National Exile: A 21st Century Novel about Nobility, Poverty, and Cruelty

by Rusul A. Altaay

  Chapter 29

  Minister of Peace

  Putting together that plan was not hard. They prepared the weapons and all the tools needed to make sure the plan gets executed accordingly. Rain and the others were convinced that killing the president was the right call. They were finally allowed to leave the Burj and come back. Rain left that day to get some gas. Since the Burj was technically under the administration’s control, they got gas as much as they needed. He left the car and walked towards the old hospital. He kept wondering how people were doing. It was not as bad as he had expected. He, however, saw what he was not expecting to see.

  Drugs on the streets became the common thing around. It was a new phenomenon that people had to escape their reality. Rain saw a group of men smoking some form of drug as they laughed not aware of their surroundings.

  “Where did you get that?” Rain asked the men.

  “From the cool guys HA..HA. The militia… haha.” A man replied laughing with a stupid look on his face.

  “Great… Now they want to destroy the people like that. Wasn’t it enough the lack of food and safety?” Rain thought and walked away from them.

  It was few minutes after that when he heard the screaming voice of what seemed to be a young man asking for help. After he ran towards the voice, he found two men trying to rob a much younger man of his money. The poor man looked so slim. You could see his bones through his half-torn shirt. The money was a lot for a man looking like him. No wonder he was attacked by thieves.

  “Please, we’re all poor. And we used to be neighbors. Why do you want to take my money?” The poor-young man said.

  “We live in a war, and we are hungry too. Besides, where did you get all of that money from?” One of the robbers said.

  “Does it matter? Leave him alone. You have no right to steal anything no matter how bad things get.” Rain said as he ran towards them. He continued, “I’ve seen enough. Leave this man a lone or I swear… I’ll make you spent the rest of this crappy night in the hospital.”

  “It’s none of your business.” A man screamed and started attacking Rain.

  Rain was able to get to his pocket knife immediately. As soon as he waved it, the men decided to step back and ran quickly. Rain was surprised that they just left him that easily.

  “Oh, no. Please do not kill me. Take my money. It’s yours.” The poor-skinny young man said.

  “Why would I do that? I just saved your life.” Rain asked.

  “Your knife… Only those in Special Forces have a similar one. Special Forces are known for taking everything they want. No one can say no to you, Sir.” The man explained.

  “Oh, is that it? That explains why my father gave me this knife then. And please don’t call me Sir. I’m not one of them. I’m just glad you are ok.” Rain said while giving a hand to the man to stand on his feet.

  “You are going to let me go?” He asked.

  “Of course. If you don’t mind me asking, did you steal that money? I’m not judging you. It’s just a lot of cash and …” Rain was interrupted.

  The skinny-man: “No, I would never do such thing. Please you have to believe me.”

  Rain: “I believe you. It’s ok.”

  The skinny-man: “I was walking around asking people for help. My daughter is very sick and her mother was killed only few days ago. Anyway, there was that young man who just stopped by and gave me the money. He didn’t say a single word. I was on my way to the hospital to ask for help. I just need someone to help my daughter. I left her in the van.”

  Rain: “What van?”

  The skinny-man: “The van where I live. Our house was destroyed. This is how my wife was killed. I really need to go now. Thanks for helping me.”

  Rain: “No, wait… Take me to your daughter. I’m a doctor. I think I can help.”

  The skinny-man: “Are you for real?”

  Rain: “Please, lead the way.”

  It was not a long walk. They got to a street filled with old half-ruined gara-vans. That man’s van was no different.

  “Just how many people live like that exactly?” Rain asked.

  “More than you think. Please, come in.” The man said. “Sweetie, I got the doctor. You will get better.”

  The girl was in a really bad shape. There was not enough room in the van in the first place. He had to get her out and put her down on the street gently. She had cuts and bruises all over her body. She was as skinny as her dad. It seemed that the family was living in hunger even before their house was destroyed.

  “She has broken ribs and internal bleeding. I can’t believe she stayed a live that long.” Rain mumbled and said, “I’ll do everything I can, Sir.”

  “I can’t thank you enough for coming.” The man said as tears came out of his eyes.

  “So, I take it she was inside with her mom when your house collapsed?” Rain asked.

  “Yes, I was out trying to sell some napkins. When I came home, I found my wife hugging our daughter and shielding her form the wreckage. I don’t know what happened. All I know is that I found them together out-side the building. It seemed like they got out very late. I really thought that I have lost both of them.” The man explained.

  Rain kept working silently as he listened to the man telling his story. He was sad and angry at the same time. He just could not bring himself to say any word. Individuals can only help other individuals. There was so little they can do, and so much to be done.

  “She’s going to be ok. Don’t let her move. I need to go now and get some medicine for her. I won’t take long.” Rain promised.

