by Emma Easter
Every day he’d tried to stamp down his impatience. Sadiq and his wife, and even his little sons, had gone out of their way to make him comfortable in their home. The least he could do was show his constant appreciation. Still, he had counted the days before they could go to the women’s camp to see Leila. Finally, that day had come. His heart raced, as though it would leap out of his chest at any moment.
Sadiq’s wife smiled at him. “You have been such a good guest. It’s been easy to have you in our home. I hope you find the love of your life and both of you live happily ever after,” she said.
Malik beamed and thanked her.
After he had waved again to Sadiq’s wife and children, he carried his suitcase down the stairs while Sadiq followed him.
Sadiq gave instructions to his assistant, who would be in charge of the store while he was away. The plan was for him to drive to the camp with Malik, purchase the rugs he wanted to buy, and immediately head back to his house. The journey would be a long one, Sadiq had said. Malik knew he would be crazy with impatience during the trip. Every night since he’d come here, he’d dreamt of seeing Leila, holding her, kissing her.
Malik got into the black truck parked near the store. Before Sadiq got in, Malik brought out the ring he had bought for Leila to propose to her when he found her, looked at it, and then put it back in his pocket.
Sadiq got into the driver’s seat and drove off immediately, and Malik took in a deep breath as the cool morning breeze blew on his face.
They chatted as they drove along the winding roads, through small towns and villages, and down deserted roads. Twice, they stopped at a roadside canteen to eat. By the time they got to the border, it was already nightfall. They crossed the border without any problems and continued their journey. Soon, Malik grew sleepy. He turned to Sadiq and said, “Aren’t you feeling even a little sleepy, man?”
Sadiq smiled. “I’ve gotten used to driving this road to the camp without much sleep. I need to get there as soon as possible and then get back to my store and my family. I will sleep when I get home.”
“Are you a superhero?” Malik laughed. “Because it takes special powers to drive as long as you do without sleeping.”
“Well, I might get a little sleep on my way back. Sometimes I stop at a motel and sleep for an hour or two before continuing my journey, but on this leg of the journey, I won’t sleep.”
Malik stretched and yawned. “Well, I think I will get some sleep. I’m a human being, unlike some people.”
Sadiq grinned and then focused on the road fully.
Malik soon drifted off to sleep. And then he felt someone or something tug at his sleeve, and whisper, “Wake up!”
Terror filled his heart and he immediately woke up. His eyes widened in fear as he saw that they were heading for a cliff. He turned and saw Sadiq had fallen asleep at the wheel. They would go over the cliff in less than a minute.
Malik screamed, “Sadiq! Wake up!”
Sadiq instantly awoke and stepped on the brakes. The car tires screeched and the car finally came to a halt just before they went over the cliff.
Sadiq’s mouth fell wide open as he stared with a look of horror at the cliff in front of them. “What happened?” he asked.
“What happened? You fell asleep!” Malik told him in a shaky voice. “We were about to go over that cliff.”
Sadiq covered his face with his hands and shook his head. “We would have died, Malik, if you had not woken up just in time.”
Malik frowned. “I would not even have woken up if something or someone had not tugged on my sleeve and told me to wake up. I actually knew something bad was about to happen before I opened my eyes.” He clearly remembered the voice and the tug on his sleeve. It was all so strange.
“Well,” Sadiq said, “whatever it was or whoever it was, we owe our lives to them. We are very lucky to be alive.”
Malik shook his head slowly. “No, not lucky. Blessed.”
“You are right,” Sadiq said. “I should not have stayed up as late as I did yesterday. Anyway, I am glad you woke up and definitely glad you came along with me on this trip.” He started the car again, reversed it, and they drove onto the road once more.
All through the rest of the journey to the camp, Malik stayed awake. He thought about the voice that had woken him up and how they would have been killed if not for it. Somehow he knew someone had been praying for him.
After driving for a long time, they entered a vast desert. All around them was nothing, absolutely nothing, except for sand—lots of sand. They drove for hours, and Malik grew increasingly tired and frustrated. “When are we going to get there?” he asked sullenly.
“Be patient, my friend,” Sadiq told him.
Sadiq faced the road again and continued to drive. Malik said to him, “You were right, Sadiq. I would never have found this place on my own.”
“We are almost there,” Sadiq said.
They continued driving for another hour, and Malik narrowed his eyes at Sadiq. “Why did you tell me we were almost there when we are still so far away?”
“Because we are almost there,” Sadiq said. He pointed. “Look!”
Malik’s heart raced as he saw what looked like a multitude of tents some distance away. He turned to Sadiq with his heart drumming, excitement running through him, and said, “I can’t wait to see my Leila.” He suddenly became nervous and added, “What if she doesn’t want to see me?”
“Of course she will want to see you,” Sadiq said.
“What if she doesn’t love me anymore? What if she has met and fallen in love with someone else?”
“Firstly, you are worrying too much,” Sadiq told him. “Also, this is a women’s camp. In all the years I have been coming here, I haven’t seen any man around apart from Faizan and the driver who takes Miriam to town... and I know that man is married.”
