Molana Anxious About The Future

Maulana entered the office room, his brown shoes and black socks making soft sounds on the floor. He opened and closed several doors before reaching his desk.

Laura sat with her feet on the desk, smoking and talking on the phone. She looked up at Maulana and hung up. "You're okay?"

Maulana gestured for her to move, and she slid over to the other side of the desk. He took his seat, standing behind the desk, and slammed a letter on the table. He removed his turban and placed it on the table.

Laura passed him a tobacco pipe, and he took off his coat, putting it on his seat. She wore a black hijab with a purple scarf and started reading the letter.

The letter read: "Hey, Molana... how are you doing? You're fine, I assume, now that Purple Heads have grown a lot and there's been a lot of bloodshed in your area. What I mean is, in Molanagrad or Teikovo, Mr. Stalin believes you should be killed or sent to Serbia. But the way I see it, you can stop right there and finish your business here, leave the country, or else I'll have to take the case into my hands... Your lovely, Nikita Khrushchev."

Laura threw the letter into the fire, and the smoke rose up the chimney. Maulana poured water from a glass bottle into a wooden glass and drank.

"Burning the letter will do nothing," Laura said.

Maulana replied, "Yeah? Then what would burning out your lungs do?"

Laura smiled. "This is to release tension... relax..."

James entered the room. "Umm, Molana... can I go to my room for a sleep? My head hurts..."

Maulana nodded. "Yes, James... but listen... be careful. We have a direct threat... a state-level threat, so be careful..."

James replied, "I'll keep the gun close."

Maulana smiled. "Yeah, keep your bullets closer..."

James left, and Laura sat on the desk, her chin in her hands. Maulana wore gloves, and they shared a long kiss before getting into bed.

They slept, but Maulana woke up suddenly, moving the curtain and looking outside. Two cats were fighting – a black one and a white one.

He turned back, admiring his abs in the mirror, and touched his beard before going back to sleep, sharing the bed with Laura.