  “I’m very grateful, brother.” The man thanked him.

  Rain smiled and walked as fast as he could. He went back to the Burj and immediately went to the clinic. He grabbed the medicine he needed and put it in his pocket. He, then, went to the kitchen and filled a plastic bag with whatever canned food he could find.

  “Rain? What are you doing? And where were you?” Yazan asked.

  “Good, you’re here. Grab a bag and help me out. We are going somewhere. There are…” Rain was interrupted by the entrance of the commander to the kitchen.

  “Where do you think you’re going? I gave you permission to leave for the hospital only. I was told that you did not report in today.” Commander Hazeem said.

  “What am I, a kid? I don’t need you keeping tabs on me. Anyway, I was helping a family. They live in a van and I …” Rain was interrupted again.

  “Do you know how many families out there, who are in desperate need of help? We can’t leave our jobs every day and help around on the streets. We can only do so much working like that. Our job is to look at the bigger picture and help the entire country get back on its feet.” The commander explained.

  In the meantime, Yazan kept filling in bags in the background as they argued.

  “I can’t say that you’re wrong because you are not. However, I promise, I will be back as soon as I’m done helping that little girl. Then, I’ll be back to saving the world.” Rain said and walked out of the door.

  “Wait, I’m coming with you.” Yazan said and followed him.

  “You know… Your dad has a point. Who’s to say that the life of that girl you saved is more valuable than those you could have saved in the hospital?” Yazan asked rhetorically.

  “We are only humans. I was not working based on whose life is more valuable. We are just going to help whoever needs help.” Rain said.

  “I understand. I was just saying…” Yazan said.

  “And my dad is right. I know he is. I just can’t leave people in a situation like that. Sidra would have wanted me to do this.”

  “Let’s help them out and get back to work. We leave tomorrow morning.”

  They gave the girl and her father the medicine and some food. They were able to distribute the food to other families as well. However, by the end of the day, there was only so much they could’ve done.

  -------------------------

  Sit
ting in a fancy hotel’s dining room, in the Green Zone of the capital, Sidra spent her time looking at the people around her. She had to wonder why they got to live a normal life. Those who lived in that Green Zone were the ones responsible for what was happening on the streets. She had decided that swimming with the sharks was the key to freeing the country from them. Few representatives from the president were sent to her for a private meeting. They were two men and a woman. As soon as she saw them approaching, Sidra stood up to greet them with a smile.

  “Thanks for agreeing to meet with me. I believe that we can change how things are going in the nation.” Sidra said.

  “Thank you, ma’am… My name is Alex. This is Mr. Hani and Mrs. Sonia. It’s a pleasure meeting you. May I offer you something to drink? Wine, maybe?” One of the representatives said as they all sat down.

  “No, I don’t drink. Water should do it.” Sidra rejected politely.

  “Why not? I hear the drinks here are really good.” Mr. Hani said.

  “Wine, to me, is just a liquid that have been turned into Alcohol using bacteria. Why would I want to drink that?” Sidra asked rhetorically.

  The man just laughed and said, “Smart answer. Anyway, we are here because we wanted to discuss your new job.”

  “Job?” Sidra asked.

  “Yes, we would like you to be Estil’s new minister of peace. Your job is to basically calm the people down and keep them in line. You just have to keep them busy with anything other than fighting and killing our own soldiers. You also get to travel the world asking for advice to how to deal with the current crisis.”

  “Is he for real? Should I take him seriously?” Sidra thought.

  Sidra tried hiding her mad expression with a fake smile as she said, “The people are only fighting and ruining our country because they want to eat. They want a safe place where no one would hurt or destroy their homes.”

  “See, it’s these kinds of things you can take care of. Promise them what they need.” Hani said with a sassy smile.

  “He’s a total idiot. What was I expecting any way?” Sidra thought as she replied,

  “Of course... Give them what they need, and they will automagically calm down.”

  The man laughed once again and said, “Miss Sidra, I just love your wordings. Anyway, please think about it. We would be expecting an answer by tomorrow. I wouldn’t say no if I were you. Well, we all know what happens to people who say no the president.”

  They said that and just left. Sidra could not believe that. That was not the meeting she had hoped for. She sat down calmly and looked at the water fountain near her.

  “Wow, it seems that the country is ran by a sleepy head president and idiots who surround him. Great… That went horribly.” She thought as she gazed into the cup of the tea they had ordered for her.

  She did not even trust them to drink it. A waiter came by offering if she needed another one. She did not bother rising her head to look at him. As she was kindly rejecting his offer, her bracelet turned green. She immediately pushed the chair away from the table and stood up.

  “Who are you?” She asked.

