Paints are not to add colour to life, but to hide the ruthless grey. They are not to imprint beauty but to veil the hideous reality.
Smiles on people's face were also painted, limited to few, optional as an answer. But the smile stretched on Alina's lips was a mask, under it only Alina and her Lord knows what tales her frown beholds, memories often chased off from her eyes.
One of the truth in Alina's life was that... she indeed was born in streets, with no place to stay, her mother gave birth to twins. Her mother often used to wind up the past tales over hot mug of milk, this was one, which Alina marked down on her heart.
"Heavy with two children, I run in the streets, your father had a hold on my arm, and on other hand, he carried Hannah." She smiled.
She was sick, her husband constantly switching cold cloth on her forehead, muttering sugar sweet words to her.
She coughed, winter always gets the best of her. Her children gathered around her bed. Hannah holding her sobs. Ali had a firm grip on his twin's hand.
"Oh my sweet Hannah, what a brave girl for mama." She smiled, Hannah nodded eagerly, sniffing and clutching her own teddy into an embrace.
"So brave, didn't even cried for a minute. You remembered Ethna?" Her eyes flickered up to her husband, he nodded, kissed her wife on her forehead.
"The men chasing us, we tricked them, took shelter in a room, but we were kicked out, then in the narrow street, a house in the end. Allah had mercy on us. We knocked and an old lady welcomed us in. She allow us to stay for a night."
"With no home, with no place to go, nothing to eat, that night Allah blessed me with two wonderful gifts. Your father named him Ali, I named her Alina."
"Will you stop filtering with it, and start eating." Caroline snorted, eyes rolling, she hunkered again, writing her assignment.
Fatima didn't respond but stopped pushing the apple slices around, fork perched in her fingers, her eyes flicked up. Giving an offended look.
"It's just an apple, why don't you eat it up already?" Alina promoted further.
She didn't mention the incident of Fatima passing out yesterday, in some chemistry lab. It was struggle to drag her to nurse room. She fainted because she hadn't been eating enough food for supporting her system to work.
"Because I don't want to. Why is it so hard to understand." Her words sharp as a blade cutting through the cold air. It didn't only startled the two of them, but also the people sitting in nearby table. Turning their head to the accuser.
With every passing day Fatima was growing frustrated, pale, thiner.
"Fatima, I didn't - " Alina who was used to attention didn't pay anyone a mind. She shook her head, trying to get things cleared out.
"Just forget it." Fatima sighed, unfurling her fists. Grumpily threwing apple slice in her mouth.
"Should have finished this earlier." Caroline muttered, hovering on her assignment.
Alina stayed still, eyes avoiding contact with Fatima.
"Alina..." Fatima whined when their eyes met maybe she can see the hurt and the guilt.
"That's okay." but it wasn't, the tug in her heart wasn't okay. She was looking after Fatima but forgot her boundaries, "I am sorry... I probably shouldn't..." Alina looked down again, hands awkwardly set on table, she didn't want to lose anyone anymore, Fatima was like her Family.
CITEȘTI
Wanted to be loved (Islamic Story)
Spirituale"You will do it. You have to teach me. I will make you do it." He took a step toward me. I didn't stepped back, expressing that I was not afraid, ready for anything. "I will inform the Principal that you have caused another plight. And he will blind...