Malik smiled at Sadiq, taking encouragement in his friend’s words.
Sadiq turned briefly to him and smiled. “I am sure Leila still loves you and there is no man around anyway for her to fall in love with. You see that...” he suddenly stopped speaking as he parked in front of a tent. Frowning, he turned to Malik and said slowly, “The whole place is deserted. How come?”
Malik looked around. The place did look deserted.
Sadiq said, “Sometimes, I arrive here during their morning or evening prayers, but when I do, I hear the sound of their voices, praying or talking. And then, there are usually a few people around. Today, I can hear nothing and I see no one.”
Malik’s heart sank. Had the women moved camp?
Sadiq came out of the truck and Malik came out, too. Sadiq stood in front of the tent and called out, “Miriam, I am here!”
No one answered. He called out again, but still there was no answer. Finally, he said to Malik, “We need to go inside the tents to check.” He went into a tent near them and Malik followed him. They looked around. Everything seemed intact. The tent was not empty. There were rugs and pillows and even clothes everywhere, but there was no one in the tent.
“This is so strange,” Sadiq said. And then his eyes widened. “Maybe they have moved camp, but this time Miriam did not tell me.”
Malik stared at him. “They have moved before?”
“Yes. They were in a different location until a few years ago when they moved for a reason I do not know. Miriam came to town and told me about it and then led me to their new location. I hope that isn’t the case this time. That will be really bad for my business if they have moved without letting me know.” Sadiq shut his eyes.
Malik shook his head. “No, it cannot be,” he said. “I didn’t come all this way only to…” He could not finish his sentence as a sob rose in his throat. He had been so excited about the prospect of seeing Leila again. What would he do if they had truly moved? No, they could not have moved. Not now.
He looked around the tent again and said to Sadiq, “There are clothes and personal items in this tent. I don’t think they have mo
ved.”
“Let’s go and check the other tents,” Sadiq said.
They went from one tent to the other. Malik felt like a creep. There were only women in this camp and they were intruding into their private space. Still, it was strange that no one was here and yet all their things were intact. Nothing had been taken.
When they came out of yet another tent without seeing anyone, Sadiq said, “I cannot imagine that they would move to a different camp without taking their things with them.”
Malik’s ears suddenly perked up as he heard voices in the distance. He turned toward the direction of the voices and saw half a dozen women coming toward him.
Sadiq said, “Look at those women coming toward us.”
“Yes, I can see them, Sadiq.” Malik began to walk toward the women and Sadiq followed him. When they reached them, Sadiq greeted the women and they greeted him back. They turned to Malik, looking at him with shy smiles on their faces.
“You are from the men’s camp? You did not attend the wedding?”
Malik raised his brows to ask them what wedding and what men’s camp, but Sadiq beat him to it.
One of the women said, “There’s a double wedding taking place in the new men’s camp we discovered just a while ago.” She sounded animated and excited. “Everybody is there. We just came to get some things from our tent before going back.” The women hurried away before Sadiq and Malik could ask them where the men’s camp was.
Malik followed them immediately and so did Sadiq. The women hurried into one of the tents and Malik and Sadiq stood outside, waiting for them to come out again. One of the women came out immediately and Malik said quickly to her, “Can you take us to that men’s camp?”
She shrugged. “Okay.” Her eyes studied Malik’s and then moved up and down his body and back to his face. She smiled sweetly at him. “You’re handsome,” she said. “If you stay here, one of the girls will probably scoop you up.”
Malik smiled in amusement and said to her, “Actually, I am looking for one of the women here in particular. Her name is Leila.”
The woman tilted her head toward Malik and said, “Leila? She’s definitely taken now. She and Abdul were one of the couples who got married today. Two couples did and three others are renewing their marriage vows.”
Malik’s head began to swim and his vision blurred. Leila was married and married today of all days? Just when he’d finally found her again, now she was married to someone else. He felt like weeping, like sitting on the desert sand and sobbing his heart out. How could this have happened? What awful luck he had. He had arrived here a day too late, right on the day when the love of his life was getting married to someone else.
He shut his eyes and Sadiq said, “Malik, are you alright? You look like you’re about to pass out.”
Malik opened his eyes again and tried to steady himself on his feet. The woman was looking at him strangely. She said, “Maybe you should come into our tent and sit down.”
He shook his head. “No, I still want to see Leila.” Even if she was married to someone else now, he wanted to see her face. Just once. “Can you please take us to the men’s camp?”
“Okay,” the woman said in a small voice. She looked back into her tent and called out, “Let’s go, girls! They will soon start serving the food. I’m hungry.”
Malik felt like throwing up. Leila had gotten married. The fact that she’d gotten married was not the surprising thing, because Leila was beautiful and any man would be lucky to marry her. But what was surprising was that she’d gotten married on this day, when he’d finally found her. She had married someone other than him. And the most troubling thing was that she had probably fallen out of love with him and in love with this new man.
“I really think you should sit down,” Sadiq said to him. “At least for a minute or two.”
