CHAPTER 13
Was I dreaming of officer Badr Al- Din?
Really now, Fatima?
"He's the officer in charge of the crime Investigaton at your
school. There has been a murder. He suspects you too.
Moreover, he's police officer. Probably 15 years older than
you. Probably married. He's a Saudi. Probably married twice.
Get out of your trance. Stop crushing over him. This is a
serious matter." my conscience was continuously mocking me.
I groaned.
Dear Lord. Help me.
"I still can't believe this happened." Hajera spoke up beside
me.
"Yeah." I nodded absentmindedly.
"There has been a murder. Like seriously. A murder."
"Yeah."
"That obnoxious officer probably suspects us all."
"Yeah."
"I wonder who murdered her."
"Yeah."
"What if it's someone from we know?"
"Yeah."
"What would be the future?"
"Yeah."
"You walk like a rooster."
"Yeah."
"Officer Badr Al- Din is ravishing."
"Yeah, what?" I turned to her.
She started laughing.
"You look ravishing too, Badr." my compliment to him from
my afternoon ware flashed before me.
How he had gripped my hair harshly and darkness enveloped
us.
I shook my head.
That was probably the most terrifying afternoon ware that I
ever had.
The thought of being suspected was alone very horrible
enough. With all those encounters I had with him and all
those times I had got into trouble his eyes were specifically on
me now. It was like he knew me. As the girl who's
continuously getting into trouble ever since that incident. I
was singled out in front of him.
I sighed and shifted my attention back to the book.
Chemistry sucks.
"I don't want to study for the test." I turned the pages.
"Yeah, the teachers must understand the mental trauma that
we are suffering from. How very inconsiderate of them."
I smiled a little and turned to her.
"What?" she shrugged.
"Nothing." I turned my attention back to the Periodic table of
the elements.
"So, Sodium Hydroxide consists of sodium Na+ cations and
Hydroxide OH- onions."
"Hydroxide OH- anions." Hajera corrected me.
"A slip of my tongue." I sighed.
"My last Chemistry test was really bad." I cried.
"I can't afford to lose marks in this one." I shook my head.
We heard a loud knock on our door.
It was him again.
"Why can't he just send his instructions or announcements
through the teachers? What is the need of delivering it
personally to each classroom?" I adjusted my Abaya.
"He is the authority here, remember?" Hajera whispered.
"No, the authority here is the Saudi Ministry of Education."
"He is just the senior NCO of Jeddah Local Police
department."
He cleared his throat and I looked up. He was looking at me.
"I would like your utmost attention." he spoke seriously.
"Yes, sir." the class replied in unison.
I slowly nodded.
"Updates. I am here to give updates and give some
instructions."
I rolled my eyes.
We know that already. What else would you come here for?
Teach us Math? I thought.
"What else would he be here for?" Hajera whispered.
I turned to her.
"To teach us Math?"
My eyes widened a little bit.
This was pretty normal between me and Hajera. At times we
would think of the same things and voice out same thoughts
too.
Yes, we were soul mates.
He cleared his throat again and I immediately looked down
trying hard not to smile.
Somebody shut her up. I prayed internally. I didn't want to be
the target for his anger.
"So, as I had said earlier. I suspect everyone present in the
school premises. All of you are under my suspicion. None of
you is take a leave without having a valid reason to do so and
you're not allowed to roam around freely until we are done
with this investigation."
I saw Salma raise her hand slowly.
"Yes?" he turned to with raised eyebrows.
"What do we do during the lunch breaks? Are we not allowed
to go and buy lunch too?"
I was astonished at her audacity to question him. I couldn't as
much as even look up in his presence.
"During break time a teacher of yours will collect your orders
and your payments. But, seriously shouldn't lunch be least of
your concern now?" he glanced around with disbelieve in his
eyes.
"Rude much? Shouldn't he be a little kind and considerate to
15-year girls." I thought.
"So, I am here to inform you that everyone who took a leave
this past week are to submit an absent note with parents'
signature to your respective class teachers. And, during the
dispersal time I don't want you being scattered around the
ground like chickens."
Hajera turned to me and we stifled a laugh.
"Not funny." his loud voice boomed across the vast classroom.
"I've noticed a lot of you scattered around the ground chatting
idly rather than standing in your respective bus lines. You all
are mature girls now that you are in high school. I am sure
you know the basic manners that one should follow in a
school. If you don't then maybe you need to be disciplined a
little more." he glanced at our class teacher and our HM that
had accompanied him.
"Furthermore, you all are going to be interrogated this week.
Either together as a class or individually..." he looked at me.
I shivered a little under his scrutinizing gaze.
I knew I had to tell him. Sooner or later. I don't know how he
would react to it. I was sure of him not appreciating my delay
in informing him such an important information. I was the
sole witness of the murder. I knew who had done it. Yet, I had
remained quiet all this time despite the fact that the murderer
was still roaming around freely. Despite the fact that he had
warned us not to hide anything. There was no justification for
my delay. Neither her stabbing my hand nor her injuring it
again. All of them were void. I knew I would be in trouble. I
knew something horrible awaited me when he would find out
the truth. A part of me wanted to hide this forever. I was
scared out of my wits. I didn't want to get involved in a
criminal scandal. I didn't want to be a victim of her violence
again. But, the logical part of me knew I had to tell him. There
was no turning back form it now.