Emma Insights

The Secret of the Cloth Bag

Part 9:

The Storm Consumes Everyone

The sun had set, but this time it was different. It was as if Shams had set with it. In Abu Ammar's car, the three men returned to their village in silence, like the dead. Abu Faras felt like a building that had collapsed, everything lost in an instant. The love that turned out to be false, the family security and stability that vanished, and the wounded pride of an Eastern man.

The pain and shame were eating away at his weak body, all the years of struggle gone in a moment. The beautiful dream was an illusion, Shams and the children were a lie, the only thing that wasn't a lie was his love for them, and that's what hurt the most.

At home, Faras, the young man, sat on the floor, bent over, with his hands on his shoulders, thinking about his fate and the fate of his siblings after Shams' death and the revelation. The house had become cold and dark with her departure. He listened to his father's moans, filled with pain and helplessness.

Faras had no hope left in life except for the genuine paternal feelings of Abu Faras, who had loved him and been attached to him. The paternal bond would determine their fate. Only God knew what would happen to them.

The entire village was walking behind the coffin, carried by men, with heavy steps, to bury Abu Faras' body and with it, Faras' and his siblings' dreams forever. Abu Faras couldn't bear the events of the previous day, and when Faras tried to wake him, he found him deceased.

The villagers were surprised by Shams' absence during the condolences, and despite asking about her, they didn't receive a satisfactory answer. In such situations, everyone remains silent out of respect, knowing their customs and traditions well, and that it's not right to talk about things related to honor.

Faras returned to his father's house, worried and heavy-hearted. Abu Ammar, who was supposed to be his uncle, had threatened him and his siblings with their inevitable fate. Faras thought of seeking refuge with his mother's tribe, but the situation wouldn't be better there. The shame would follow him wherever he went. If he fled to Sana'a, who would take responsibility for six illegitimate children?

The village was fast asleep, and Faras was alone in the house with his siblings, who would face their fate and be killed in the most brutal way the next day or whenever Abu Ammar decided. Faras prepared dinner for himself and his siblings, and after a few minutes, they started writhing in pain, vomiting, and Faras was vomiting with them. His conscience was at peace, as the pain of the poison was a thousand times better than the pain they would suffer at Abu Ammar's hands.

After that, Abu Faras' house was plunged into darkness, its doors closed, and it remained abandoned. And so, a page turned on people who seemed like they never existed in this life.

The Secret of the Clothe Bag

Part 8: The Revelation

The days were passing heavily and gloomily, and Abu Faras had regained some of his health. He, along with his wife Shams and their 16-year-old son Faras, were on their way to Shams' village with Abu Ammar. According to Abu Ammar, Abu Faras needed a change of scenery to recover from his illness, and to create a peaceful atmosphere, he suggested that only Faras accompany them, while the other children would stay under the care of Abu Ammar's wife until their return.

Abu Faras was sitting next to his brother, who was driving the car, while Shams and Faras were sitting in the backseat together. Abu Ammar was driving swiftly, and Shams was happy to be heading to her beloved village. Abu Ammar put on a cassette tape to pass the time, and the atmosphere seemed promising for a pleasant time. However, suddenly, the car stopped, and Abu Ammar and Abu Faras got out.

Shams, who was in her mid-thirties but still stunningly beautiful, looked around to discover their surroundings. She wondered why they had stopped in this desolate and barren place. Indeed, it was a vast desert with no signs of civilization or human presence. The howling wind made the place even more eerie.

As she was about to ask her son Faras about the reason for stopping, the car door opposite her swung open, and her husband Abu Faras and his brother Abu Ammar violently pulled her out of the car. Shams screamed in shock, and Faras shouted, accusing his father and uncle of heartlessness and brutality. However, they paid no heed to him or Shams, who was bewildered by their actions.

Instead of answering, Abu Faras began beating her. Shams pleaded with him, "Abu Faras, what's wrong with you? I'm Shams, your wife, the love of your life." But Abu Faras's behavior was like a rejuvenated young man, full of strength and fury. He punched, kicked, and dragged Shams by her long black hair with all his might. Shams tried to break free and called out to her son Faras for help.

