“Suha’s parents both died a couple weeks ago.”
“That’s very sad,” he offered when she didn’t immediately keep speaking.
“It is,” Rahma agreed quietly. “I was over at their house so often, it was sort of like having extra parents.”
As’ad had never known his parents, but he theoretically understood that they were precious to many people.
The girl rolled back her shoulders and straightened her spine. “Suha was supposed to come live with us.” Her words were a bit fiercer than As’ad would have expected the situation to call for. But, as he was determined not to play into whatever her game was, he didn’t question any of it.
“Somehow,” Rahma all but snarled, “thatwomanproduced a letter from Suha’s ‘relatives.’ My too-trusting parents bought it. And let her take Suha!”
As’ad half-expected her to spit or kick something. Clearly, she didn’t believe the provenance of the letter and was upset by the actions her parents had taken. Or rather, not taken?
“Anyway.” She took a cleansing breath. “Suha is stuck in Jabal and I’m going to bring her back.”
Not all of her narrative made sense to him, but he caught the last part.
“What do you think you are ‘rescuing’ her from? And how would you get back?”
Rather than take offense, as he half-expected, Rahma nodded. “I missed a few details, didn’t I?”
As’ad kept his eyes on the path. He moved more carefully for a few steps when he felt Qamar climbing up to his shoulder.
“We have a . . . woman in Nahr”—her pause insinuated unsavory things about the female—“who houses orphans until they can be rehomed or employed somewhere. Suhawasstaying with us before her parents died. They were concerned that she was going to get sick, as well.”
In hindsight, it appeared their prudence had been warranted.
“My parents were intending to let Suha stay with us forever.” She interrupted herself with a rueful laugh. “Well, notforever-forever. I’m sure she would have gotten married and left eventually. But she’s only sixteen, we have time.”
The way she stated her friend’s age made it sound like Rahma was older, but As’ad wasn’t going to invite more personal details from the young lady.
“Hadia never should have gotten her claws on Suha.” Rahma reached down to pluck a wad of some type of long grass and ruthlessly started pulling off the blades and seed bits as she continued. “Thatwomanstopped caring for orphans years ago. There isn’t much need for her in Nahr, fortunately, but the few children she did have all ‘miraculously’ learned about relatives whoamazinglyandcoincidentally—VERY coincidentally,” she muttered vehemently, “all live in Jabal.”
Compared to the rural villages As’ad usually frequented, Jabal was a thriving metropolis. So it was possible that multiple orphans from Nahr could have relatives living there. He wondered why Rahma didn’t believe that to be the case for her friend. He was also mildly impressed by the vitriol in her sarcasm.
Almost as if she could read his mind, she supplied the answer. “I know that it’s technically possible, but Suha didn’t recognize the names of her so-called relatives. Hadia claimed that they were estranged and looking to reconcile. BUT. How would Hadia know who to look for when Suha didn’t?”
The grass stem had been mutilated to nothing. She dropped it and grabbed a fresh one.
After a beat of silence, As’ad asked, “How do you know she wants to be rescued?”
“Of course she does!
He pressed, “Maybe she wants to make a fresh start. Not be stuck in a town filled with memories of her parents, but no parents.”
“Uh—” The thought had obviously not occurred to Rahma before. A deep wrinkle formed in her brow as she processed the idea.
As’ad let that settle, content to continue plodding along without words. Surely this would be what convinced her to seek a way home.
All too soon, the dark-haired girl clapped once and nodded to herself. “I will ask her first and respect her answer.ThenI will rescue her!”
He didn’t bother hiding his snort. “Which, again, brings us back to: How are you going to get her back home?”
When she didn’t answer right away, he glanced over. An odd expression sat on her face.
“You know, it’s really hard to take you seriously with a rat on your shoulder.”
Since Qamar had been there for a good bit, he concluded that the girl hadn’t looked at him for a while. “How is that my fault, exactly?”
