Sun & Moon: Chapter Two

Waking up to a growling tummy, she cringed and grabbed her shawl to warm her up even more, but only for that to wake her up. She remained there in bed as tears started streaming down to her naked mattress. ‘Why did I come here' she kept asking herself. 'If only I didn't agree to this' second thoughts started to crawl in and overtake her thinking. It was only three days since she arrived to this foreign country, which was away from her family, different to her customs and stranger to their language. Her breathing became shallower as the pit of her stomach began to turn and tumble all the while she felt choking. She was home sick for the first time. With an empty apartment, an empty fridge and an empty heart, she sobbed even harder reaching for the phone to call home.

The sun was approaching the horizon, darkening the breathtaking cloudy sky. The blue flooring on the floor looked pitch black as the single steel bed rested on top of it. She still chose to sleep on bed with no sheets or pillow. Her sobs and sniffs echoed throughout the empty room. Still hugging her knees and legs, she laid there helpless and hungry, until a buzz scared her forcing her to sit up.

It was her mother calling her. ‘Mama? I miss you and I can’t take this. I want to come back’ she said that all in one breath as she heard her mother’s hello. Her heart racing she decided to calm down and just wait for her mother’s reaction to her hasty decision. With a calm reassuring voice her mother started to speak ‘I know you miss us and the feeling of being alone is catching up to you. Bes 7abibti this is only the start. Everything will be okay after this.’ she buried her head onto the shawl to hide her sniffs. ‘Darling, you chose to get away from all of it and you have to champion this and come out a winner’. She breathed out a big sigh as she continued to listen to her mother’s soothing voice. ‘You are a fighter and you need this to be the best at what you are good at, right?’ she nodded furiously as her mother’s words got introduced into her veins and shot up right into her brain. She knew she was strong enough to conquer the fear that’s feeding off her bravery. She was the one that decided to leave to clear her head. ‘You’re right mama, but it’s hard’ she started to cry from the pain and shiver from the hunger. ‘I know it’s hard, but you’ll be all fine’ she could hear the smile in her mother’s voice, which made her smile in turn. ‘Yallah bismellah go get something to eat because I know you haven’t had anything. Yallah 8oomi 7abibti’ she shook her head in surprise on how mothers know their offspring no matter where they are and how long they’ve never seen them. She admired that specific trait in mothers. It was that one that trait of empathy and care that made her aspire to become a mother one day. ‘Okay mama. Thank you mama. I love you’ she hung up with a smile only for a cold breeze to remind her that she needs the energy and food as soon as possible. 

Grabbing the only mug she had, she grabbed the box of cereal and filled the entire mug with corn sugar flakes. Unzipping her biggest suitcase, she dug into it looking for the Nido powder milk she got from home. Ever since she was in diapers, her mom always made sure she came prepared for the worst circumstances. She smiled and prayed for her mother to be safe. ‘If it weren't for you mom, I would have died of hunger' she said as she sent a little prayer to safe keep her mother and loved ones back home. Enjoying her supper, she gazed at the six heavy suitcases that were shipped for her. She snapped out of her previous sad mood, and decided to put her restored energy to good use. After all, she didn't choose to leave home just to cry more.