******
The light of the moon drifted into my room. I was sitting on my bed; cross-legged, long dark black hair falling behind my back and around my face. The room was all dark except for the moonlight; my roommate was fast asleep in her own bed. As all was quiet, I heard a noise from outside my window. I rushed there to see what the noise was. The window wouldn’t open, I pulled at it and pulled till it gave in; it gave an old groan and opened up to the cool night outside. I felt as if someone was walking on the grounds, but they couldn’t have, the gates were too high to climb and guards and their dogs were always patrolling. Oh well I thought...maybe there was someone off grounds? Who knows? I went and sat back down on the bed and got lost in my thoughts again.
As morning came, you could hear the birds singing, the wind blowing lightly but most of all it was that annoying bell that wakes you up every morning. Ever since I came to this boarding school, I thought, 12 years imagine. I looked outside to see the sun rising; it looked as if it was a woman who was waking up from her beauty sleep. The way it parted through the clouds and rose higher by every second. A little sigh escaped my lips as I breathed into the fresh air. I looked outside the windows and saw footprints. It was fall time, the beginning of new school year. And the leaves had not been raked yet. Somehow there was someone's- no not someone but two people's footsteps. One big sized, the other tiny child like steps. I stared at the steps from so high above with a curiosity that never got the better of me. My roommate started to stir awake and I quickly ran to the washroom for a head start.
The day started with its normal routine. My roommates name was Habbiah. She was a Muslim girl that had been going here since gr.3. The two of us weren't best friends but we were close. Habbiah was beautiful. Long blonde hair, blue-green eyes, pale skin a beauty queen from the start. As I was brushing my hair my hair there was a light knock on the door, Nate, I thought, right on time like usual. Nate was Nate, his full name was Nate Contê; from French background but Canadian born. He had light blonde hair that his whole family had too but the eyes made him different from everyone else in the school and his family. Purple. Everyone would stop to stare at him, the color purple wasn't so known around here. Well he was handsome too I thought. But thoughts like those were never appropriate considering that we were best friends, ever since we were born. He was only. Few weeks older than me, but not smarter than me. I smiled at that, if I had said that to him he'd come up with one of his smart lines. Habbiah had left the room long time ago. Nate came in and went for the bed to sit on. I went to a guys and girls boarding school called “The Keepers” (I have no idea why it was named that except that it was perfect, I mean the people who kept us were pretty much our keepers). However, we had the normal rules but sometimes even a little bit more rules, like when a guy or a girl enters any of the opposite peoples room the door had to be left open. I was still brushing my hair going through the routine of 10 strokes on each lock of hair. I could tell Nate was annoyed and tired of it but hey, if he wanted to go he could. “Arrianna, please at least today hurry up” he said pleadingly. I looked at him from the mirror, “why?” it was a simple question; even though I knew the answer. I don’t think I've told you much about myself. Well, for starters you already know my name is Arrianna-Arrianna Duchess. My father was a Spanish Duke and my mother an Italian Princess. However, the war hit and those titles fell; you see that I sat titles and ranks but honor and respect? That was still given to my parents. Many people loved my parents; I don’t want to boast about it but it was like that. Although, whenever I went anywhere I would be shunned, cursed at and many more things that I don’t want to go into details. But Nate was right today was an important day. I searched my best friends face and knew that I was pissing him off second by second, “okay okay, I’ll hurry up” I said to him. The next few minutes that went by, you would’ve never imagined Arrianna the popular girl in school was dressed and ready to go in 2 minutes.
