THE HEALING HEART

by Zelda Clemens

“You bastard,” the man said with a spit.

  “Hey, play fairly next time and don’t make me have to use my girlfriend to get the pictures. If you do just that, you’ll have a much better time eventually,” he told them.

  The other players watched as Cody went over to the other side, and Scarlet breathed a sigh of relief. It was nice to know that they would still have a chance of winning, and suddenly, the game was about to start.

  It was a rough game, and even she could see it. The fact that his plans were foiled said a lot to Kenneth, and the hatred in his eyes was glowering all over the court. But Cody looked different, and for Scarlet, she could see the different person in front of her. The fire in his eyes and in his soul, the determined feeling that he had because of all of this, all of that was something special to her, and she knew that he would win. It was obvious that he would, because if he wasn’t they wouldn’t have put as much of an effort forward to thwart the plans that they had.

  The game started to get brutal from the start, with interceptions happening left and right, and Kenneth playing with anger as his fuel. Cody kept a level head though, and despite all that had happened and all of the bullshit that had gone down before the game, he was smart about not letting it get the best of him. The two of them played in a fiery manner, and for Scarlet, she felt like she was seeing two rivals finally get the showdown that they needed.

  But Scarlet could see after the second quarter that this game was far from over. Cody’s team was winning, but it was a game that kept going back and forth. Right now, it was anyone’s game, and this would be the championship that would determine it all. It was going to determine it, and when the fourth quarter hit, with very little time left, she could practically feel the tension throughout the stadium.

  That’s when it happened. They were tied, with only about ten seconds left, and Cody had the ball. There was no way he could make a layup in time to win, and it was heavily guarded. But, he had another idea, and that’s when he did it. He got to the threw-point line, jumping ahead of the other players, grasping the ball and dunking it. When the buzzer hit, the ball fell in, marking the lead they got and winning the game.

  The crowd reverberated in cheers, and immediately Scarlet was welcomed down. She went down there, and Cody embraced her, holding her in her arms. She did hold onto the files and the card for evidence, evidence that she planned to destroy after the event was over. She could see Kenneth glaring at her, but she just smiled, and she felt happy about it all.

  Cody pushed his lips against her own, and for Scarlet, it was the first most powerful kiss the tow of them shared. It was weird, because it was a kiss that said everything about themselves, and she embraced tit too. She knew deep down that there was a lot that they would need to go over, but their love would know no bounds.

  They got the trophy, and Cody was represented as one of the star players for the game, and the horns were blaring as the screen showed all of his plays. Cody turned to Scarlet, grasping her hand.

  “It’s amazing isn’t it?” he said.

  “It really is. You did well babe,” she told him.

  “Well I wouldn’t have even been half as good had you not been able to help me. Thank you for everything babe. I love you so much. Let’s have more adventures together, more games won, and more memories created,” he said.

  She nodded, taking all of that in and feeling the happiness that seemed to know no bounds. The two of them kissed one again, and for her, she felt like she made the best decision in the world. It was something utterly amazing, something that seemed so right, and for her, this felt like the best thing in her mind, and it would always be like that.

  The two of them shared in a kiss, and it was definitely something that they wanted to cherish forever. The game has been won, and the two of them won their own game as well, which was the game of love. They overcome some of the hardest trials that they ever had before, a feeling that made them both realize that it was worth it, and it was something more than they ever expected. At this point, nothing could stop them not, at least not for a long time, for their love was strong and not wavering, and they would be able to continue with this with one another for as long as the two of them willed it to be, and as long as they wanted.

  THE END

  Another bonus story is on the next page.

  Bonus Story 33 of 44

  Egyptian Secrets

  Description

  In the early twentieth century, when Great Britain occupied Egypt, thousands of British explorers made their way to the Arab country in search of gold and other treasures buried by the pharaohs millennium ago.

  William Bettencourt and his wife, Anna, are two such explorers who left their comfortable lives in London to explore the Egyptian desert. When their friend, Haji, tells them about the ancient city of Hisyut and the treasures that lie undisturbed, William and Anna begin a grueling trek through the desert with just a map drawn by Haji’s brother many years ago. They aren’t aware of the dangers of the Egyptian desert, notably King Mahmoud, who rules over a vast area of land untouched by the British.

  When William and Anna stumble into his kingdom, he takes them hostage and demands ransom from the British government. But little does King Mahmood know, his daughter, Metimeh, will become his biggest enemy when she falls in love with the British hostages.

  *****

  “So this place,” William began, “it actually exists? Or is it just a figment of your imagination like the last ancient town you had us searching for?”

  Haji, an old man with wrinkled, tan skin and deep brown eyes that held both mystery and wisdom, cracked a smile. He no longer had any teeth and his lips were chapped from the harsh Egyptian sun. “It exists,” he said. “Hisyut exists. It is a magical place far off in the desert. The pharaohs from the past buried many treasures there because they knew the city would never be found.”

