Amira
“Amira, go back to your brother, Sarah, come with me,” orders Magno.
It is inevitable to feel shocked by the authoritarian tone of voice, but what really makes my stomach twist, is my name on his lips.
Magno never calls me by my name, not once, not even when—
“Amira!” My mother screams. Her face is full of panic. That's never good, so now I feel more afraid than I did before. “What did you do, Amira?!”
Me?
She's with my brother Zahir; we both study each other, there's a palpable uneasiness in the air and we both know it. My mother takes me by the arm and hurries up the stairs to the second floor.
“Your father is furious! He's looking for you! He says you've done something terrible, but he didn't say what, Amira! You don't want to make him angry, you know better! Tell me what you did!”
My mother's beauty overshadowed by despair and fear. The muscles of her face contracted, and some wrinkles deepened around her brown eyes. Her make-up has begun to melt on her skin because of the sweat. Mother is trembling so much that she lost her refined posture that highlights her beautiful body. She understands the magnitude of what is happening. She also knows the punishment it’s going to be terrifying.
My brother is stoic, as always. His stare is expressionless. Nobody knows the real Zahir, except me. On the outside, he's hard as a rock, but inside, he's as cottony as a white cloud.
“Amira! Answer me!” She shakes my arm and yells at me and is like a shock of electricity, a train hitting my chest.
I wake up from the daze in which I have lived in for as long as I can remember.
“Mother, Zahir, there is no turning back, our suffering ends today.” They both look at each other in fear and confusion.
“Have you lost your mind, Amira? What have you done?” my brother asks.
“I woke up! That's what I did! I'm leaving this place forever! You should do the same!”
“What are you talking about, Amira?” For every word my brother says, the more distressed his tone of voice is.
“I’m talking about that I will not live here anymore. Today I'm free, I will not let him put his hands on me ever again!”
“You can't run away, child! He'll catch you before you get to the gates!” My mother screams.
Yes, it's a possibility to get caught. But I trust that girl, Sarah, she promised to get us out, and she looked strong-minded, I have to take a leap of faith.
I also know that my father is very clever, like all villains.
“Then I'll kill myself!”
My mother covers her mouth with her hand in disbelief of what I just said.
“This is the last time you'll see my face, I swear it, mother! I'm sorry to leave you, but this cannot be my life, I will not allow it!”
She opens her mouth to give me her argument, but she shuts it, stopping her rehearsed words; she knows, sheknowsthat I won't be able to live like this one more day.
My brother looks at her, waiting for her words; when she says nothing, he steps forward, taking control.
“Amira, go, I'll take care of mom, go now.”
My mother looks at me with tears in her eyes. She knows that today will be the last time we'll be together. I go to her and hug her like I never did before, with strength and love, with happiness and sadness.
“I’m sorry,” she whispers in my ear with a trembling voice. “Run now, be happy.”
“Thank you, mother.”
I step out of the comforting warmth of her body and my brother's arms take me in.
