The eyes of shaitan (1008 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.22 on 10 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by sortedm.at.hotmail.com (View user info) at 2004-06-03 05:36:10 EDT
At the age of five I was betrothed to be married. I remember the day quite clearly. I was ordered to sit quietly while my father and Ciku al'Hasan of the four waters tribe sat over tea and smoked while discussing the future relations of our families. I fidgeted for several hours but was repeatedly told to sit still as the discussion held great significance for my future. Eventually after the ceremonial bows, handshakes and embraces were finished a small basket was brought in and placed between the two men. I was ordered to stand and look at its contents. It was a baby. My fiancée, apparently. I suppose I should have looked upon her with awe, but I was hungry. I cried.
Skip forward fifteen years.
Twenty years old, old enough to get married according to the laws of our tribe. There are only three laws. Fifteen is the age to get married, eighteen is the age to fight against the outsiders and no urinating in a high wind if village elder is downwind of you.
I sit watching a black and white television. Some war between the outsiders, flashes and clouds of smoke. The television shows no warriors charging into battle, only white outsiders with reflective eyes. Angry faces. I turn my attention away from the television. 'The window into temptation' the imam calls it, but he is old and knows nothing of the new ways.
"Iraq", says my father. I look at him questioningly. "The war is in Iraq son. Outsiders fight outsiders for god knows what"
I had never heard of Iraq. I had only heard of the lands of the tribes and the lands outside. It sounded like a strange place. The imam had mentioned it though. He said the white outsiders with the reflective eyes were trying to pronounce a jihad on the Muslims there. I said that surely we should come to the aid of our brothers in Islam, but the imam said they were the wrong type of Muslim and were destined for hell anyway. I asked whether the white outsiders were the right type of Muslim, but he hissed between his teeth and cursed me for foolishness. I didn't ask again.
Wars were no concern to me at the time. I was supposed to wed. In two hours Ciku al'Hasan was arriving with a caravan from the Four Waters tribe and he was bringing his daughter Zarine with him. She was fifteen now and according to the laws we were to be married. I had not seen her before then but I had a picture in my heart of what she looked like. Tall, with dark eyes and bronze skin, with flowing dark hair and a body to match. I was a hopeful man, with his married life shortly to begin.
They came in convoy. Pack animals and camels carrying the various barter items that were traded between the tribes. Water, dates, cloth, beads, the usual things. This time there was an unusual addition. A covered litter sat atop a camel. That's litter contained my bride. My heart beat faster and fear crept over me, but the sight of my old friend Hatha riding near the head of the column lifted my spirits. Upon seeing me he raised his hand and trotted forward on his elderly mule, calling to me.
"Hai, Hai," he said, "There's a special delivery on this load, old friend. One for you I fear."
His grin was malicious and I paused for a second before asking him "Why do you fear?"
He looked into my eyes as he drew closer and stopped. "She's got an unlucky face, my friend"
In our folklore there are various facial and physical types that are thought to bring bad luck. Although it seems that they are merely unlucky for the person who displays these features. They include a protruding forehead, black or gappy teeth, an overly long or short tongue, twisted legs, hairy feet or thumbs, or any number of a myriad of physical deformities or simple bad looks.
My heart sank. Zarine was not the desert goddess I had been expecting.
"So what's she like then, Hatha? Have you seen her?"
"Sure I've seen her. She looks like an Iraqi whore lifting her skirts. Her lip is split like a camels foot" he laughed, "she looks like she has a vagina on her face. One filled with teeth!" He cackled again.
My face reddened. "What do you know what and Iraqi whore looks like? I bet you still haven't dipped into the well yet!"
"I don't know what they look like" he shrugged "but I will. Our imam says we should go to Iraq and fight for our brothers against shaitan. Hes trying to get some of the tribes warriors to go out there. Im going. You should come with us. We might even see western women. Ordra of the dry valley tribe says that western women allow you to dip in the well before marriage. I hope I meet some"
I eyed him narrowly. It sounded tempting. My father would naturally be furious but once I returned with the spoils of war and the blessings of an imam, he would surely change his mind.
"What if we get ourselves killed?" I asked "What then?"
Hatha shrugged again. "Our imam says it wont happen because we have the protection of god. The imam says that god sent silver birds to destroy two White Mountains in the village of the westerners. He said that even if we do die we'll go to paradise straight away."
Skip forward five months.
So here I now stand. Far away from my homeland at the bequest of an imam, fleeing a wrathful father and an unseen woman. Hands on my head, seeing myself reflected in the eyes of shaitan.
User Reviews
Submitted by Wiggles (user info) at 2004-10-06 13:02:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by professorfuckface (user info) at 2004-10-05 06:34:09 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
OOOO-ooooo-OOOO-ooooo Aicha, Aicha, smile for me now (there she go again)
Submitted by Spookster (user info) at 2004-10-05 06:17:54 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
A solid "Worth Reading".
Submitted by Amusingly_shaped_semen_stain (user info) at 2004-10-05 05:43:25 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
"Sure I've seen her. She looks like an Iraqi whore lifting her skirts. Her lip is split like a camels foot" he laughed, "she looks like she has a vagina on her face. One filled with teeth!"
Submitted by Vanilla (user info) at 2004-10-05 05:14:18 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
I wanna know what the girl looked like.
Submitted by apollo88 (user info) at 2004-10-05 04:35:20 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
No Comment
Submitted by NotApologizing (user info) at 2004-06-03 14:03:16 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Do you realize that this guy is 'Amusingly_shaped_semen_stain'
He gets my vote for fun-e-est username.
and a +2
Submitted by dohnuts (user info) at 2004-06-03 09:13:21 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I agree with GodChicken, but still think this deserves a +2.
Submitted by Fleadh (user info) at 2004-06-03 06:27:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I thaught it was pretty good.
C
Submitted by GodChicken (user info) at 2004-06-03 05:47:43 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
Not bad, but I have my own personal reasons for not liking this as much as I could.
Check your structure and sentences out, there are a couple in there that just seem to run on and caused my eyes to skip over chunks of the story.