Blessed With Love (The Sisters of Rosefield Series Book 6)

by Emma Easter

  She nodded. They might as well.

  He moved to the back of her tent just a short distance away, and she followed him. He said, “I want to marry you, Leila.”

  She narrowed her eyes and let out a tired sigh. “Okay,” she said to him. “But we need to take things slow. Can you do that?”

  “Yes,” he said quickly. “If that is what you want.”

  “Yes, I will be more comfortable with that.”

  She suddenly started when she heard someone call her name. But it wasn’t just someone. That was Miriam’s voice. “Oh no!” she exclaimed. “That’s Miriam. You have to go now, Abdul.”

  Abdul’s eyes widened and for a few moments, he did not move. Leila gently pushed him away and then he began to jog away from the tent. “Thank you, Leila,” he called out to her. “I will come back tomorrow.”

  Leila saw Reza walking briskly away from Sherifat as well. Apparently, he had also heard Miriam’s voice. Sherifat looked like she wanted to go with him and Leila quickly went and grabbed her hand. “Come on, before Miriam finds us here!”

  Before they could walk back into the camp, they stumbled into Miriam.

  “Both of you… what have you done?”

  Leila bit her lip. From the expression on Miriam’s face, she had most likely seen Abdul and Reza.

  Miriam said, “Why would you invite those men to the camp? Especially you, Leila! I expected more of you.”

  Leila sighed. If she was going to marry Abdul, this was the time to tell Miriam about it. Before Leila could speak, Sherifat said, “I’m in love with Reza. We want to get married.”

  Miriam stared at her with a confused expression on her face. “Married? What are you talking about, Sherifat?”

  Sherifat said in a small voice, “Reza and I want to get married, Miriam. We love each other.”

  Miriam stared at her for a full minute and then turned to Leila. “Don’t tell me you are in love, too, and plan to marry that other man.”

  “I won’t say I’m in love, Miriam, but yes, I want to marry him. I was going to tell you soon.”

  “Now that you two have opened the floodgates, you know what will happen. This camp will be overrun by men looking for brides.” Miriam sighed loudly, but she did not look as angry as Leila had thought she would once she told her about her plans to marry Abdul. In fact, she looked somewhat relieved.

  “Why do you look so surprised, Leila?” Miriam said, smiling warily. “You thought I was going to rage at you, didn’t you? I thought about that, but what’s the use? Maybe it’s just as well that those men moved near our camp. Many women in this camp constantly talk about how they always dreamt of having husbands and children of their own but had to give up those dreams when they came here.” She gave Leila a smile. “With you two getting married to those men, I guess more marriages will follow soon.”

  Sherifat screamed and then hugged Miriam. “Really, Miriam… you approve?”

  Miriam smiled. “I have no choice, Sherifat. I guess I do approve. It all seems like the Lord’s doing so who am I to stand in the way?”

  Sherifat drew back and then beamed at Miriam. “Thank you so much. I can’t wait to marry Reza.”

  “Don’t be so eager,” Miriam said to her, gently patting her cheek. “Faizan already told me about the men’s camp. He said that those men left the outside world to come here partly because they wanted to do away with every distraction… and apparently, women are the worst distractions to them. You heard what they said the day we went to their camp. Women are not welcome there. Going there will definitely be an intrusion to some of them who are not interested in marriage and relationships.”

  “I guessed as much,” Leila said. “But isn’t it the same with our camp? After all, men aren’t allowed to stay here. Faizan is an exception, of course, because we saved his life and he has been here for a long time.”

  “I guess the Lord is about to shake things up,” Miriam said. “Our camp won’t be just for women anymore, and neither will theirs only be for men.”

  Leila frowned but Sherifat squealed and clapped her hands in glee. “It’s so exciting,” Sherifat said. “My friend, Aisha, has been telling me how sad she is that she will never have children of her own. I couldn’t tell her about the men’s camp because Leila told me not to tell anyone. But now I can. Maybe she will meet someone in the men’s camp that is handsome and nice like my Reza and get married.”

  Miriam laughed. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Sherifat. Let’s just see how things play out.”

