by Emma Easter
“So, I have chosen another wife to go with me to the shopping trip in Paris,” Rekiya said cheerfully to him. Leila noted how Rekiya’s eyes sparkled as she looked at him. The woman was still in love with him, while he gave her something that looked like a fond, fatherly smile. Leila felt sorry for Rekiya. She had to share the man she loved with other women, and the man didn’t even care how she felt about it.
Dauda put down the newspaper and said to Rekiya, “Okay, who did you choose?”
Rekiya turned and beckoned for Leila to come into the room.
Leila stepped in, said another quick prayer, and walked up to the bed. Dauda’s eyes were firmly planted on hers. He stared at her curiously and her heart raced.
Dauda frowned and looked her up and down. He turned away from her and looked at Rekiya. “You want Leila to go to France with you? But she hasn’t been feeling well.” He turned to Leila and said, “I am surprised you are out of your bed. How are you feeling today?”
Leila mustered up a bright smile for him and said, “I feel great, actually. Two days ago, I realized I didn’t feel so sick anymore. Today, I feel totally well.”
Dauda sat up and swung his left leg out of the bed and then his right. He planted his feet on the floor and gazed at up Leila. His eyes carefully scrutinized her face, and then moved down to her body, and then up to her face again.
Leila held a breath while he inspected her closely. She felt a mix of conflicting emotions raging in her mind. As he studied her, she felt anger, anxiety, dread, and hope, all rolled into one.
Lord, please, let him agree to allow me to travel with Rekiya, she prayed in her heart. She wanted to also ask the Lord to cause Dauda to find her desirable, but she couldn’t bring herself to do that. She had turned into a player; into a person who scammed, plotted and lied. But she had no choice. She had to find a way to escape this place and her situation.
Anxiety continued to course through her as she waited for him to say something. If he said ‘no,’ she would not be able to change his mind. No one, not even Rekiya, would. He was the king of the house. Once he made up his mind about something, he stuck to it and there was no changing his mind.
At last, he said, “You do look better than the last time I came to your room to see you.” He smiled at her and said, “But I’m not yet sure that you’re totally well enough to travel at this time.”
Leila’s heart sank to her feet. She felt her heart aching as all her plans for the past few days disappeared before her eyes.
Rekiya said, “I think she is well enough. I mean, she has not been able to really stand up on her own for months, not to talk of walking all the way here and standing for this long. And she has been eating well, which she has not been able to do for some time now. Leaving the house and travelling to some other place will be beneficial for her health, Dauda. I think she actually needs this trip. It will do her good, I’m sure.”
Dauda looked up thoughtfully and then looked at Leila. He said, “Are you sure you feel well enough to travel out of the country? You don’t feel sick at all?”
She nodded. “I feel really well. And just as Rekiya said, I think leaving the house and even traveling will do me good.”
Dauda didn’t say anything for long moment, and Leila kept sending silent prayers to God, asking the Lord to touch Dauda’s heart so he would agree to give her permission to travel to Paris with Rekiya.
Finally, Dauda sighed and said, “Okay, you can go with Rekiya to France.”
Leila’s heart soared again. She smiled widely and said to Dauda, “Thank you so much.” And then she bit her lip as she remembered there was still one very important thing that needed to happen in order for her plan to be complete. Unfortunately, this part depended solely on Dauda. She shifted her feet as she waited for Dauda to say something else.
I could have looked better and had a better chance to impress him if I had been given sufficient time to prepare, she thought bitterly. But she had not. Rekiya had dragged her here looking very messy, and in these pajamas, Dauda would also see how thin she looked.
She suddenly felt self-conscious as Dauda’s eyes swept over her body again. Without a doubt, he was dismissing her in his mind right now. He had several wives. He had no need for her.
Oh Lord, please help me. She needed the Lord’s intervention right now.
Rekiya tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Let’s go, Leila.”
Leila felt embarrassed. She had been standing there for a while, unknowingly staring at Dauda. Rekiya took her hand, and they began to walk out of the room together.
As they left the room, Leila’s shoulders sagged. As she had guessed, he had not found her desirable enough to want to spend time alone with her now. How would she gain access to his phone when he wasn’t looking and get enough time to do what she wanted on it? He was never without his phone. It was virtually impossible. There was no chance of escape now. She would have to wait for another trip, and who knew when that would be or if he would even agree for her to travel. If she didn’t leave now, then she would have to keep pretending to be sick, and for how long would she be able to pull that off?
She walked down the hallway with Rekiya, still hoping that somehow he would call her back. But she reached her room and entered and he did not call for her.
She opened her closet and looked at the dress she had planned to wear to his room and then she sighed. She could put on the dress now and hope he would come to her room for some reason. But it was unlikely. And she couldn’t just go to his room, either.
And then she blinked. Why can’t I anyway? She could just go to his room without him sending for her, but she had to wait until it was nighttime. If not, her intentions would be known by everyone in the house, and she would be shamed.