Faras's cries escalated as he tried to defend his mother, but with each attempt, Abu Ammar pushed him away. Eventually, Shams collapsed, exhausted and helpless. They sat her down on the soft desert sand, and Abu Ammar bound her hands behind her back. Blood dripped from her nose, and her beautiful face was now bruised and battered.

Abu Faras placed his dagger, which he always carried, beside her neck and asked her furiously, "Shams, tell me, who is the father of these children, you adulteress?" Shams's eyes widened in shock, and she whispered weakly, "They are your children." But Abu Faras retorted, "The medical tests have shown that I am infertile; who is the father of these children, you adulteress? Tell me!" He slapped her, and Shams realized that everything was exposed, and she had no choice but to confess.

Faras listened to the conversation between his parents, disbelieving what he was hearing. He never expected that his father's and uncle's brutality towards his mother was related to honor. In their society, a woman's honor could bring shame to the entire tribe and diminish the dignity of its men in the eyes of other tribes. It could even spark wars.

Shams, crying, began to confess, realizing her inevitable fate. She explained that after four years of marriage without conceiving, she couldn't bear the taunts and insinuations from the village women. One educated woman suggested she see a specialist to determine if there were any obstacles to pregnancy. Shams went behind her husband's back with her mother to see a doctor in a nearby city. After examinations and tests, they discovered the problem lay with Abu Faras.

Shams felt trapped, seeing all her options as harsh and unfair. Abu Faras refused to marry another woman, believing the issue was hers, and his love for her wasn't in her favor. If Abu Faras had married another woman, the truth would have been revealed, and people would have known the problem was his, and she would have been cleared in the eyes of the community. However, if she divorced him and returned to her family, rumors would spread, and it would be difficult for anyone to accept her in marriage, believing her to be infertile. If someone did accept her, she would be a third or fourth wife. To escape these difficult options, she resorted to infidelity as the best solution, unaware of the consequences of her actions. She became entangled in a forbidden relationship for eighteen years, which would have remained hidden if not for the cloth bag.

The secret of the fabric bag,

part 7

Abu Faras was sitting in his cell, and the days were passing very heavily on him, and he did not know what his crime was to remain imprisoned for a full three months. During this time, all they did was take him under guard to some major hospitals in Saudi Arabia to take blood samples and others to examine them, to prove whether the child’s lineage belonged to him or not. These analyses were not as advanced and quick as they are today. With every passing hour, he thought about the fate of his children and how he would provide for them when he got out of this dark and gloomy prison. His reputation was no longer above suspicion as it was before after he was accused of his honour and integrity. Who would trust him with his women from now on? He doesn’t know who the vile person who trapped him is. Oh God, how he misses his wife and children, despite her anger and not visiting him. But she is excused, and the days will prove her wrong in her judgment against him.

Despite everyone abandoning him, except for the school guard who heard the news and came quickly and gave a good testimony about him and was sad about what happened to his friend. His brother, Abu Ammar, did not abandon him and would visit him daily to check on him, bringing food that his wife had cooked. Not only that, but he took the child of unknown identity and gave him to his wife to take care of and refused to hand him over to the care home until his real mother appeared and the case was decided. The brother is truly the support and pillar in those dark circumstances.

One day, during one of Abu Ammar’s visits to his brother, he was called to meet the section commander. As soon as he sat in front of him, the commander gave him the good news that his brother Abu Faras was acquitted of the charge against him. Abu Ammar’s face lit up with joy and he thanked God for finally proving his brother’s innocence. But his smile did not last long after the officer asked him this question: Do you know, Abu Ammar, how we proved his innocence with conclusive evidence? Abu Ammar looked at him with a puzzled look, and here the officer continued his speech: From the first analysis result, it became clear that your brother Abu Faras is unable to have children and was never able to have children. Here the news hit Abu Ammar like a thunderbolt.

Abu Ammar began to mutter and stumble in his speech as he asked the officer: How could this be, and his brother has six children?! Here the officer answered him: For this sensitive reason, we conducted several complex analyses that require a lot of time for their results to appear, and that is why his detention period was extended. I don’t know what to say in this difficult situation, Abu Ammar, but my advice to you is not to tell Abu Faras what you heard, at least not now. You can take your brother now.

