Janice Carpenters

Rose could hear her heartbeat; she gently opened her eyes and sighted a vintage ceiling fan slowly spinning above her. She looked around and spotted her bag on a table not far from the bed she lay, the room looked a bit dusty and quite small for a hospital or any kind of clinic. Rose knew she was not in any hospital and had no idea how she got there in the first place, as she tried to move her left leg she felt a striking pain. She groaned and placed her head back on the pillow gently. Rose lifted her head a bit and realised her left leg was tied up with sticks and bounded with some pieces of rag, sort of a hurriedly made casts to hold her leg in one position. She also noticed something like a newspaper kept not far from her feet.

“You need to stay put, uncle Junaid will be home soon. He went to get some medicine from the naturopath!” said a young girl smiling as she stood by the door.

Rose watched her walk into the room happily with some food and water on a tray, she could tell the girl was around 11-12years of age.

“I hope you will like it, it really tastes nice. Learned how to make almost all American food on the food channel, and on the menu today; American lite fried rice!” said the girl as she placed the food next to Rose’s bag then pulled the table towards the bed, “Time to eat!”

“What’s your name?” asked Rose.

“Hadiza! Hadiza Miqdad Abdul-Basit!” answered the girl, “What’s yours?”

“I am Rose, Rose Green!” she replied.

“What brought you here? Do you work with UNICEF too?” Hadiza inquired.

“No, I am just a tourist! Why did you say that?” answered Rose.

“Because most of the foreigners I know of work with UNICEF!” said the girl.

“No, I don’t work with UNICEF, I am on vacation!” Rose responded.

“Okay! I would like to go to America too but not as a tourist. I wanna go study there someday, maybe Oxford University?” said Hadiza.

“That’s in England Habiza, not America!” said Rose.

“It’s Hadiza; H-A-D-I-Z-A! Get it?” she uttered.

“Got it!” replied Rose laughing, “Could you please help me pass my bag?”

“Sure! Here!” she replied as she handed the bag.

Rose collected the bag, unzipped it and stared into it, then smiled at Hadiza.

“Everything is there. Well, everything that was in the bag when uncle Junaid brought you home…even your small gun!” said Hadiza as she stood up and opened the window to let the fresh air in.

“How long have I been here?” Rose asked.

“Ever since you got here!” answered Hadiza as the two burst out laughing.

“Ouch!” Rose cried out as she felt pain from her leg.

“Oh my God, take it easy! Sorry!” said Hadiza.

“Thank you!” Rose responded smiling as she sighed, “Did your uncle tell you how we met?”

“Hmm! Uncle Junaid doesn’t talk much. Well, he did say you are his friend though and that you need a place to stay until your leg gets healed.” Hadiza answered.

“For how long has your uncle been working at the hospital?” Rose asked.

“You are his friend, how come you don’t know that?” Hadiza asked, “Besides, you resemble Fatimah so I guess uncle will not hide anything from you!” Hadiza joked.

“Well, you know him…he’s not much of a talker, and who is Fatimah?” said Rose.

“Two years before his wife and daughter were killed,” answered Hadiza, “I believe he did tell you about them, right?”

“Right! Yes…he did,” said Rose, she stammered smiling as she picked the plate of rice from the table, fetched some with a fork and into her mouth, “Oh God, pepper!”

“Oh, I am so sorry…I didn’t know the spices are harsh!”

Hadiza reacted.

“I am only messing with you, I love it!” said Rose.

“Really? You do?” asked Hadiza.

“I super love it, you should teach me how to make this!” said Rose.

“Hmm, that’s like a lion asking a dog to teach it how to hunt for Zebras!” said Hadiza.

“Good one there!” Rose murmured with food in her mouth.

“Do you know why I spent my precious time to prepare this delicious meal for you?” asked Hadiza.

“No, why?” Rose inquired.

“Well, I have an assignment to submit on Monday and I’d really need your help!” she said smiling cunningly.

“If it is mathematics just count me out, I am bad with maths!” replied Rose.

“You’re bad with maths in a positive way or a negative way? Anyway it’s history class! I am to present a short spoken word about peace and I am afraid what I wrote might make the entire class laugh at me!” said Hadiza.

“Well, I think I might like your spoken word, I bet it’ll taste as good as your rice. Why don’t you just bring what you have written down and let’s see what we can do about it, huh?” said Rose, she groaned trying to adjust her position on the bed.

“Okay!” said Hadiza, “You’re gonna have to stay put!”

“So, what do you wanna be when you grow up?” Rose asked.

“Well, just one thing and one thing only; a doctor! I would’ve gone for something as complex as an astronaut but no!” Hadiza answered.

“A doctor, huh? Why? If I may ask!” Rose responded.

“So that I’d move to Palestine and save lives, especially the innocent children. I don’t like what I see on TV. Too much suffering.” said Hadiza.

“You sound like a good leader!” said Rose.

“No matter how many good leaders men have, they cannot solve the problems they created through greed and wickedness!” Hadiza replied.

“So, you think men cannot solve the problems the world is facing today?” Rose asked.

“I’m no fool, it’s obvious the world needs God now more than ever!” Hadiza responded.

“Do you believe in God?” Rose asked.

“Don’t you?” Hadiza responded looking into her eyes.

“Well, I used to, when I was much younger!” Rose replied.

“What happened? You lost your appetite for a better and peaceful world just like our leaders who turned their arsenals against their own people?” Hadiza smirked, “I do believe in God and I do pray every day! Actually I see prayer as a form of acceptance, you know; stretching one’s hands to receive what’s rightfully yours from the Father!”

“Have any of your prayers ever been answered and what kind of prayer do you pray?” Rose asked.

“Well, no one has ever prayed for what they never had. Often men pray for things they think they lack even though they already own them! And for your second question; the answer is world peace! I always pray for world peace!” she said.