by Emma Easter
But it was completely impossible. As much as he understood where Zainah was coming from and also wanted any woman who desired what he and Zainah had to have it, they had to respect the wishes of the men here. They had come to this place to separate themselves from the world, and specifically, as the older man had said, from women. It would not be fair or right for the women at the camp to come here. As a man, he understood the weaknesses of men, and if these men wanted to stay away from women, they needed to be allowed to do so in peace. Just as he had asked Zainah not to tell any of the women about the men’s camp, he would tell the men here to say nothing about the women’s camp.
The older man smiled and said to him, “My name is Ishaq.” He pointed out the three men sitting across from them. “This is Jafar, and this is Abdul, and this is Reza.”
Faizan looked at the three men, who he guessed were all the leaders of the camp. Jafar had a long beard, bushy eyebrows, and an olive complexion. From what Faizan noticed when he was standing up, Jafar was tall and lanky. Abdul was short with a thick mustache and dark skin, as dark as Zainah’s. Reza was a strapping young man with a trim beard and the same olive complexion as Jafar. He seemed like the youngest of the three and was probably in his late twenties. Faizan smiled at the men and said, “My name is Faizan. I’m glad to meet all of you.”
“So, where do you and your wife live, Faizan?” Ishaq asked.
Faizan’s heart jumped slightly at the question. He had not considered that he would be asked about it. He had just made up his mind not to tell the men about the women’s camp. Would it be wrong if he lied about where he lived? He decided to conceal the truth about where he and Zainah lived. No good would come of telling these men that there was a camp full of single young women somewhere near. The men wanted to stay totally pure. He would not jeopardize that.
“My wife and I live just a short distance from here, in a tent. Nothing special,” he added quickly in order to discourage any of the men from deciding to pay he and Zainah a visit.
“I might come and visit you on Sunday,” Ishaq said.
Faizan’s eyebrows lifted and his heart began to pound. What have I done? he thought.
“I hope your wife will not mind me visiting,” Ishaq said. “I will come with my fellow brothers here.”
Faizan’s heart sank even further. He had to find a way to discourage them from coming. He said in a tone he hoped did not betray his concern, “I thought you had all moved here to stay away from women?”
Ishaq chuckled. “I take it you are talking about your wife. Well, she’s just one woman and she’s already married to you. There is no temptation there, even though she is a very good-looking woman, if you will permit me to say so.”
In spite of himself, Faizan smiled and nodded in agreement. And then his heart filled with worry again. Neither the women at the camp nor the men here could know of the other’s existence. He wasn’t against love, but he would not be the cause of people breaking their vows to God. Their dedication must stay pure. It reminded him of Zainah’s vow before they got married and how that had kept them away from each other for a long time. There had to be other women like Zainah who had taken that kind of vow. Since none of them had met any of the men here, their hearts were safe from falling in love and having to break their vows because of that love.
You’re being selfish, a thought ran through his mind.
He pushed the thought away. It did not even make any sense.
“What is on your mind, my brother?” Ishaq said to him, his eyes searching Faizan’s closely.
Faizan blinked and came out of his reverie. “I’m sorry. Nothing much,” he answered.
“Well, you haven’t given me an answer,” Ishaq said. “Are we invited to your tent or do you want us to stay away? We will understand if you do.”
Faizan couldn’t speak for a long time. He thought about the favor he wanted to ask. If he told them for whatever reason that they couldn’t visit him, how would he then ask them for a favor on behalf of his brothers-in-law?
He looked at the men. They were looking at him expectantly. He needed to give them an answer now. Without thinking about it much longer, he said, “Yes. You can come, but please give me some time and let me know when you will be coming so we can make preparations for you before you do.”
Ishaq nodded. “Of course.” He stood up and then motioned with his hand for the other men to stand up too. He smiled down at Faizan. “Come. Let me show you the whole camp.”
Faizan stood up and followed Ishaq out of the tent. The other men followed behind.
They went around the camp from one tent to the other. Faizan greeted the other men in the camp as they went around doing their chores, or just sitting in their tent, chatting or reading the Bible.
They entered a bigger, partly open tent where three men were stirring a big smoking pot of food on an open fire. Two men came into the tent carrying buckets of water and dropped them near the men who were cooking. The scene was just like that in the women’s camp whenever he visited the cooking tent. In many ways, life here was like that in the women’s camp, only in that this camp was made up of just men.
They came out of the cooking tent and continued to their tour around the camp. Soon, they entered another big tent. Mats were placed on the ground all around this tent. Ishaq said, “This is where we all gather in the mornings and at night for our general prayers.” He turned to look at Faizan. “Will you join us this evening for the prayers?”
Faizan didn’t say anything for a few seconds while he thought about the man’s request. If he joined them this evening, he would probably miss the evening prayers at the women’s camp. Since he was the only man at the camp, his absence would be noticed quickly and Miriam would for sure want to know where he had gone. She worried about all the inhabitants of the camp, even him, which amused him a lot seeing that he was the one who was supposed to be the protector. He had taken on that role since he’d moved into the camp. Thankfully, there had been no attacks. Not that the women's camp had ever suffered attacks, except the one they’d had when he’d first arrived there, before he and Zainah got married. He had been the cause of that one, and as much as he was not expecting another similar attack, it was not totally unlikely, and part of him was always on alert in case it happened again.