Abu Faras was sitting next to his brother, but he was a different person, not the cheerful Abu Faras with a bright face. Absolutely, He was a different person, looking gloomily ahead, his face pale, his eyes red from crying a lot, and he had lost a lot of weight and his hair had turned white as if he had grown a hundred years old. He was looking at the houses of the village as if he was seeing them for the first time. When he arrived home, he was barely able to get out of the car, leaning on the shoulder of his brother Abu Amar, who felt his brother’s body trembling.

The children rushed happily to greet their father, who had been absent from them for three months. His eyes were sunken, and fatigue and bone pain had taken over his body. Shams quickly prepared food for her sick husband, and Faras, the apple of his father’s eye, remained sitting next to his father all night to take care of him.

The school year ended peacefully. On the last day of school, the teachers, as usual, started celebrating the beginning of summer vacation with songs and applause. However, Hossnia sat quietly, as she often did. According to the agreement, she would spend the summer vacation with her brother Saleh's family in the village.

Abu Faris was overjoyed as he had planned a trip with Shams and the kids to visit her village. When they arrived, Abu Faris exited the car and chatted with other drivers and vendors. As he checked the car for any forgotten items, he found a cloth bag left behind. To his surprise, it contained a newborn baby.

Abu Faris was shocked and wondered which teacher could have given birth without him knowing. No news in the village about a teacher giving birth, He rushed to ask the teachers if the baby belonged to one of them, but they were all puzzled. One of the teachers offered to take care of the baby until they found its mother.

As Abu Faris returned home, he couldn't stop thinking about the mysterious bag and baby. When he arrived, his children were excited to see him, and he forgot about his worries for a moment. However, the villegers kept knocking on his door as neighbours came to inquire about the baby.

Abu Ammar, Abu Faris's brother, closed his shop to visit Abu Faris and learn more about the situation. Just as they were speculating about the baby's mother, the teacher who had taken care of the baby arrived with her husband. She revealed a shocking note was attached to the baby's diaper: "This child is the son of Abu Faris, the child of sin."

The news spread like wildfire, and the villagers accused Abu Faris of deceit and infidelity. Shams herself doubted him and demanded a divorce. Abu Faris was helpless, trying to prove his innocence. The villagers took him to the police station, treating him like a criminal. Abu Faris wished for death, feeling ashamed in front of his family. How would he prove his innocence, and what was the secret behind the baby in the cloth bag?

The Secret of the Cloth Bag

Chapter Five:

A few months had passed since Hasnia returned to
resume her antics with her brother's wife. However, this time, due to the failure of her marriage and divorce, Hasnia had developed a more bitter and aggressive attitude towards her brother's wife, who had had enough.

‏One day, which Saleh had been dreading, his wife gathered her belongings and decided to leave the house for good, deciding to give up her children for Saleh and Hasnia to raise. She was unmoved by her husband's pleas to stay, knowing he had no time to care for the children and that Hasnia would categorically refuse to leave her job to devote herself to raising them.

‏This turned out to be a good leverage for Saleh, who found no solution but to change his tone with Hasnia and confront her, despite never having done so before. She was his only sister, slightly older than him, and had never failed him after their mother's death. She had managed the household and his affairs before his marriage, and having no one else in life but him, he was torn.

‏However, his dilemma didn't last long. To his surprise, he found Hasnia sitting and crying, which was the first time he had ever seen her cry. It was as if she had finally realized the consequences of her actions.

‏She told her brother Saleh that she had been thinking for a long time about moving to live in the boarding house for teachers attached to the school, which was managed by an Indonesian woman working as a nursery teacher at the school. However, she was afraid her decision would be rejected.

‏Despite Saleh's initial hesitation, refusal, and disagreement, he found this decision suitable but set conditions for Hasnia. The first condition was that he wanted to see the place himself and ensure it was safe, and that Hasnia would visit him every Thursday after school to spend Friday with him and his family.

‏Hasnia agreed to his terms, and this solution satisfied everyone, especially Abu Faris, whom Saleh promised to pay in full for driving Hasnia to his house every Thursday.

‏Thus, everyone found solutions to their problems except Abu Ammar, who became irritable and couldn't bear staying home. He started frequenting his shop late at night, staying there until dawn prayer.

‏One night, when there was no moon, as he walked towards the square opposite the mosque and the village shops, he was holding his cane as usual. He didn't pay attention to the howling stray dogs that would sometimes circle around him trying to attack.

