levels.”
Sarah nods her head.
“Wonderful. Black seeds, you say? You mean black cumin? Can we find that here? That and the gum?”
Bob sighs.
“Walmart does sell the black seed oil. I’m sure we can use that. The gum I’m not so sure, but the web does show that Spectrum Chemicals and Laboratory products in Gardena do sell it.”
He pours them both more tea.
“No harm in trying it I suppose. What harm can it do?”
Bob agrees.
“I’ll definitely make sure we get it and we’ll see what happens.”
He kisses Sarah’s hand.
She puts her knitting down and puts her hand on top of his.
“Any news from her, Bob?” She sounded hopeful.
He looks at her dismayed.
“Nothing, sweet Sarah.”
He sighs.
She sighs.
“Kimberly Amber-Jane has disappeared without a trace.”
They both stare off into the sunset.
Do you not see that Allah causes the night to enter the day and causes the day to enter the night and has subjected the sun and the moon, each running its course for a specified term, and that Allah, with whatever you do, is Acquainted?
Surah Luq’man 31:29
شفاء
“Please, M, stay with me tonight. I am scared,” says Mark.
Maryam gets onto the bed and snuggles next to him.
“Don’t worry, I will stay with you. Go to sleep. She gently strokes his head and kisses him on his forehead. She starts singing a gentle lullaby.
♪♫ ♪♫ ♪♫ ♪♫
Hush my little baby, warm and soft you lie,
Slip away to dreamland, lulla lullaby
All the fleecy lambkins, cuddle down to rest
Birdies snuggle warmly in your cosy nest,
Sleep and rest the sun says, as he leaves the sky
Hush my little baby, lulla lullaby
♫♪ ♪♫ ♪♫ ♪♫ ♪
Mark slowly drifts to sleep. His fingers loosen their grip on Maryam’s hand.
Maryam wipes away the perspiration on his forehead and kisses him gently.
Then, she goes stiff.
She stares at the wall and focuses on the spot where the wall and the ceiling meet.
Her eyes go immediately red and tears fill her eyes.
She puts her arms around Mark and starts praying.
“A'uzu bil Allah min al shaytan al rajeem, Bismillah al rahman al Rahim.”
I seek protection from Satan the outcast and I begin in the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
She continues to stare at the spot in the corner and continues to recite the last three chapters of the Qur’an: Surahs Al-Ikhlas, Al-Falaq and An-Nas. She recites the verses of The Throne and repeats all off this over and over again.
She falls asleep next to Mark, her lips still uttering the words softly as she does.
Family Page 8