Darkness of This World by Chris Stewart

Author:Chris Stewart [Stewart, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mercury Ink
Published: 2012-06-18T06:00:00+00:00

• • •

Rassa Ali Pahlavi lay still in his bed, awake but unmoving. The bedroom was cool in the mountain air. Something had woken him, something far in the distance, the low sound of beating rotors passing over a hill. He lay there and thought, then pushed himself out of bed and pulled on a thin shirt and dark trousers.

He walked silently out of the bedroom. Moving into the kitchen, he set a blackened copper kettle on the stove and turned on the propane, setting the flame on high. He moved carefully, making no noise, knowing the walls that separated the kitchen from Azadeh’s bedroom were paper-thin. The water boiled quickly under the oversized flame and he sprinkled in two measures of black tea, stirred quickly, then poured the tea into a ceramic mug and held it tight, letting it warm his hands. He sipped once. The tea was bitter and he pressed his lips appreciatively as he sat down at the table.

A beautifully framed embroidery hung on the wall, an angular inscription consisting of three words; Allah, Mohammad and Ali. The name of Ali in the embroidery identified his household as a member of the Shi’a, or Shi’ites, those Muslims who consider Ali the legal successor to Mohammad. All around him were other reminders of his religion, along with verses from the Qur’an designed to chase evil away.

But evil was coming! Rassa felt a cold chill. Something was coming. He had felt this before.

Studying his meager surroundings, he felt restless and on edge. He sipped at his hot tea, seeking its warmth. Standing, he walked quietly to Azadeh’s bedroom and pushed the door open a crack. She was sleeping soundly and he sat down in the kitchen again. Picking up a copy of the Qur’an, he repeated the cleansing phrase, “In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful.” Cleansed, he started reading, choosing at random a verse.

“It is righteousness to believe in Allah and the Last Day; and the Angels, and the Book, and the Messengers; to be firm and patient in pain and adversity, and throughout all periods of panic. Such are the people of truth, the God-fearing . . . .”

He read the verse again, then looked up in thought.

“To be firm and patient in pain and adversity . . . .”

He thought of the sound that had startled him out of sleep. A helicopter. On the western side of the hill.

Helicopters flying toward the village? That was never good news.

“Pain and adversity.” His village had had their fair share.

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