‏Suddenly, while looking far ahead, he thought he saw a ghostly figure of a woman emerging from one of the dark alleys. He tried to focus his gaze more, but the ghost quickly disappeared into the darkness as if swallowed by the earth.

‏Abu Ammar began to seek refuge from the accursed devil, wondering if something was happening in secret that no one in the village knew about.

The Secret of the Cloth Bag

Chapter Four:

On the way home after prayer, Saleh, Hossnia's brother, walked with the two brothers towards his house. Saleh was very close to them and had known them since childhood. Unlike his sister Hossnia, who was determined to complete her education and become a teacher, Saleh was not interested in education and instead worked in sheep herding and camel trading. As they passed the house, the men heard Hossnia’s loud voice arguing with her brother's wife, which was a common occurrence. Saleh felt embarrassed and quickly went home to ask Hossnia to lower her voice, while the two men continued their way home, praying for Hossnia’s guidance.

Upon entering the house, Hossnia immediately started shouting and complaining to Saleh about her sister-in-law, who did not remain silent either, leaving Saleh bewildered and unable to satisfy either of them. This situation was becoming too much for him to handle. His wife was from a different tribe living in a village two hours away by car, which made Saleh worry that one day she might return to her family's home angry or demand a divorce, depriving him of his children. However, Hossnia did not consider this logic, and since his wife was more sensible than Hossnia, she would go to Um Ammer, Abu Faris's sister-in-law and pour out her worries to her. Um, Ammer was a virtuous woman who always advised her to be patient and assured her that one-day Hossnia would get married.

Days passed normally in the village. Abu Faris was happy with his six children and his beautiful wife, Shams, who became more beautiful, gentle, and charming with age, which made Abu Faris very happy. What added to his joy was his son Faris, who was indeed a knight known for his good upbringing and morals. Shams was successful in everything: her relationship with her husband, the way she raised her children, and her good reputation among the villagers.

On the other hand, Abu Ammer’s anxieties increased, and he constantly thought about not having a son to inherit his wealth after him. Every time he saw Faris and his brothers, he felt more regretful about himself and his bad luck, despite Abu Faris not owning a quarter of the wealth he had.

One day, the village woke up to wonderful news: Hossnia’s marriage to a stranger from another village. He took her away from the village to live with him in a distant village, which made her brother's wife unbelievably happy that the nightmare of Hossnia had finally ended, and she could now focus all her energy on her husband and children. However, Hossnia went to her husband's house, where he was already married to two women, making her the third wife. The situation in the man's house turned upside down, and he couldn't tolerate Hossnia for more than a month before divorcing her and returning her to her brother's house, which didn't bring happiness to either him or his wife. The villagers sympathized with the brother's wife and hoped that Hossnia wouldn't return to her brother's house again, except for Abu Faris, who breathed a sigh of relief at her return because his income had decreased due to Hossnia no longer riding his minibus.

To be continued……

The Secret of the Cloth Bag

Chapter Three:

# The Secret of the Cloth Bag
Abu Amer sat in his shop chair, poring over the large ledgers in front of him, watching the women as they entered and exited the store or viewed the goods displayed on the shelves. He owned a small store that sold household items, and it was the village's sole purveyor of such goods. Some women from neighboring villages, or those traveling, would stop by Abu Amer's shop to buy what they needed for the home, from cooking pots to electrical appliances.

His shop faced the square opposite the mosque on the other side, and the number of shops could be counted on one hand. Adjacent to his shop was Abu Rabi's, the cloth merchant, and another small shop that sewed clothes, a grocery store, and a butcher shop. Itinerant vendors spread their wares on the floor of the square or sold them from wooden carts pulled by hand. Abu Amer would glance at his watch periodically, as this was his constant habit.

He only closed his shop at sunset prayer time so that he could go with his brother Abu Faris to pray at the nearby mosque together, and then they would go home, as the two houses were adjacent to each other. Abu Amer started closing the outside door a little, and began counting the day's earnings, and as usual, he was lost in thought about the same subject that troubled him every time he started closing the shop accounts.

He started talking to himself, "I wonder who will inherit this money after I pass away? Is it fair that all my hard work and effort will benefit my daughters' future husbands?" Even Amer, the only son I was blessed with, has a mental disability. "Why, Lord, must I face such a difficult trial?" He started fighting back his tears so that they would not fall.