  “So what makes you think we’ll find it if the pharaohs knew no one would?” William’s wife, Anna, asked. She stood beside her husband in a white, lace-trimmed gown and wide-brimmed hat. She was perfectly dressed for the Egyptian summer, light colors and light dress material. Or so she had been told. But Anna still felt incredibly hot and uncomfortable and didn’t know whether she should attribute it to the Egyptian weather or Haji’s stuffy apartment.

  “You’re different,” Haji croaked out before he erupted into a fit of coughing.

  William poured the old man a cup of water and sat beside him. “Have you ever seen Hisyut?”

  Haji shook his head. “I have not. But my brother Jabir has. He even drew a map that I still have.”

  Haji used his large stick to balance himself as he slowly lifted out of his chair and shuffled to the other side of the room. He removed a book from his large collection and opened it to the middle, removing an old, ripped sheet of parchment. “Come, look,” he said over his shoulder to William and Anna.

  The crowded around Haji as he carefully unfolded the map. It was faded, hard to read, and written in Arabic. Luckily for William, Anna read and spoke perfect Arabic.

  “What year did your brother visit Hisyut?” Anna asked. She squinted at the map, trying to make out the words as best as she could.

  “Uh,” Haji said, “1296.”

  Anna shook her head. “No, Haji. In the Gregorian calendar.”

  “The what? I’m not sure. It was 1296. I remember because it is also the year he died.”

  William froze. “He died? From what?”

  Haji sighed. Grief masked his face. “They said a heart condition but my brother, Jabir, never had a heart condition. He was a strong man. When he came back from Hisyut, he was sick all of a sudden. He thought he was cursed.”

  William didn’t believe in curses but he didn’t want to further upset his friend by saying as much. He believed Jabir probably died from exhaustion after being in the desert for so long. Without the proper medical care, Jabir’s heart most likely just stopped beating.

  “This city is along the Nile?” Anna asked
. She still studied the map and had taken it from Haji’s hands and held it carefully in her palms.

  “Somewhat,” Haji replied. “You can stay along the Nile. It will be safer. But eventually you will have to travel away from it.”

  The Nile River, longest river in the world, played such a crucial role in Egypt. It had been regarded as sacred by the pharaohs and made Egypt the country it was today.

  Anna reached over and hugged Haji. “I’m sorry about your brother.”

  Haji smiled sadly. “Thank you. I have faith that you two will find Hisyut. I don’t think you should remove anything you find. The curse is real and it doesn’t discriminate.”

  “We’ll keep that in mind, Haji. Thanks. When do you think is the best time for us to leave?” William asked.

  Haji walked to the window and opened it. He lived right above the bazaar and it was always quite noisy in his tiny apartment. But he refused to move anywhere else. He loved being right in the center of Cairo and its bustling action.

  “I think you should set off on Friday, at sunset. Get all the supplies you need for at least five days until you get to the next town. You can restock there.”

  William bowed slightly and Anna hugged Haji once again. “We’ll come see you before we leave. Thanks again, Haji.”

  He walked the couple to the door and closed it behind them.

  Anna and William went immediately to another good friend of theirs, Sir Charles Tracey. Charles was well-versed on all things maps and geography. With the condition of the map given to them by Haji, neither William nor Anna wanted to take any chances and hoped Charles could redraw the map.

  They maneuvered their way through the crowded streets of Cairo, stopping every so often to dig through the carts of the various venders that lined the streets.

  “For the pretty lady,” one vendor had said in broken English, holding up a necklace that he said was made of pure gold.

  William rolled his eyes and led his wife away. If it was up to Anna, she would buy everything advertised to her. When they first arrived in Egypt six years ago, right after they married, Anna had nearly bankrupted them by buying piles of junk. Anna did manage to buy an artifact that had some monetary value and they were able to recoup.

  “I hope Charles is even home,” Anna said as they turned into a quiet street in Cairo’s Old City. Charles preferred to live amongst the locals. He believed it made them less suspicious of him and they opened up more.

  “Where else would he really be?” William asked. They arrived at his door and he knocked three times.

  Charles’s maid opened the door. He lived simply but still was able to afford luxuries of his British life. “May I help you?” she asked in near-perfect English.

  “We’re here to see Sir Tracey. Inform him William and Anna Bettencourt are here,” William said.

  “Just a minute.” The woman disappeared for a moment and then reappeared. “Come in, he’s in his study.”

  William and Anna entered the house which was considerably cooler than outside. Charles’s study was at the back of the house and the smallest room of the house, but it held the most stuff. Maps lined the walls, globes were scattered around the room, and various books and papers were tossed on the desk and chairs. Charles leaned over his desk carefully reading a book. He turned when William and Anna entered the room.

  “William, Anna, how are you?”

  William shook hands with Charles while Anna hugged him.

  “We’re well,” William said. “We need your help.”

  Charles smiled. “My help? I’m flattered.”

  Anna removed Haji’s map from her purse and handed it to Charles. “We were hoping you could read this map and perhaps redraw it in English. I can read Arabic, but I can’t make out some of the words.”

  Charles squinted at the map. “It might take me a while. I have other projects I’m working on.”

  “A while?” William said. “We don’t have a while. When is the earliest you can do it?”

