The Harem by Safia Fazlul

Author:Safia Fazlul
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mawenzi House Publishers
Published: 2012-10-23T00:00:00+00:00

~

I scratch my ankles uncontrollably as I tread up the steep hill. The mosquitoes are having a feast on my tender skin. I wanted Ali to come to my place so that I could finally take what I want from him, but he insisted that we come here to the city’s biggest park instead. I’ve been so desperate to spend some time with him that I agreed without too many complaints. So here I am, spending my last few hours before work sweating in the scorching heat, being bitten by insects and ruining my designer shoes.

“Nobody ever comes here,” Ali says as he grabs my hand and helps me up. “Too lazy to walk this far.”

I’ve been to this park a hundred times before to smoke with Sabrina, but I’ve never made the long walk to this secluded area. This hill is a great distance away from the beach, where all the happy people of the world frolick under the sun. Although my legs are exhausted from the journey, I don’t really find myself resentful at all. I’m honestly pleased to be here all alone with Ali in the pure calm of nature. This is the perfect escape from the carnival that has become my life.

When we finally reach the top of the hill, we gape in awe at the panorama before us. From here, the quiet teal lake seems to never end. The shoreline, dotted with the matte grey of rocks and the subdued green of shrubs, is as calming to the eyes as the summer breeze is to the skin. Geese glide gently close to the shore or wobble on the rocks, making no sound except the occasional honk. It’s the people out there who destroy the peace with noise from their speeding boats. I try to focus on the horizon, where the beautiful lake and the lonely sky kiss, but my eyes are drawn to the speeding boats. I could so easily afford one of them. I too could own a boat.

We catch our breaths and sit down on an old bench nearby. Ali gazes upon the lake contentedly, not noticing me looking at him. As I gaze up at his strong profile, I wonder how much longer I have to wait for him to visit my apartment. I wish he’d just give it up already and take all my stress and tension away. My nights would be so much easier if I could have him over during the days. We could just get high and make love for hours. We could leave the world and all its problems behind. We could be a normal couple.

We’re far from a normal couple. Nobody knows about us except for his crack-head friends who always need him for a ride. I’ll tell Sabrina and Imrana eventually, but I know that they won’t be happy when I do. They won’t think of Ali as Ali; they’ll just write him off as another poor Bangladeshi from the holier-than-thou club. And those are the type of guys that we’ve always hated.

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