Suddenly, he heard the rumble of an engine and the loud blast of a horn from a speeding cart, covered in dust from every side. The driver was sticking his hand out of the window and greeting the street vendors who were pushing their wooden carts back home, and that was none other than Abu Faris's minibus.

‎‏*The Secret of the Cloth Bag*

‎‏*Chapter Two*

‎‏Finally, the teachers' transport vehicle arrived at the school, and they were disembarked to head inside. Abu Fares went to his usual spot under the shade of a large tree within the school premises. There, he was greeted by the school guard, who had prepared tea for him and honoured him with some cakes made by his wife. On rainy days, the guard would invite Abu Fares into his tiny room, where they would listen to the radio or play backgammon to pass the time. A beautiful friendship blossomed between them, built on mutual respect. During vacations, they would exchange family visits, further strengthening their bond.

‎‏Abu Fares's life was truly blessed with his wife, Shams which means in Arabic language the Sun, who was his entire world. His life took a turn for the better after he asked his wise sister-in-law, the tribe chief’s daughter to choose a wife for him from among her acquaintances. This decision came after years of hardship and deprivation following his father's tragic death. His father was killed by mistake by someone seeking revenge, who had mistaken him for his intended target. The incident left behind a two-year-old child and an infant. However, the chief of the killer's tribe promised to compensate them and bought them a house to live in. He also married Abu Fares's older brother to his daughter, finding him to be a gentle soul. When his brother thanked his wife, Abu Fares, then known as Faiz, asked him to find a wife from his wife's tribe. Indeed, his brother's wife chose Shams, the daughter of her oldest brother, who was just fourteen years old at the time.

‎‏Abu Fares's wedding night was a moment he would never forget. After the grand celebration, Shams sat on the edge of the bed, completely covered. His heart racing, Abu Fares tried to lift the veil that separated him from his wife. Thoughts swirled in his mind: Would she be beautiful or plain? Was she dark-skinned or fair? Would they be happy together? As he finally lifted her veil, he was met with the most breathtaking sight he had ever seen. Shams was a stunning beauty with kohl-lined eyes, a wine-coloured complexion, and long, silky black hair. Abu Fares gazed at her in awe, repeating, “God is Great... God is Great. Glory be to He who shaped and created.” Their life together began, with the only challenge being Shams's initial delay in conceiving. Eventually, she bore him six children – five boys and a girl – who became the centre of his universe. Finally, God compensated him with goodness, and Abu Fares never felt the need to marry another wife or divorce Shams because she couldn't give him children for five years, during that time he preferred to stay without children instead of marrying another woman or divorcing Shams who loved her a lot.

To be continued...

The Secret of the Cloth Bag

Chapter One:

Before dawn was breaking, the women teachers of a small Bedouin village in Yemen were leaving their homes early, dressed in black garments that were revealing only their eyes. They were walking alone or with their husbands through the village streets, carrying two bags: one with money and important papers, and a cloth bag with essentials like tea, coffee, and snacks.

The teachers were working at a school near the Yemeni-Saudi border, which was providing a daycare center for new mothers among the teachers. Some teachers were using the cloth bags to carry their babies. As they were walking to the minibus, they used to exchanging greetings with the men and young men who were returning from the mosque.

Abu Faris, a polite and trustef man, for his good attitudes the men in the village put thier trust on him to drive their wives and sisters every day for a three hour driving, notmally, the men in this tiny village worked as camel or livestock shepherds, but Abu Faris chose the driving profession, which he loved. In addition, it brought him a generous income that was enough to cover the expenses of his wife and children.

Every morning he used to welcome the female teachers to the board. And before he was starting the engine, he was saying, “In the name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,” and begin the three-hour journey. As the minibus was navigating the desert roads, the teachers were chatting or sleeping during the ride, while Hasnia, a teacher in her late thirties, was sitting quietly, lost in her thoughts.

Hasnia was known for her harsh nature and severe treatment of students, which was making others avoid her. Despite her average appearance, many less attractive women had found husbands. However, Hasnia's reputation and behavior were making her unmarriageable in the eyes of the village's young men and matchmakers.

To be continued….