  “Maybe by Monday if I switch some things around.”

  William sighed. He and Anna could try to get to Hisyut without an updated map. It might take them twice as long and they may die getting there.

  “I guess we’ll have to wait until Monday,” Anna said. “Thank you, Charles.”

  William and Anna left Charles’s apartment and returned home. William refused to take a chance with his wife’s life and they would just have to wait until Charles could draw a new map. William wasn’t particularly happy, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

  *****

  “Haji had a heart attack last night.”

  Anna jumped out of her chair at her husband’s words. “What?”

  “Someone at the bazaar just told me. I went to the hospital and he was there. He can’t talk and just stares at the walls,” William said.

  Anna was at a loss for words. They had only seen Haji two days ago and he was well. She knew heart attacks sometimes happened suddenly, but this all seemed much more than coincidence, especially considering their conversation two days ago.

  “Does Haji have any children? Family?” Anna asked.

  “I think they’re all dead.”

  Anna sighed. “Then we’ll be his family. He’ll need someone to take care of him when he comes home.”

  “If he comes home,” William said.

  “No, when he comes home. Haji is a strong man. He’ll get through this.”

  William admired his wife’s compassionate heart but her idealism hurt her far more than it helped her. Haji was an old man and his chances of recovering were slim to none. They had become good friends with him since their arrival in Egypt and perhaps that is why Anna didn’t want to let go.

  “Maybe we should bring him here and hire a nurse to watch over him when we aren’t home,” Anna said.

  “Sweetheart, you know Haji always said he wanted to die at home. Bringing him here would only upset him.”

  Anna crossed her arms over her chest and glared at William. “Why are you so convinced he’s going to die? You’re not God.”

  William raised his eyes to the sky. He didn’t want to argue with his wife so he remained quiet. That was his best option if he ever wanted to sleep next to her in the same bed.

  “I’ll go ready the guest bedroom,” Anna said and spun on her heel.

  William sighed when Anna was out of earshot. The whole expedition to Hisyut was on hold. They needed a new map from Charles, and William wanted to be there when Haji took his last breath, since he was sure it would be sooner rather than later.

  “Okay, the guest bedroom is ready,” Anna announced as she walked back into the reception room. “He is coming here, so don’t give me that look.”

  William couldn’t help but laugh out loud. He crossed the room and gripped Anna’s chin, pulling her head up. “Why do you have to be such a good woman?” He asked, kissing her lightly.

  “Why do you have to be so pessimistic?” Anna retorted.

  William chuckled. “I’m not a pessimist. I’m a realist.”

  Anna snorted. “Same thing. I love you though.”

  “I love you too, my little idealist.”

  While Anna started dinner, William went to see Haji. He didn’t allow Anna to come because it was getting dark, and the city was dangerous at night.

  The hospital Haji was in was small and bare. In a large room, several hospital beds were lined up against the wall. William immediately spotted Haji and walked over to him.

  “Hey, Haji. How are you doing?”

  The old man rolled his head to the side and opened one eye. “Who are you?” He managed to get out before overcome with coughing.

  “It’s me, William. Anna.”

  Haji’s blank look remained and William sighed.

  “You gave me a map to Hisyut. Remember now?”

  Haji’s eyes widened in fear. “No, no, you can’t go to Hisyut.”

  William cocked his head to the side. “Why not?”

  “Hisyu
t is cursed,” Haji said.

  “Not this again,” William muttered. He really didn’t want to hear anything about Hisyut being cursed. Cursed cities didn’t exist.

  “Hisyut is cursed,” Haji said again, this time more emotionally. He tried to sit but failed.

  “You get some rest, Haji.” William placed a firm hand on Haji’s chest to keep him from trying to sit up. “I’ll be back tomorrow with Anna. Don’t worry.”

  William stood to leave the room. He did have to agree with his wife that Haji needed proper care if he ever left the hospital. But with another look at Haji, William was sure his friend and trusted confidant of six years was not leaving the hospital.

  William stood and walked to leave the room. He stopped in the doorway and was once again drawn to Haji. The old man’s eyes were closed and his mouth hung open.

  William knew he was dead. His next thought was how to tell Anna.

  *****

  Anna dabbed at her eyes with a kerchief as Haji’s cloth-shrouded body was lowered into the grave. She couldn’t believe the turn of events that happened within the span of a few short days. She knew Haji was old, but he was healthy still. His death came as a shock, not just to her, but to everyone who knew him.

  “He’s with his family now,” she said softly as she and William walked away from the cemetery. It was a particularly hot day in Cairo and now that the burial was over, Anna wanted to go back to their cool home.

  “I believe he is,” William said, although he wasn’t really sure. His own faith was wavering, but William wouldn’t dare tell his wife about his doubts on God. It would absolutely tear them apart.

  “I still believe we should go to Hisyut,” Anna said.

  William was shocked by this revelation. He was sure Anna wouldn’t want anything to do with the exploration.

  “Yes,” Anna nodded, “Haji would want us to still go. He had so much faith in us.”

  William nodded his head in agreement. “Haji will always be with us. I think he would want us to go, too.”