He finally said to Ishaq, “I would love to join in your prayers, but I have to go home to my wife. She will be worried if I stay out too late.”
“I understand,” Ishaq said.
They continued to explore the camp and then finally came back again to the first tent. They all settled back down on their seats and started a lively conversation about football, of all things; or as his friends and sisters in America called it, soccer.
He had been a huge fan of soccer and had watched it a lot before his shameful life in the desert as a terrorist. Even during that life, he still loved the game and listened to it on the radio whenever he could. He was surprised that these men, who seemed austere and serious, spoke so fervently about the different European teams and the different games they had watched and supported. It took him back to his old life and some of the good things that he missed about it. When he lived in America, while the other men watched American football, he chose to watch his soccer matches and followed his teams very closely.
The conversation soon veered toward their old lives and what they had done and been. As the men talked about their different occupations, their ordinary and unique lives back then, Faizan listened, partly in apprehension. What if they asked him what he did in his past life? What would he tell them? He definitely couldn’t tell them he had been a terrorist.
“And you, Faizan,” Reza said, facing him. “Where did you live before now? What was your occupation before you moved to this desert? How did you grow up, and are your parents still alive?”
Faizan took a deep breath and said, “Well, I was born in Spain but lost my mother at a very young age. It’s a long story but, umm... I lived for some time in Algeria... and
then lived in America for a few years before I came here.”
“That’s very interesting,” Abdul said. “You’ve lived in many places.”
Ishaq smiled. “Well, you are a man of the world and you have lived in America. When I was much younger, I wanted to go to America but never had the opportunity.”
“I am originally from Algeria,” Jafar said. “Where exactly did you live when you stayed in Algeria?”
Faizan’s pulse raced and a heaviness settled over him. He had lived deep in the desert as a dangerous terrorist during his years in Algeria. How was he going to get out of this one? He muttered, “It’s been a while, so I can’t really remember where I lived, but it was slightly deserted at that time.” He waved his hand and quickly changed the topic. “So, since you all came to this camp, how has it been living away from the world out there and everything it has to offer? Has it been hard?”
Ishaq answered, “I could ask you the same question.”
Reza said, “I guess for you, being married has helped a lot.”
Faizan looked at Reza. He looked serious and slightly forlorn. The expression on his face reminded Faizan of the look on some of the young women’s faces at the camp whenever they visited him and Zainah in their tent. When he and Zainah had just gotten married, many of the young women who came to visit them in their tent just sat there, gazing at them with wistful expressions on their faces. At the time, he thought it was slightly strange. But then Zainah had explained to him that some of the young women had told her how much they wished they could have what she had.
Was it possible that this young man wanted a wife, even though he had left the world to escape what the men here called “distractions”? Once again, he thought about what Zainah had said about letting both camps mix, and then pushed the thought away again.
Once more, the men had begun to chat about their old lives, the lives they had left behind to come here. As they talked, he thought about how lucky, or rather blessed, he was to have Zainah as his wife. He hadn’t really made much of his life before and certainly missed nothing about his life as a terrorist. The only thing he missed were his sisters and brothers-in-law. Thinking about his sisters and their husbands, he remembered what he wanted to ask these men.
Soon, two young men who seemed barely out of their teens brought a tray with steaming plates of food. One of them handed Faizan a plate and he looked at the food. It was rice, chicken, and steamed vegetables. He dug into the food as the other men did while wondering how they bought their food items. They probably brought all they needed with them before they came here, but their supplies would soon be depleted. He found the food really tasty and told the men so.
They ate as they continued to chat. When there was a lull in the conversation, he said, “Can I ask for a favor?”
“Go ahead,” Ishaq said.
“My sisters and their husbands are planning to visit us very soon. Unfortunately, there is no space for my brothers-in-law, only for my sisters. Can my in-laws—there are three of them—can they come and stay here with you, my friends?”
He felt terrible for lying to them, but he had to respect their wishes and also the wishes of many of the women at the camp who did not want to mix with men. If he told them the full truth—that he lived in a women’s camp, he was almost certain someone like Reza would, without permission, go and investigate and find the camp. Soon, neither of the camps would be a secret and there would be plenty of the “distractions” these men and some of the women wanted to avoid, and it would be his fault. He couldn’t let that happen.
Ishaq rubbed his beard and looked at the other men across from them. “Do any of you oppose the idea of Faizan’s brothers-in-law coming here to stay with us?”
The men shook their heads and said that they did not.
Ishaq turned to Faizan and said, “I don’t have any problems with them staying here and neither do these men. I doubt any of the men at the camp will have any problems, either. Your brothers-in-law are men like us.” He looked up thoughtfully and then looked at Faizan again. “Are they Christians? Because if they are not, we hope to make them so.”
Faizan smiled, relieved. “They are all Christians. They love the Lord and will be good guests.”