We walked downstairs to breakfast just as we were stopped by a flutter of little children running down the hall. Nate stopped me with a movement of his hand “Rina,” he said “anything that happens today, don’t open your mouth okay.” I know that he was saying it for my own good but in a way it hurt a little, “I know okay. You don’t need to tell me” I snapped at him. A pout was planted on my lips before I could even stop it, and I crossed my arms over my chest to give it an equal measure. “Rina!” Nate exclaimed “you know I didn’t say it like that!” “Ya, well you don’t need to tell me, whenever they come. I know by now okay? I’m in 12th grade, grown up, and—I was cut off by the emergency bell; which meant that there was either danger in or out the building. In those cases we had to get to the nearest teacher in sight. And at this very moment there was not a single teacher or student around. Fear crossed my face and Nate saw it, he took my hand and we ran down the hall as fast as we could to someplace where people were. As we got near the front of the building we saw our headmistress. She wasn’t a beautiful women neither was she an ugly tramp but handsome in her own way. Her name was Madame Hawthorn. And a thorn she was! As much as love she had she had the same amount of…evil was not the word but it went something along those lines. When she saw me and Nate coming towards her she said “Contê, Duchess! Gym now!” the two of us turned towards the gym. Now this is where Nate and I had to part. He went towards the boy’s wing and I turned towards the girl’s. I was trying to find my group of friends, but they were nowhere to be seen. But my eyes found Habbiah right away. She was sitting with her friends but was one outstanding person with her colored Hijaabs that would sparkle and shine. I walked up to her and her friends. Most of them were Muslims, dressed in Islamic attire as well. Although some of the girls just wore casual clothing. Habbiah was Syrian and her friends varied from different parts of the world. I walked up to Habbiah and said “Hey…ummmmm can I sit with here please?” “Sure c’mon” she said with a cheery smile. The headmistress and the whole staff came in. There was a pained look to Madame. She asked for quiet and told us what had happened. It ruined my day beyond anything else.
Good. Very good he thought. All was going by plan. He had kidnapped the girl, the emergency bell had rung and all he needed to do was wait. He hated waiting, but to think he waited 12 years, why not a little bit more? The little girl was fast asleep; he didn’t want to hurt her in anyway. She was a cute child named Lucy. She had red hair and green eyes. She had just turned 5 and……he couldn’t finish the thought. He took a picture out of his pocket and looked at his beautiful Arrianna. His beloved Arrianna. She looked exactly what he thought she would look like. Beautiful and young. Black long hair that travelled past her waist. But the most amazing thing about his Arrianna was that she had tri-colored eyes. People never noticed them though but when in the light they bright up and shine. She was as tall as him but way skinner as before. Just a little bit more time dear he thought, then we’ll be together; reunited again.
***
Classes had been stopped and the whole school was confined in the gym. The whole gym was scattered around of all the kids—500—all in number. My little baby I thought. Lucy I couldn’t believe it! My Lucy! She was so little so vulnerable! Lucy was my little sister but she didn’t look at all like me. I wouldn’t cry but something was going through me. I wanted to do something to the man, wanted to hurt him bad and hard. Nate and my girlfriends kept looking at me worriedly. Tears were threatening to fall and I think it did because Nate wiped it away the moment it fell. Everyone was quiet; not talking not moving. The little kids hardly understood all of this. I looked away from my group of friends and saw someone walking towards me. Fury leapt and anger brimmed my eyes. Denna. She was another Muslim, Syrian girl, beautiful. As much as we hated each other I had to admit she was really pretty. We both had our own courts. She stayed with most of the Muslims and with other people too but was popular just like me. I know I sound conceited but I’m just telling how it is. I looked her up and down while she just stood there and looked at me. Her outfit shocked me. She was wearing black dress pants, shirt that was white which went to her waist, had a beige belt around and was wearing a black Hijaab that covered chest and half her back. “Hi Arrianna”, she said. I ignored her, we had our fights and grudges and had payed the consequences for all of them too. “Look, I know we hate each other but…ummm...I just wanted to say I’m really sorry about what happened with your sister,” she was saying, I don’t know if she was mocking me or what it was but—“I know what you’re going through, when my older brother died when I was younger, I thought that life had left me” Deena said sadly. I was shocked! All this time I thought Deena was a lone child, all spoiled and bratty, but…life is harsh I've come to understand that. I looked at Deena and saw tears brimmed her eyes but she composed herself and said again “I’m really sorry about Lucy, if you ever need and anything; don’t hesitate to ask”. And with that she turned on her heel and walked away.
