One Night, Many Years Ago

Nadi let out a sharp, anguished cry.

She threw her head back as the pouring rain, like needles, relentlessly stung her skin.

"Mom!"

She screamed at the sky.

No answer came, and none ever would again.

Her mother was gone.

Now, she was no longer cherished like a precious gem; she was adrift, like a leaf in the wind.

Nadi bit her tongue so hard that her mouth filled with blood. The sharp pain brought her back to her senses, clearing her mind just enough to focus.

Then, she lifted her mother onto her back.

"Mom, I'm getting you out of here. You don't belong in this nursing home," Nadi muttered to herself, lost in her thoughts.

Hasan was speaking to her nearby, but she didn't hear a word. With Fatimah on her back, she trudged forward.

After two years in prison and months of torment, Nadi was frail. Carrying Fatimah was an immense struggle. She staggered, each step uneven, nearly stumbling every few steps, yet she never let Fatimah fall.