The classroom was unbearably stuffy. The heavy, thick panes of windows, long closed, let in a flood of sunlight. Susanna squinted. Safely covered by her textbook, she nibbled at a sunflower seed, avoiding the catechist's condemning and disapproving glances. From time to time, she caught a sentence, a snippet of her sacred chatter.
"So remember... God is infinitely great in His Goodness... His Grace knows no bounds... Love is endless... He is the only source of true Justice... He showers each of us with mercy... We should thank Him for all this... Remember, He is our Father... And we are His children...
" ***
At the same time, but in a completely different place, ten-year-old Saada Alsouqi sat on the curb, hugging her knees and crying. Her life had ended ten minutes ago. The soldiers had come and taken everything she had. When she lost her home, her father, and her brother two years ago, only her mother remained. And now her mother was gone.
Before the war, her family had been persecuted many times. She didn't have many friends, because what mother would allow her children to associate with a Christian? The Quran didn't clearly state that associating with Christians was a violation of one of the five pillars of Islam, but Muslims had their own, strange, in Saada's opinion, ways of interpreting the Book. She preferred not to interfere. She, too, had her own Book, and no one interfered with her interpretation of the Wisdom contained within. She remembered, oh, how well she remembered, that day, her eighth birthday, when she received that Book! Her mother handed her the Bible with the words:
"Now you are old enough, Saada, to understand, or at least to try to understand, what God wants to tell you." Carry this Book with you always, and in moments of doubt, open it and pray fervently. May you never lose the conviction that the good God is with you and protects you, keeping His watchful eye on all the dangers that await you and warning you of them at the right time. Remember, never lose Faith and Hope, share them with others, and even respond to hatred with Love, sincere, selfless Love, which you once received as a gift from God.
These words were etched in Saada's memory, and from then on, she recalled them often. They were her comfort, a source of hope that better times would come, the war would end, and the long-awaited peace and happiness would return. Following Mommy's advice, she often prayed and asked for this. She was proud to be Catholic, though she did not consider herself better than her Muslim peers because of it. They looked at her with contempt, but she, in her childish naivety, seemed unaware of it.
***
A man walked down the street. Saada glanced at him. He seemed pleasant on the surface. But Saada knew people couldn't be trusted on appearances. So she turned her dark head away, pretending not to notice him. She felt so defenseless. What if the man tried to hurt her? It's true that no one had ever raped her before, but Mommy had told her many stories about rapes. And she had often overheard—accidentally, of course, because no one ever confided in her—her friends talking about it. Now perhaps she would experience firsthand what it was like to be raped.
The man approached. A gentle smile spread across his face.
"What are you doing here, young lady?"
Saada shuddered. No one had ever called her "lady."
She didn't answer.
"Well, don't be afraid. The war took my family and everything I loved, too. If you want, I can be your father." Do you agree?
The girl remained silent. Blue eyes, funny in combination with her mulatto complexion, looked half-fearful, half-trusting.
"Come on. We'll find a home."
The man offered her his hand and helped her to her feet. Saada didn't resist.
Brak komentarzy:
Prześlij komentarz