[زاهية بنت البحر]

The Double Faced

He woke up to the deafening sounds, screaming, howling and masses’ uproar. He stood up quickly , he was met with her pale face and feminine eyes, but he ignored her and rushed to the window to find out what woke him up from his sweet sleep. Sounds grew louder and closer, he stretched his head out toward the street, adults and children ran fearfully, nobody paid attention to the other, he shouted: what is the matter, why do you all run like this? No one heard his voice

He left the window down to the street, grabbed one fearful man and said:“For God’s sake tell me what is wrong with everyone “! The man escaped from him shouting: “death, death swallows people. Run away before it swallows you”. His body trembled, he thought to run away too but to where? He looked at the window of his house, he saw her looking at him in fear, he beckoned to her come down: “Death has come”. The window absented her while he was pushing people away, the street got more crowded, his heart sank to his feet, and death has come! Oh God, What’s to be done? He rushed to his house and climbed the stairs, he dashed into his scared neighbor and grabbed him begging: “Wait I will pay you my debt which I have denied earlier “ . The neighbor pushed him away: ‘What will I do with it now, death has come?”

He climbed the stairs, entered his house, approached her and said “ forgive me I'll be really good to you from now on “ , she pushed him away: “ death has come” .She left home while her screams intermingled with people’s screams . He chased her, she joined the crowd, every one is scared, and death has come! Eyes widened, throats dried, and ribs shivered, he ran scared, he felt dizzy, he fell to the ground, he was trampled by feet , he breathed with difficulty, sobbing, screaming: Death has come , death has come !

He felt a kind hand gently patting his head, and a woman's voice taking refuge by God from the accursed Satan, he opened his eyes, he saw his wife’s bright smile and beautiful face, he breathed a sigh of relief, then he pushed her face away with his hand saying arrogantly and cunningly: “Pooh… leave me alone, I hate to see your face when I wake up” .

ترجمة د. إيمان الحسيني