Malik shook his head vigorously. “No, I want to see Leila.” He wanted to look her in the eye and see if she had truly fallen out of love with him or if she had just settled and married another man. It wasn’t as if it was going to help. She was already married and there was nothing he could do about it. But still, he had to see her. He had come all this way to do so and he was not going back until he did.
The women soon came out of the tent. They walked in front, while Malik and Sadiq walked behind them. Malik’s heart hurt as he pictured Leila’s beautiful face. For the past month since Sadiq had told him he would take him to this camp, Malik had continuously pictured himself with Leila; pictured her saying yes when he asked her once more to marry him and pictured them getting married immediately. He had planned to tell her that he had decided to put his faith in Christ, especially as his prayers had been answered miraculously, but now everything seemed like a joke. Like someone was playing a cruel joke on him.
He tried not to think about Leila being with another man as he followed the women, but images of her wrapped in a stranger’s arms haunted him. Soon, he began to think that going to Leila’s wedding where she had married someone else was a really bad idea.
Maybe I should turn back. What was the point of putting himself through more agony by going to see her now with her new husband?
He turned and said to Sadiq, “I don’t think I can bear to see her married to someone else,” he said. “I want to go back.”
“Are you sure?” Sadiq frowned.
“Yes, I am sure,” Malik said. Now, he could hear faintly the sound of singing and laughter. “I need to go now,” Malik said and turned around. He began to walk away, back to the women’s camp; back to the truck.
“Wait, Malik!” Sadiq called out.
Malik stood still, waiting for Sadiq to catch up to him. When he did, Malik began to walk fast again. They made their way back to the truck parked in front of Miriam’s tent. Sadiq said to Malik, “Will you be all right waiting for me here? I have to go and find Miriam.”
Malik groaned. “I cannot bear to stay in this place a minute longer.”
“Please. I will only be a minute. Let me just go and find Miriam.” He walked away briskly before Malik could say anything more.
When he was just a dark figure on the horizon, Malik bent his head and closed his eyes. It had all gone wrong. With all his heart, he regretted the day he’d broken up with Leila. If only he could relive that day again, he would make a totally different decision.
“But you would not have come to truly know me.”
Malik jerked his head up. Who had said that? Was he imagining things now? He was hearing voices these days, and the voice he’d just heard sounded like the one that had saved him and Sadiq from being killed on the way here. Was he hearing the voice of God?
He felt a little afraid and intrigued at the same time, and he told himself to calm down. All he wanted was for Sadiq to come back quickly so they could leave. The earlier he left this place, the better.
“Get out of the car, Malik, and look behind this tent.”
Malik’s eyes widened in fear. The voice again, even clearer now than the last time. Again, the voice said, “Remember what you promised you would do when you found her.”
Malik’s heart pounded with fear and curiosity. Should he obey this voice or just ignore it. He thought about it for only a second and decided to obey. The voice had saved him from death just the day before, after all.
He got out of the truck and walked behind Miriam’s tent. And then his heart stopped. A woman was crouching behind the tent, crying softly. He walked slowly toward her, his emotions roiling. She had her back to him, but he would recognize her form anywhere, even if he couldn’t see her face.
The nearer he got to her, the more he was sure it was Leila. But why would she be here, crying on her wedding day?
She apparently heard his footsteps and turned toward him. And then his mouth dropped open. It was truly her. “Leila!” he called out.
Her eyes widened in clear shock and she stared at him as though he were a ghost. She shut her eyes and opened them again. “Malik! Is it you? But how are yo
u here?”
“Leila, oh Leila!”
“Malik!” she cried and raced toward him. She fell into his arms and sobbed. “I cannot believe you’re here.”.
His heart pounded as he held her close. With all his heart, he wanted to kiss her, but he knew he couldn’t. He had not been able to when she came to Dogon to see him two years ago because she was still married to Dauda then. Now he still couldn’t kiss her because she was married to someone else. Depression descended on him, but he quickly pushed it away. At least she was in his arms. He had dreamt of seeing her for so long and here she was.
She pulled away from him and stared at his face. She said softly, “What are you doing here?”
He reached out and wiped the tears from her eyes. “Why are you crying, Leila?”
She gazed at him with a look that tore at his heart. Her eyes held an unmistakable love for him as she said, “I was weeping because of you. Because I missed you so much.” She touched his cheek. “And now here you are. I cannot believe it.”
He felt too overwhelmed to speak, and then he said, “I wish I had come a day earlier. Now you’re married.”
Confusion crept into her features and she said, “I am not married, Malik. Who told you I was?”
His mouth fell open and he said, “A woman I saw when I came here told me your wedding was taking place at a camp not far from here.”
Leila said, “I was supposed to get married today, but I couldn’t do it. I am still in love with you. I couldn’t marry someone else even though I thought I would never see you again.” She searched his eyes and shook her head. “I still cannot believe you’re here, Malik.”
Malik felt excitement running through him. He said to her, “You’re telling me you’re not married, Leila?”
“No, Malik, I am not.” And then, before he could say anything, she leaned in and gave him the sweetest kiss ever. His heart pounded as they kissed and then she drew back again. She said with a smile, “Would I kiss you if I were?”