What happens after Denna walks away is kind of hard to explain because the moment Deena left the PA system come on and called everyone to attention and announced the arrival of Duke Adrian and Princess Nicolê. I was in a bad all of a sudden from that one little announcement. Me and my parents never got along, especially me and my mom. Whenever they came to meet me here they would make big deals out of many things and would always embarrass me in front of everyone. I talked back to them once, twice, three times till Nate yelled at me and said many things to me as well. So I would stay quiet then. I would act like a well behaved loving daughter just as they wanted me to be like. Everyone assembled in rows of their own grades and stood. As my parents entered with Madame everyone stood still and watched. I could see my mother had been crying, but she composed herself now. For 15 minutes my father gave a little speech then headed out the doors looking straight at me and beckoning me to them. I got out of line and walked towards them. As we walked out the door my mother was holding my hand when I burst into tears. Both my parents held me as I cried and tried to soothe me.
Lucy was nowhere to be found. It had been two weeks and I had put my pride down and gone to Deena. This was the conversation that had taken place:
“Deena, uhh do u have a minute?” she had been in the library studying. “Ya sure” she said with a smile. Lord she was beautiful it was just too hard to forget. “Ummm... Well I was wondering...That…I...” “Arrianna have you come here to call truce?” she asked “yes! I was just looking for the right words you know” I said flustered. “Well of course I don’t mind being friends I gave you that offer” she told me. So, now we were good friends getting closer and closer. After a week passed by we had English class; classes has resumed the next day. Deena came in and took a seat beside me and Nate. She had a light happiness in her eyes or I don’t know how you would describe it, but she looked as if something had really pleased her. I asked her. “What’s up Dee? You look really happy today” “no not happy just really pleased” she replied. Nate got really curious too and said “C’mon tell” “well have you heard of the famous teenage poet?” Deena said, “What’s her name?” Nate inquired, “Hira” Deena said, “Never heard of her” Nate said, but I was sure I had heard that name before, but from where? I looked at Deena and said “do you have some of her poems?” “Of course I do! Here look at this one” and she gave it to me and Nate—
An Honorable Bond
I gaze aat you.
Seeing you smile,
My thoughts are filled with happy words,
That I can’t really say out loud.
I want you to turn towards me,
To talk to me, and tell me everything from the
Absent years of quietness.
I've felt restlessness in my heart without you.
You’ve got no idea how much you mean to me.
We’ve been together for years, keeping this friendship
From the beginning of time.
I value it; I want you to do the same.
You’re my friend, the one and only I trust.
You honor me and I do the same.
Memories of our friendship wash over me, as
I take a step to turn towards you.
It was a misunderstanding,
A fight,
A quarrel,
And I really can’t live with the fact that you’re mad at me.
I want to share my thoughts, problems, hardships
Happiness and everything I own with you.
I want to be friends again and stay like that forever,
Till the end of our breaths.
You’re like closest person I have as a family.
How can I share the feelings I’m feeling right now.
As I’m thinking about all of this, I didn’t realize that you had
Stepped in front of me and was holding my shoulders. We searched each other’s eyes for any faults and found nothing. We put our arms around each other and hugged.
We would have stayed like that till the end of the world
But then we spent our lives
With the most happiness,
Love,
Kindness
But most of all;
Friendship.
This was a never ending thing.
It stayed in our blood that we passed it on
To our progeny.
Even then it didn’t stop, it stayed until we
Met in heaven.
We had vowed that we would never let any
Type of force break us through, and that we
Would let God honor this friendship we
Both shared.
And He did.
We lived as the most best of friends forever;
In Life and in the Hereafter.