  Leila listened to them with a sense of detachment. She and Sherifat, apart from Zainah, were going to be the first women in the camp to actually change things and get married. And yet, she did not share Sherifat’s excitement or eagerness. Instead of thinking about the man she was soon going to marry, Malik’s face remained in her mind. Even now, she could clearly see his handsome face, as though she had only seen him the day before instead of two years ago.

  “Both of you should go back to sleep now,” Miriam said. “We will leave for the men’s camp early tomorrow. For now, we won’t tell any of the women where we are going. We have to talk to the men first of all and see how they really feel before telling the women in the camp about them.”

  Sherifat literally skipped back to her tent with Miriam while Leila went thoughtfully to her own tent. As she lay on her sleeping rug, she tossed and turned, wondering if she had made the right decision by agreeing to marry Abdul.

  Knowing that she and Malik would never be together and that Abdul was her chance to have a family did not dampen her uncertainty. However, she had to take the right and wise path. She might not love Abdul now, but she would grow to love him. Besides, love was not a necessary ingredient to a happy marriage or relationship. If it was, Malik would not have broken up with her. They would still be together today.

  She finally drifted off to sleep and then groaned when she heard someone calling her name again. She opened her eyes and saw it was already morning. Quickly, she sat up and found Miriam standing next to her. Miriam had said they would leave for the men’s camp this morning. She was probably here to get her so they could leave.

  “I’m sorry, Miriam,” Leila said, rubbing her eyes. “I overslept. You want us to leave...”

  “No, Leila,” Miriam said, looking at her with an urgent expression on her face. “It’s Zainah. She has just gone into labor and is calling for you.”

  Leila’s heart jumped into her throat and she sprang up from her sleeping rug. She ran out of her tent to Zainah’s. When she entered, Zainah was lying on her sleeping rug, drenched in sweat. Sherifat and Aisha were holding her hand, and Bisma, a petite woman who had arrived at the camp about six months ago and had midwifery skills, was kneeling in front of her, telling her to breathe. There were towels and buckets of water near Zainah and she looked wary.

  “Leila!” Zainah called out when she saw Leila. “You’re here, finally!”

  Leila hurried over to her. “I am,” she said brushing back Zainah’s hair from her face. “You’ll be alright, Zainah.”

  Zainah smiled and then her face screwed up in pain as another contraction hit her. Zainah gritted her teeth, obviously in great pain, and Leila bit her lip. She looked around the tent. Where was Faizan, anyway? Had the midwife sent him out?

  Zainah took a deep breath as the midwife instructed and then smiled once more when the pain seemed to ease up. She looked at Leila. “I cannot give birth to this baby right now, Leila. I have to wait for Faizan to come back.”

  “Where did Faizan go?” Leila asked, her heart racing with worry and excitement at the fact that her friend was about to have a baby.

  “He went to pick up his sisters and brothers-in-law from town. He left very early this morning. I wish he was...” she moaned again in pain.

  Leila gently smoothed down Zainah’s hair and then backed away slightly when the midwife told her and the other women to give Zainah some breathing space.

  “Now, you’re going to push hard, Zai
nah,” the midwife said.

  Zainah shook her head. “I can’t give birth to this baby until my husband comes.”

  “Yes you can, and you will,” the midwife said sternly.

  Leila said, “It’s all right, Zainah. I’m here and I’m sure Faizan will be back any minute. Faizan will want you and the baby to be healthy, so you need to push for him and for your baby.”

  Zainah closed her eyes and then let out a loud scream as she bore down.

  “Push,” the midwife encouraged, and once more Zainah groaned and she pushed.

  Leila felt overwhelmed with both pity and excitement for Zainah. She wished she should bear the pain for her friend, but it was not possible. She just hoped that this labor would not be a prolonged one and that Zainah would give birth to her baby soon.

  The midwife ordered Zainah to push again, and she did this time and let out a scream that pierced the air. She was in so much pain that Leila wanted to look away, but couldn’t. And then Leila’s mouth fell open as the baby’s head popped out.

  Zainah laughed as she looked at the head and then ground her teeth in pain again and pushed once more. The baby slipped into Bisma’s hands and Leila let out a sob as the tent filled with the baby’s cries.

  “It’s a girl, Zainah!” the midwife said exultantly and then cleaned the baby up.