Ishaq nodded. “Then they are welcome to stay here.”
“Thank you so much,” Faizan said, smiling widely. “I am relieved.” He silently gave thanks to the Lord in his heart. He couldn’t wait for Ken to call again so he could give him the good news. Audrey, Sienna, and Trisha would be very relieved by this, and their spouses would be happy as well.
Faizan continued to chat with these warm believers who had embraced him even though they did not know him well. He really liked them and he knew that this place would soon become a place he came to regularly.
When another man came into the tent holding a tray with plates of food again, Faizan’s brows lifted in surprise. How was it already time to eat again? They had been sitting here talking for so long. He guessed that time did really fly when you were having fun.
After they had eaten, they continued to talk. When there was another lull in the conversation, Faizan said, “I think it’s time for me to go.” He stood up and the men stood up as well.
Ishaq reached out and hugged him; so did the other men. They all stepped out of the tent together and the men walked him to the edge of the camp.
Ishaq said, “So, my friend, when will you be back?”
“I’ll come tomorrow or the next. It depends on what is comfortable with my wife.”
“The trials of a married man,” Ishaq said, laughing.
“It’s not much of a trial.” Faizan grinned.
Ishaq nodded and said, “We will be looking forward to your visit again. Won’t we, brothers?” He looked at the other men.
“We will,” Jafar said.
“I hope you will be able to join us in our general prayers the next time you come,” Abdul told him.
Reza smiled at him. “I wish I could come and visit you now and just see how you live.”
Faizan ran his fingers through his hair and prayed that the man’s curiosity would not lead him to the women’s camp one day.
Faizan waved to the men and left. He walked quickly back to the women’s camp, this time with his heart full. He had enjoyed the men’s company tremendously, and he couldn’t wait to go back again.
When he finally got to the camp, he went straight to his own tent, hoping Zainah was there so he could tell her about his day. He was disappointed when he didn’t see her. He guessed she was with Leila.
He left his tent and began to make his way to Leila’s, and then smiled when he saw Zainah walking toward him.
Zainah reached him, hugged him, and then pulled away again. “Halima told me just now that she saw you entering our tent. A lot of people noticed your absence today.”
Faizan kissed her on the cheek and said, “What did you tell them?”
“I told them you were somewhere around, but a few of the women actually made it their duty to go searching for you. You know how much joy some of them take from observing us every day.”
Faizan chuckled and said in a teasing voice, “I hadn’t noticed.”
She shook her head. “That’s a lie. You haven’t noticed how the women here sometimes follow us around and ask all those questions about our married life?”
“Okay,” Faizan smiled. “Of course I have noticed. Thankfully, most of the questions are directed at you.”
Zainah took his hand and whispered, “Come and tell me all about your time at the men’s camp. Did you enjoy yourself?”
Faizan beamed. “More than I thought I would. I enjoyed talking to them and I told them I would come back again.”
They entered their tent together and sat on one of the rugs, surrounded by soft, embroidered pillows. Faizan began to tell her all the things he had talked about with the men and then looked up when someone yelled from outside the tent, “Can I come in?”
Since the tent had no
doors, in order to respect their privacy as a married couple, anyone who wanted to come in let them know first from the outside. It was the usual way and Faizan was grateful for it, even though once in a while he had been a little put out when a visitor came and interrupted his time with Zainah. Thankfully, that did not happen a lot. Most people made them aware beforehand that they were coming for a visit.
He yelled back to whoever was outside the tent, “You can come in!”
Sherifat, a girl in her early twenties who had taken to Zainah and Faizan and followed them around the camp, came in. Sherifat had been very helpful to him and Zainah, constantly asking if Zainah was okay and always wanting to help since Zainah was pregnant. She beamed at Zainah and then said to Faizan, “Miriam wants to see you. I think you have a phone call.”
Faizan immediately stood up, excited. He said to Zainah, “That must be Ken calling. He will be happy when I tell him the good news.”
“What good news?” Zainah asked, and then her brows rose and she nodded.
Faizan left Sherifat and Zainah in the tent. As he made his way to Miriam’s tent, it suddenly occurred to him that Miriam might be near when he told Ken on the phone about the men’s camp. Maybe it was time to tell Miriam about the camp. He knew Miriam well and trusted her. She would also keep the existence of the men’s camp secret while helping him with whatever he needed to make his brothers-in-law’s stay comfortable. In addition, she would help his sisters settle down well in the women’s camp for the duration of their visit.
He got to Miriam’s tent and then smiled in greeting as she handed him the satellite phone. He held it to his ear. “Hello,” he said, and then looked back at Miriam.
She was staring at him with a look of mild curiosity.
He sighed and stepped out of her tent. He would tell her about the men’s camp after the call.
“Hi, Faizan,” Ken said.
“Ken, I have good news. There is a men’s camp some distance away from our own camp and the feel of the place is just like ours. I visited them and asked if you, Frank, and Bryan could stay there, and they said you could. It’s not too far from our camp so you and the guys can visit your wives and vice-versa.”