"I can, Anty Meenat, I can endure it," Fanan said, trying to muster her courage. "Wait and calm yourself first," Anty Meenat replied, "let me finish my prayer since you don't pray."
Anty Meenat performed her ablution and prayed with great concentration. Watching her devotion always gave me joy and I learned a lot from her. As she began praying, I was lost in my thoughts until she finished. She spent a long time making dua (supplications) before wrapping up her prayer mat and turning to me. "Alright, Fanan, I'm listening. Tell me what happened."
"Anty Meenat, I suffered a lot before I got home. I endured immense pain. When I arrived, my mother looked at me suspiciously, then shook her head and started beating me. I knew she had figured out something was wrong, as she had never scolded me before. I cried from the combined pain and confusion. I was only ten years old.
I didn't leave the house for five days. One day, while sitting alone, I heard his voice as he greeted my father. He even picked up my little brother and sat him on his lap. Then he called out, 'Where's Fanan? Let's go home, me and her little brother.' We got into the car, and to my horror, he took us back to the forest. He locked my little brother in the car—he was not even five years old at the time.
I asked him, 'Are we going to leave him alone? What if something happens to him?' He replied, 'Nothing will happen; it will only take a minute.' He did everything he wanted again, then threatened me, 'If you tell your parents, I will kill you.'
Fear gripped me because my younger brother had passed away at less than five years old. I was petrified. 'I won't tell,' I promised, and remained silent. We returned home, and I embraced Nuraddeen, bursting into tears. He asked, 'Are you hungry?' I replied, 'No.' He then took us to his house. His wife did not even look up when he instructed her to serve me food. I drank some water and he served me food while my little brother slept in the car."
VIEW ALL