  Zainah laughed and held out her arms, tears streaming down her face. “She’s so beautiful,” she said, looking down at the baby in her arms. “Come and see her Leila.” She turned to Leila and then looked down at her baby again.

  Leila came near while the midwife cleaned Zainah up. She felt tears flood her eyes as she looked down at the beautiful baby in Zainah’s arms. When Zainah handed the baby to her, she swallowed a sob and smiled, overwhelmed with emotions. “She is perfect, Zainah,” Leila said. “And she looks like you, I think.”

  “You think so? I was hoping she would look like Faizan.”

  “She looks like both of you, actually,” Leila said. She handed the baby back to Zainah, feeling suddenly too overwhelmed to speak or even remain in the tent. “I’ll be back,” she forced out her words, and then quickly left the tent.

  Outside, Leila let the tears flow down her face. Zainah had a beautiful baby girl now and the moment was so special, even more so because she’d had the baby with a man that she really loved. That was what Leila wanted, but unfortunately would never have.

  Leila dashed angrily at her tears. “Get yourself together!” she whispered harshly. She would come to love Abdul in time. “You have to go back in there.” She had to be there for Zainah, especially since Faizan was not around. She needed to put all her hang-ups aside and go back in. And she was truly happy for her friend.

  She took a deep breath, and when she heard the baby crying, it dawned on her fully that Zainah had a baby girl now. Her best friend’s dream had come true. She smiled genuinely now, her heart flooding with joy, and then quickly re-entered the tent.

  *****

  Faizan looked out the window as the jeep sped to the airfield in Blima where the private plane carrying his sisters and brothers-in-law would land. His heart raced with excitement as he thought about seeing his sisters again and getting to hug them. It felt so surreal. After two years of not seeing them and hardly speaking to them, they would finally be reunited.

  He turned to the driver of the jeep, the one who usually came to take Miriam to town every month, and asked impatiently, “How much longer is it to Blima?”

  “About half an hour,” the driver answered.

  Faizan nodded and then turned to look out the window again. The wind blew through his hair as the car sped on. It was a beautiful day, fitting for the day his sisters and their husbands would arrive.

  The trip to the airfield took him back to the day he and Zainah had come back to the camp and the events leading up to it.

  He had gone to Nira to rescue Zainah. Somehow, she had been mistakenly shot and had almost died. Fortunately, she had not. He had been able to take her away from Nira. They had left the town as soon as she was well enough to travel. Once they stopped in Blima, Zainah had given directions to their taxi driver and they had been taken to the women’s camp.

  He remembered how joyful Miriam and all the women at the camp had been when Zainah arrived safely. Most of all, he remembered the day he married her. He had left everything behind in America to be with her in the desert and had never regretted it. But still, he had missed his sisters. He had missed Audrey’s quick wit and frankness, Trisha’s wise advice and sometimes smothering love, and Sienna’s kindness and tenderness with him. His heart leaped with joy as he thought about hugging his sisters and seeing their pretty faces again. Zainah was also excited. She had bonded with them when they were in the United States and couldn’t wait to see them once more.

  Thinking about Zainah, he was eager to get back to the camp once he picked up his sisters and their husbands. Zainah was due to give birth at any moment. He could not afford to miss the birth of his baby. He couldn’t imagine leaving Zainah to go through the childbirth without him.

  The driver increased his speed and Faizan was happy about that. The sooner they got to the airfield, the sooner he could be reunited with his sisters.

  They finally got to the airfield. It was little more than an expanse of land with a narrow strip where only small planes could land. The driver parked near the airstrip and Faizan glanced at his wristwatch. It was ten a.m. already. The plane carrying Audrey, Sienna, Trisha, and their better halves was scheduled to land at about this time. Any moment now, their plane would arrive.

  He got out of the jeep and stood, tapping his foot with impatient anticipation. He waited for five minutes and then ten, and then more minutes ticked by, but still the plane did not arrive. He glanced at his watch again. It was now half past ten. He frowned deeply. Where were they? If only he could call them.

  When at about eleven o’clock, they still hadn’t arrived, he began to worry that something had happened.

