A Road to Damascus by Meedo Taha

Author:Meedo Taha
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Interlink Publishing Group Inc
Published: 2020-02-15T00:00:00+00:00

12

Empty Home

“I’m sorry, Mother,” said Tariq, realizing his entrance had woken her up. He set the hot tea on the table by her bed. Balkees lifted herself and looked at her son. His timid features beamed back at her with infinite care.

“I’ve been sleeping more than I should. Where’s Tarboush?”

“Right here at your feet, Mother,” he said, sitting down near the spot she indicated. The cat lay curled up behind him, by her motionless legs. The sun caressed its white fur, painting its tips a golden hue. She loved these quiet Friday afternoons, when a breeze carried the song of prayer across the Nabatieh hills into her tower window. Tariq rested his palm on hers, as sleep lifted itself from her eyelids, replaced by the tenderness of the young man for whom she had lived her whole life. The pain was back, now crawling down her arm. She swallowed her wince and reached for the tea.

“Ibrahim will be back soon,” he said. “He went to town to get groceries for dinner.”

“Listen to what he says.” To the confused look her son returned, she added, “Ibrahim is a good man. He’ll be all you have.”

Tariq had learned not to retort with “You are all I have.” He simply nodded, accepting her instructions like the man he grew up to be, taller than his father, more handsome, yet just as kind. On his eighteenth birthday, she had pleaded with Maurice not to come to Nabatieh again. Two years had passed since then, during which her son, in her mind and heart, had become his father—his scent, his dark skin, his brown eyes. “How do you feel now?” he asked.

“Much better,” she lied. “But I’m out of medicine and I forgot to tell Ibrahim.”

“He wouldn’t know how to read the prescription anyway,” said Tariq. “I’ll walk down the hill. It’s a nice day.”

“Don’t hurry back.”

Tariq kissed her forehead, then slowly, reluctantly, rose and straightened his pants. Balkees knew the only request that would wrench him from her side was one that she made for her health. She had to take this journey alone.

“I won’t hurry,” he said. “But I won’t be late. Down to the pharmacy and back.” He cast a smile that filled her soul with light, then made his way out of the room. As his footsteps disappeared down the stairs, she tugged at her thighs and brought her feet flat to the floor. Tarboush twitched awake, stretching his legs into a yawn. The room was tidy and everything was in order.

Almost everything.

Balkees slid her fingertips into her pillowcase and pulled out the letters as Tarboush hopped off the bed, as if he, like her, knew where those letters belonged. Now and for eternity. She pulled the case from its secret place under the bed and put them gently inside, then locked it tight. She exhaled and replaced the case, then mustering all the strength in her upper body, pulled the crutches from their leaning spot against the headboard and hooked her elbows into them.

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