She stepped back from the closet and took a deep breath. That was what she would do. She would wait until it was midnight before going to his room dressed in this turquoise dress. She would fix her hair and apply makeup as well.
With a lighter heart than she’d had since she came to Saudi Arabia, she left her bedroom and went to the kitchen to find the chef.
She found the chef as usual, cooking up a storm for the large household.
Leila smiled at the chef, a plump, pleasant-looking woman, and said, “I would like to eat now. Just something simple.”
The chef smiled back at Leila and said, “I’m glad you feel better. You look better.”
“Thank you,”
“What would you like to eat?” the chef asked.
Leila said, “You can surprise me. Just something simple but nourishing.”
The chef nodded and said, “I know just the thing.”
Leila went back to her room, showered, and changed into a simple kaftan. She picked up a book Khadija had given her to read in Mali. For a long moment, she stared at the book, too distracted to read, and then she got up once again. She left the room and went out of the house. She started to stroll about the grounds, admiring the tall imposing trees that surrounded the house and then the beautiful garden at the back.
Everything here was so different from the women’s camp she had lived in for years. While the grounds teemed with brightly colored flowers and plants, the grounds surrounding the camp were dry desert sand. She had lived in a tent at the women’s camp, while she lived in a mansion here. Food was rationed at the camp, while people in this household had sumptuous meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And the differences went on and on. Yet, if she had the opportunity to return to the women’s camp right now, she immediately would, and never look back.
She sat on one of the chaise lounges and breathed in the fresh air. She had not been able to do this since she arrived here. The morning sun shone on her face and she shaded her eyes with her hand.
Binta, the second wife, came out of the house in her abaya. She had a shopping basket in her hand and she headed toward the white Mercedes parked alongside a red car. That was another thing that was different here. There were at least seven cars par
ked around the grounds of the house that Leila could see. At the camp, they only saw a vehicle once a month, when someone came to collect the rugs made by the women, and the driver took Miriam to town.
Binta’s driver opened the door for her and she entered. A boy of about thirteen years, who Leila guessed was Binta’s son, came out of the house and entered the car, and then the car drove out of the gate.
Leila watched with detached curiosity. Since she had never stepped out of the gates since she’d arrived here, she wondered what it would be like to leave the house now and explore the city. She knew she would not be allowed out of the house alone. She quickly put that out of her mind. She had one goal now and one goal only. She had to get out of this house and out of this country as soon as possible so she could go find Malik. That was all she cared about now.
One of the maids, a woman named Nadiya, soon brought her food to her, a mafruka, a watermelon milkshake, and a pistachio cake for her sweet tooth. It was far from the simple meal she had requested, but she ate with relish. She had not eaten this much for so long and she enjoyed every bite. When she finished, she dropped her plate on the floor. Soon, another maid came and carried the plate away.
She remained in the garden for what seemed like hours, enjoying the fresh air and the sun on her face. From time to time, she watched the guards that watched the gates and those that patrolled the house, and then she turned away to look up at the sky. After a while, she studied the flowers while she thought about how she would make her escape. She kept trying to figure out how she could stay in Dauda’s room for the night without letting him touch her, but still, she could not come up with any plan that seemed plausible.
I guess I will have to wing it when I get to his room, she thought. But that seemed dangerous. Just winging it. She needed to come up with a concrete plan before she went to his room tonight.
After a while of thinking and coming up with nothing, she stood up and entered the house again. She went back to her room and sat on the bed. She stood up again, feeling restless. To pass the time, she began to pack for the trip. She made sure to leave many of her personal items behind so that when she made her escape, no one would actually suspect that she was gone for good until it was too late to get her back.
After she had packed all her things, she went back to reading, and soon fell asleep.
Chapter Six
Leila woke up with a start and glanced at the clock on the wall, afraid that it was the morning of the next day and she had missed her opportunity. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was almost noon. Why had she even thought she had slept for hours when she’d only been asleep for a short time?
She climbed out of her bed, went through the house once more, and then came back to her room again. It was easy to walk around the house without talking to anyone. The children mostly stayed in the upper wing, while the wives and Dauda stayed in the lower. The other wives did not speak to her, but that was just fine by her. The fewer personal attachments she made in this place, the easier it would be for her to leave with no regrets whatsoever.
In the afternoon, she had another heavy meal, and just like her breakfast, she relished it. It might not be possible for her to add the amount of weight she wanted to before she went to Dauda’s room tonight, but she would do her best.
She stretched out on her bed again and forced herself to go back to sleep. She would need to be wide awake and alert for tonight. She quickly fell asleep again.
When she awoke, her room was dark. She climbed out of bed and switched on the light. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she saw that it was already nine p.m. She still had three more hours to wait before Dauda was in his room and on his bed. Also, by then, the other wives would have retired to their rooms as well.
She went to the kitchen and this time she didn’t ask the chef to prepare something for her or get Nadiya to serve her food. She got herself something to eat and then went back to her room. After eating and dropping her plate in the kitchen, she went back to her room and entered the bathroom to take a slow, luxurious bath. After the bath, she put on some simple makeup, unbraided her raven-black hair and began to gently brush it until it shone and flowed down her back.