  Calm down, Faizan, he told himself. There has to be a reason for their delay, but they will be here soon.

  At about a quarter past eleven, his pulse raced as fear gripped his heart. You are being paranoid, he thought.

  “Are you sure they are coming today?” the driver, who had been waiting in the car, asked, sticking his head out the window.

  “They will be here,” Faizan said with irritation. “Lord, please bring them here safely.”

  He looked up at the sky as he heard the sound of an approaching plane. His heart jumped for joy and he smiled broadly. That had to be them.

  He kept looking up as the plane descended slowly. It landed and began to taxi down the airstrip. Faizan could not stand still anymore. He ran toward the plane and waited for it to stop. Once it did, he shook his hand and took a deep breath as he waited for his sisters and brothers-in-law to disembark.

  The first person out of the plane was Ken, and Faizan walked toward him with a huge smile. And then Audrey came out behind Ken and Faizan’s heart soared. He felt overwhelmed with emotions as he ran toward his sister. When she saw him, she raced toward him. They met halfway and she fell into his arms. He squeezed her tight and then saw Sienna and Trisha coming down the steps of the plane. He stepped away from Audrey, ran to them, and gathered both of them in a huge hug. He kissed their cheeks. Audrey came and put her arms around them and the four of them stood that way, embracing for a long time.

  Faizan finally stepped back from his sisters and looked at each of their faces. He grinned. “I can’t believe you are all here,” he said with a voice choked with emotion.

  Tears slipped down Sienna’s face while Trisha reached out and hugged him again. He held her tight and then drew back and wiped Sienna’s tears away with his thumb.

  “We’ve missed you so much, Faizan,” Audrey said.

  “I cannot tell you how much I have missed you girls,” he said to them.

  He finally stepped away from them and went to hug Bryan, Ken, and Frank. After
that, his sisters grabbed his hands and giggled excitedly as they all walked back to the jeep.

  He looked back at his brothers-in-law, who were carrying the luggage, and said to his sisters, “Wait, I have to help with some of the suitcases.”

  “No,” Audrey and Trisha said in unison. “Our husbands will manage,” Audrey said. “We haven’t seen you in ages and we plan to spend every moment with you and Zainah.”

  Faizan laughed and shook his head.

  “Well, not every moment, though,” Audrey added. She looked back at Ken and smiled at him, and then faced Faizan again. She said in her usual blunt way, “Ken and I are trying very hard to have a baby and we will keep trying in the camp.”

  Sienna’s eyes widened. “Audrey, must you say everything?”

  Faizan chuckled. This was the Audrey he remembered. She said whatever was on her mind and he loved it.

  “Talking about babies, Zainah is due to give birth soon, isn’t she, Faizan?” Trisha asked.

  “She is,” Faizan answered as he opened the front door of the jeep to get in. Trisha took his hand once more and said, “No, Faizan, you’ll be sitting at the back with us. The guys will sit in the middle and front seats.” She turned to Frank, Ken, and Bryan and said, “Won’t you, guys?”

  The men shrugged and dropped the luggage at the back of the jeep.

  Faizan smiled fondly at Trisha and then helped the driver get the luggage into the trunk of the jeep.

  Everyone had settled into the car when he got into the backseat with his sisters. As the jeep raced back to the camp, his sisters peppered him with questions. After that, he asked them questions of his own; questions about the church he’d attended in Rosefield, the school where he’d taught Arabic, and life in Rosefield in general. He did miss that place, even though he didn’t want to live anywhere else but the camp now.

  “We have a new mayor,” Trisha said to him.

  “You do? Wow! So Mayor Stanley is no longer the mayor?”

  “No,” Audrey answered.

  When there was a lull in the conversation, Ken asked Faizan about the men’s camp where they would be staying. Faizan told them how he and Zainah had found the camp and about the men they had spoken to that day. He also told them about his subsequent visits to the place. “It’s a lot like the women’s camp,” he said to his brothers-in-law. “They have regular prayers and general chores there, too. You will like the place. The only thing, however, is that your wives cannot go and see you there, and you cannot really come and stay in the women’s camp. However, I set up some tents where you can visit each other when you need privacy.” He coughed and looked at Audrey. “I’m talking to you, Audrey.”