  Without saying anything, he took a knife from the table and shot it towards the security camera right on top of them.

  “It’s me.” He answered while taking off his beard and mustache.

  “Rain? What in the name of God are you doing here?” She shockingly asked.

  “You know… The usual… Assassinating president Lion.” Rain casually said.

  “That was not part of my plan.” She replied.

  “It’s part of mine.” He said. “What were you hoping to accomplish anyway? Become their poppet?”

  “I did not give you the code so you can assassinate the president. Have we not learned from what happened in the greatest wars? Killing the president will only make the civil war worse. Can’t you see that?” Sidra asked.

  “We can spend all night arguing about the right call. When, in reality, there is no right call. Anyway, I’m here to get you out. Things are about to get much worse in the capital.” Rain said. “Besides, is that how you say hi to the fiancé you abandon in the middle of nowhere?”

  “I had to. They killed the kids and ruined an entire city.” She said.

  “I know. We have to leave now.” He said and grabbed her arm quickly and started running.

  They walked towards the main entrance of to the parking lot. Rain took his car keys out and made sure that Sidra got seated first. He drove out of there as fast as he could.

  “I thought you were going to kill the president.” Sidra said.

  “No, it was Yazan’s job. My job was to get you out of there.” Rain said.

  “I don’t understand. What was the plan?” Sidra asked.

  “After you send the exact coordinates within the song, the plan was to kill the president. As of twenty minutes before we were in position, we received an order to get our people out and leave immediately. I’m not sure what, but they are planning something big. Maybe, they have an army to send or something.” Rain said and asked “What was your plan once you are inside?”

  “Gathering information... And I also had to place some tracking devices in case we… Rain, I think something is wrong. Why is every single person with a bracelet leaving?” Sidra asked as she noticed her bracelet is showing a lot of activities.

  “I told you. They are planning something big.” Rain said.

  “I have a bad feeling about this. I sure hope they do remember the fact that there are over a million civilians who also live in the capital. They better not hurt them.” Sidra said with a concerned voice.

  While they were driving out of the Green Zone and approaching the gates of the capital, Rain and Sidra heard, “Beep…Beep… Beep” A sound came out of Sidra’s bracelet as it turned yellow.

  “Code yellow? I wasn’t told of such code.” Rain said.

  “Because there is no such code… It’s an additional code I added myself. Someone is accessing Siwaar’s data. I don’t understand why. Do you think your uncle and his people were able to finish the program and ready to lunch the project?” Sidra asked.

  “I did not hear such thing. Whatever it is that they’re planning, I’m sure they will leave the civilians out of it.” Rain said.

  “I don’t know why… but sometimes, I feel like I have to wonder… Are we fighting for the right side?” Sidra asked.

  “We are helping those in need. We are doing everything we can to insure they live normal lives. We are not the face of any faction. In a war, you have to look at the side who had gained the most. We are most defiantly not that said.”

  “Then who is? Also, don’t you think that…”

  Before she finished her sentence, they saw that very bright light from behind the car as they left the city. In an instant, they felt the car rising from the ground. That was the last thing they both remembered for a while.

  Waking up covered by blood inside the upside-down car was the first thing Sidra remembered. The seat belt had kept both of them stuck inside. Fire was everywhere. The sound of screaming people running everywhere is still intact in everybody’s memory.

  “Rain… Rain… please, wake up.” She said with a low tone trying to shake him. “Rain… please, answer me.”

  “What happened…?” He replied.

  “I have no idea. We are stuck in the car upside-down like that. Try not to move. Your head is bleeding.” She said.

  “Sidra… Do NOT MOVE.” Rain shouted, “Aren’t you feeling this?”

  “Feeling what? What’s wrong?” She said looking down at her abdominal area.

  There was a large piece of metal right through her lower right side.

  “I’ll get you out of here. Do not panic.” He said.

  He kept trying to push the car’s door out, but it would not open. He freed himself from the seatbelt and went to the back seats. However, he had the same problem. The doors were completely jammed. He was finally able to break what wa
s left of the back window and got out of the car. Getting Sidra out was the harder task.

  “Sidra… Sidra… You have to wake up… HEY… I said wake up… Do not die on me…”

  “Why are you shouting? My hearing is back to normal now. I don’t hear that weird noise associated with the explosion any more. Can I go to sleep now? Thank you…” Sidra said with one eye open.

  “No… No… No… Wake up I said.” He finally freed her seatbelt and dragged her out. He, for seconds, looked behind towards the city and could not see anything.

  They both were out of the car with no one they could ask for help. Everyone was running for their lives that day.

  “Where are we? Why can’t I see the city?” Sidra said with one eye still open.

  “Probably just the leftover dust from some every day’s explosions.” He replied.

  Sidra went into a deep sleep after that.