Finally, she put on the turquoise dress and glanced at herself in the mirror. She smiled with satisfaction. She looked good. A little thin, but still good.
Once again, she glanced at the clock on the wall and saw it was now five minutes to midnight. She glanced at herself once more in the mirror and then stepped out of the room. She walked down the hallway in her bare feet, her heart pounding in her chest. She reached Dauda’s room in a short time and paused briefly in front of it, doubts assailing her mind.
What if her plan didn’t work? Or worse, what if it went horribly wrong? There were two things that could happen that she prayed wouldn’t. She had come to Dauda’s room of her own accord. He could insist she did what she’d come to do and force her if she refused. Or he could catch her trying to take his phone or in the middle of changing the settings on his Absher account.
She took another deep breath to try to let go of her doubts. This was not the time to worry about all these things. The Lord would help her and make her plan successful.
She gathered herself together and turned the doorknob slowly. And then she breathed a sigh of relief when the door opened. Thank God it isn’t locked.
“Lord, please help me,” she whispered, and then slowly and soundlessly shut the door behind her.
The room was dark and she could hear the faint sound of Dauda’s snoring. She took another deep breath as her hands grew clammy and her heart raced with nervousness. And then she switched the lights on. The room flooded with light, but Dauda still did not open his eyes or even move. She was surprised, as she had thought he’d only just gone to bed.
She saw his phone lying on the table beside the bed and blinked. Maybe she could get it and do what she wanted to do right now without having to stay here with him. Maybe she would not have to think up ways to prevent him from touching her while she tried to find a way to get to his phone.
She took a deep breath and tiptoed to the table where his phone was, knowing full well that Rekiya had told her Dauda was a light sleeper. It was the reason she had not considered simply sneaking into his room while he was asleep and changing his Absher account setting.
When she reached the table, she glanced at him to make sure he was still sleeping and then reached out her hand to take the phone, her heart thudding. Just before she picked it up, from the corner of her eye, she noticed him turn around. She turned her eyes to him and froze in fear as he slowly opened his eyes.
He stared at her as though she were an apparition, and then sat up on his bed, still gazing curiously at her. “What are you doing here?” he finally asked in a voice that rang with curiosity.
Leila quickly collected herself, and then forced herself to smile widely at him. She stepped forward to the bed and said to him, “I just thought I would perform my wifely duties tonight.”
He stared at her, the expression on his face incredulous. “Really?” he asked.
She nodded. “I feel completely well now.”
He grinned at her and patted the space beside him on the bed. “Come and sit next to me,” he said.
Dread gripped her and her heart drummed as she went to sit next to him. Oh Lord, please help me. I can’t do this.
She wasn’t sure what to do now, but there was no way she was going to sleep with him. She had to find a way to stop this from going any further. But how?
Immediately, an idea came to her and she turned to him. “Can I use your bathroom?” She turned away, afraid he would see the truth in her eyes—that she was lying to him and had no intention of spending the night with him. Her plan was to go to the bathroom and pretend to throw up. It wasn’t a very good plan and it might backfire, but it was all she could come up with. If it went wrong, at best, he could send her away, insisting that she was too sick. At worst, he would ignore her pretend
sickness and insist that she carry out her wifely duties.
He smiled again and then nodded. “Of course you can.”
She stood up and started to head toward the bathroom, silently praying as she did. Just as she got to the bathroom door, he said, “Leila, I know why you’re really here.”
Her eyes widened in horror and she could not move. If he really knew why she was here, then she was in deep trouble. At best, she would remain a prisoner in this house and sleeping with Dauda might be the least of her worries.
She turned around slowly and stared at him with dread as she immediately knew that he wasn’t bluffing. He really knew why she was here.
Slowly, she made her way to the bed and stood before him. She said in a small, shaky voice, “How did you know?”
He smiled wanly at her and said, “I’ve known you would try to run away almost immediately when we left for Saudi Arabia. First, there was that commotion you caused at the airport. It clearly told me you wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. I was a fool to think that would change.” He looked up with a thoughtful expression and continued, “And then, when you immediately fell ill after we arrived here,” his eyes searched hers, “or clearly pretended to be, I knew it would not be long before you began to plot your escape.”
Leila stared at him, unable to breathe or speak. Finally, she took a deep breath and found her voice. She said as bravely as she could, “If you knew I was pretending to be sick all this time, why didn’t you say anything?”
He chuckled and said, “I felt sorry for you, Leila. Besides, I really do not want to be with a woman who doesn’t want me. It’s not my way. It was actually my brother, Jibril, who convinced me to marry you. When he saw Zainah the first time she came back to Nira, he wanted her for himself. He saw you as well and decided that I would marry you while he married Zainah. Since Karim, Zainah’s father, owed us money, it wasn’t difficult to convince him to give us your hands in marriage.”