© Ira
I was amazed! And shocked. Deena filled us in about Hira; she was a girl of 17, had been writing poems ever since her freshman year however now her book of poems were published and the world was reading them. Just as these thoughts of her were in my head our teacher walked in; Professor Carroll. This man was one of the funnies man ever. And he was former author so he loved teaching English. We took our books out and looked toward the board to see that we were doing poems…by famous poets and Hira was one of them. I don’t think I've ever payed that much attention in class than I did today. After class we were on the grounds. It was starting to get cold. When I saw movement around. Deena had stayed in and Nate was nowhere to be seen. The first thing that came into my mind was run but somehow my feet weren’t able to move. Then when not expecting anyone or thing a man comes out from behind the bushes. I screamed. It was a loud ear-piercing scream but the grounds were so big no one could’ve heard me. The man stared at me and said quietly “Arrianna darling, it’s about time we met” what on earth was that supposed to mean? The man came near to where I was standing and I moved back until my back hit a wall and then I knew I was trapped. He came up to me and put a gloved hand to my cheek and said “oh, you look exactly like her”, who was he talking about? Then he said “don’t you remember me? I would play with you all day and then hold you all night” I just shook my head at what nonsense he was saying and then he said “come on Rina darling you have to remember” Rina? How did he know that only Nate called me that. I took a deep breath and said “who are you and what do you want from me?” “Rina! Darling! How could you say that?! I am your father!” he exclaimed. My father? Okay my father was inside the school having tea at this hour and this man claimed that he was my father? I looked closely at him and I saw distant features that were the same as me. No. this can’t be really happening I thought. Adrian wasn’t my real father? And if this man was telling the truth; did that mean this was my father? “What is your name?” the man stared at me and said quietly “André” and somehow I knew he was telling the truth but I had some other questions that I needed to figure out. Lucy! Oh my god! He must’ve had her! So I looked him in the eye and said “where’s my little sister Lucy?” André said “she isn’t your sister Arrianna” “she is how could you say that? And where is she? Tell me? Is she still alive? Is she hurt? Tell meee!” I cried “she is fine; she’s been living like royalty this past week. I have her. I took her and I wanted to keep her just as they had kept you from me!” those last words had been sharp and it showed so much hurt in them. “Come in side with me, my…” I trailed off, were they my parents? Who here was telling the truth? So the two of us walked inside the school; and were met with shocked stares and frightened glares. I took André to the office my parents were in the day. Knocking softly I was given permission to enter; I did with André bringing up the rear. The moment we entered André looked at- my dad? - And said “why hello brother, long time no see huh?” and with that he lunged towards Adrian and punched him in the face. Both me and my –mom? - screamed. Madame came in and in one second all was settled down. And the story unveils from there. My real parents André and Roza lived in Europe. Where they had me. After I was born my mother went crazy and one day almost tried killing me, the case was filed and I was taken away from them to be given to my uncle—Adrian. After that Adrian and his wife Nicolê left Europe and found sanctuary in Canada, in the school “the Keepers”. It’s where they left me to grow up and taught me many things that were useless to me. I was a born princess, both my parents had been royal but after my mother went crazy my dad’s title fell and so did everything around him. Then my mother died one day and my father went, well crazy too. First he loses his daughter than his wife. I saw a picture of my other; I look a lot like her, especially my tri-colored eyes. My aunt and uncle looked full of shame and they said how sorry they were for causing me so much pain. And I thought imagine living without your parents for 17 years; just how must that feel? I could say that I can relate but I can’t cause no matter how different my aunt and uncle were they still had loved me and did so much for me that I was grateful for. After the story was told my dad went and got Lucy; she was so happy to see me she came and jumped in my arms and started crying. However, she said she was crying that she saw me so many days after. I just held her, she may be truthfully my cousin but blood was thicker than water right? And so I kept her in my arms and said “I’ll always be here for you Luce”.
Everything was told to all the students, from the beginning to the end. Nate, Habbiah, and Deena were the most shocked and surprised. But they were happy for me. The school year went on and I graduated from “The Keepers” with peace. My family was restored, history in a way replaying. I had done research and found out that something like this had happened millions of years ago. Oh well I thought at least I had a loving father and loving friends and not to forget my loveliest sister. We spent a lot of time together my father and me catching up on many things. He said he had kept tabs of me, knowing when and where I was going who I’d be with and all. Also, the name “Rina” he would call me that when I was little and somehow Nate just thought of it too. But all in all we all lived happily together. I learned one thing out of all this though; Truth is a very strong thing. You should always tell the truth no matter how much in danger you can be. And that I learned. I never lied again and lived a happy ending.
No comments:
Post a Comment