment towards Ashiq, the more Musa continued. It was assumed that Musa was not a fan of the favoritism their mother displayed towards Ashiq. This is what was believed to spawn the negative behavior between the two sons. Still despite all of the hostility Ashiq experience from his brother, Musa. He still loved him unconditionally, just as he did Yusuf and Tariq.

Everything became really quiet as Ashiq laid down in the bushes. Even the bugs had went silent. The boy peeked beyond the bushes. Out of the blue, a hand grabbed him, placing their palm over his mouth. Ashiq began to struggle making muffled noises. He balled up his left hand making a fist and swung it over his right shoulder violently hitting the person in the face. "Geesh, what is wrong with you, Ashiq?" the voice said. "Musa?" Ashiq mumbled. "Of course it's me you little nag." he replied holding his nose that was now bleeding. "Musa! It's you!" Ashiq shouted with glee hugging his brother tightly.

He then got a piece of cloth out of his satchel and handed it to Musa. "I'm sorry I struck you Musa. I thought you were a Spaniard. Boy, am I glad to see you." Ashiq said with a smile. Wiping his nose with the cloth Musa muttered, "Yeah, well I can't say the same." As Musa wiped the blood from his nose, Ashiq's curiosity got the best of him and he finally built up the courage to ask the question he always wanted to. "Musa?" Ashiq whispered. "What is it?" Musa responded annoyed while peeking out the bushes. "Why do you hate me so much?" the young boy asked. Musa's facial expression changed from disturbed to tranquil as he sighed. "I-I don't hate you, Ashiq." then he paused. "It's just that everyone treats you like a baby and I dislike that." he whispered. "Yes everybody is a bit easy on me, but whats wrong with that?" Ashiq asked. "It's illusive that's whats wrong with it. If they spend their time pampering you, you'll go out into the world thinking that's what it's all about and as you can see that's not the case. Especially for us." Musa explained, "At home you may be special but out in this world your just another target. The world is not an easy place little brother. Things are changing, but I can't say exactly what's happening. You have to learn how to fend for yourself Ashiq, and fast."

What Musa said made perfect sense to the young boy. He never looked at it that way though. Musa had never really done anything to place Ashiq in any real danger now that Ashiq thought about it. But Ashiq was so used to being adored and pampered by Kamilia and Nazia, that he overreacted when he began experiencing a more militant treatment. In reality, Musa had the attitude of a drill sergeant, trying to prepare Ashiq for the hardships of life. This may have been the result of their father putting Musa and Tariq through military training at such a young age. It gave him an altered mindset from that of a normal boy. It made him feel that survival and being strong was more important than anything else.

"You're right Musa! From now on I will carry my own weight!" Ashiq stated. A subtle smile appeared across Musa's face, then the sound of a gun went off, disrupting the tranquility of the jungle. "Come on out you cowardly Moros! I know you're around here somewhere!" the gunman yelled. "He's approaching. When he gets closer i'll attack him. When I attack him, I want you to run as far away from here as fast as you can. Don't look back and don't worry about me. I'll meet up with you when I'm done." Musa whispered. "I understand, Musa." Ashiq replied softly. The boy crawled away from his sibling as Musa began to pull a thin string of small gunpowder firecrackers from his bag. He then extended the line by tossing the firecrackers over to the other side of the bushes.

Waiting for the man to come closer, Musa then lit the fuse which resulted in a series of brief explosions that caused an instant fire when the sparks caught on to the dry leaves of the bushes. The gunman became distracted pointing his weapon in the opposite direction of Musa and Ashiq. Musa then leaped from the bushes slicing the gunman across his back with his saif. Grunting in pain, the gunman swiftly turned around and began struggling with Musa. That's when Musa yelled "Run now, Ashiq!"

Ashiq rushed out of the bushes and ran as fast as he could. He looked back for a brief second and he could see the gunman overpowering his brother with the rifle. He recalled the voice of his mother telling him to flee away from danger as fast as he could but this contradicted what Musa had just told him. He stopped and thought to himself, "This contradicts what I just said as well, this isn't carrying my own weight. I must fend for myself!" But as he went to run back to help Musa, he had a second thoughts, "But, Musa did order me to run away. I'll only make matters worst if I disobey his orders by putting myself in danger."

Ashiq looked back once again and it appeared as if Musa was losing to the gunman. He drew his blade and ran back towards the fight. Musa saw Ashiq running back towards the fight and shouted, "Ashiq, what the hell are you doing?!" He yelled angrily. "I told you to run away! Now go!" Ashiq stopped in his tracks then turned around and began fleeing away from the fight. Ashiq waited until he gained a good distance away from the area of the conflict. That's when he heard a loud gunshot coming from the direction of Musa and the gunman.

He began to slow down as he grew weary, looking up at the sky. He stood in that spot and watched as the the clouds drifted by calmly. "How can it be so calm up there, while it's so chaotic down here." he whispered. Out of nowhere a single drop of water fell on his face. Following this single drop came a light shower of drizzle. Ashiq sighed and continued running into the jungle, this time without the protection of Yusuf, Tariq, Musa, Jariya, Auriya or Razin. All he had now was himself. Whether he believed his proclamation or not of being self-sufficient. This newfound philosophy would now be put to the test.