The Destiny

He knew her since they were at the age of three, maybe before that. When does a boy get to know his neighbor girl? At the first year? Second? He doesn’t know. What he knows is that they were never apart since they have known each other. The whole village knows about them. Zainab, or Zooba and Abdulsamee, or Abdu. They begin to play from dawn until nightfall.

The years passed, Abdu went to the "Kuttab", a place where kids go and get religion lessons. On the other hand, Zooba stays at home with her mom. After the Kuttab, green pastures became open for the two kids to play in. they played in the cornfields and next to the pond.

Zooba has grown. She started to transform into a grown up woman. Abdu also has grown, the small kid became a man. How old was he at that time? And how old was she? He doesn’t remember. What he remembers is that period between his childhood and teenager's life. Abdu has finished his school at the village and started to pack in order to go to the city. He needs to work with his uncle there. Another person proposed to Zooba by contacting her dad. Zooba's dad agreed, preparations for the wedding has started.

He recalls every single moment of that day, when they met after the Fajr prayer, and the darkness surrounds the cornfields and the pond. He remembers how she appeared by the first light..half child and half woman. How he welcomed her gracefully as a half child and a half man.

-I'm going to the city Zooba.

-I know, Abdu-Will you remember me, Zooba?

-Perhaps, and you?

- Perhaps. How are you gonna marry Alhaj Younis? He is your fathers' age!

- It's my destiny.

- do you love him, Zooba?

-As I told you, it's my destiny, can't do anything about it.

-How about me?

-You are going to the city, and leaving me.

-You already left me! Aren't you marrying this guy next Friday? Or you forgot that?

-Forgot? See my "Henna" (a tattoo women used to put on their hands before weddings)

The Henna, her hands, legs, lips, eyes, the cornfield, the pond..he didn't intend to do anything..she didn’t intend to do anything. He was half boy and half man, she was half girl and half woman. The boy started to play with the girl. Before they noticed, the man started to play with the woman. When they woke up, they found few blood drops on Zainab's skirt. She went crying to the pond to wash up her skirt. He was crying and watching her washing her skirt. They both knew for sure that when her husband will divorce her once he finds out that she is no longer a virgin. In addition to her dad who would probably, kills her. They couldn't do anything but, crying.

The big night arrived. Abdu was with the kids watching the wedding. He was not dancing with the others. While Zainab was inside. Waiting for her fate. Time was moving very slowly. The drums are no longer playing. The songs are stopped. Fireworks discontinued. Everybody held their breath waiting for the red bandanna which announces to the whole world that the girl is a virgin. Zainab's father is waiting with the guests… Suddenly, a voice came to crack the silence..Congratulations!! she is a virgin!! Zainab dad is looking proudly to the red bandanna..the voices raise: Congratulations!..Fireworks are exploding again..Abdu fainted"

*Taken from "sheggat al7oreyya", "flat of freedom" by Dr. Gahzi Algusaibi