Pain for Happiness

The sun was rising over the mountains of Ajloun. It was Noor’s favorite time of day, when there was still dew on the ground and the morning air was crisp and cool. She tucked a lock of red wavy hair behind her ear that had fallen out of its braid.

Noor and her older sister, Amira, had just slipped out of her quiet home and the two sisters were on their way to the Qal’at ar-Rabad, or what everyone else called the Ajloun Castle. Noor and Amira worked for Nadia and Fatima who were the daughters of the Commander Usama, the man who built the famous castle. Noor worked for Nadia as a maid, and Amira did the same for Fatima.

Their mother and father had left the two sisters at the age of six and twelve. On the day it happened, everything had been as it was on a normal day. The girls had made breakfast with their mother, Haya, while their father, Khalid, fed the mule. When it was time for the meal, their mother went to wash her hands outside while the girls went to call their father to eat.

The girls raced around their small stone home and found their father with his shirt torn open. On his chest was red and white patches filled with puss that on their father’s chest. Khalid looked up at his daughters as it started to rain. Tears flowed down his cheeks. Suddenly they heard a retched scream. The sisters and Khalid ran into their home and found Haya looking down at her hand.

“Khalid,” Haya cried. She ran into her husband’s arms sobbing.

“Mama, Baba, is th-that leprosy,” little Noor asked. She had heard stories of what happened to people who had the awful disease.

“Yes, and there isn’t a cure for it, if you touch us, then you will get it,” Khalid said.

Amira was older than Noor by six years and she understood more. Everything was beginning to dawn on her. Her parents would have to leave and live with the other lepers. That would mean Amira and Noor would have to—

“Baba, we cant live by ourselves, I can’t take care of Noor. We’ll starve to death.”

“My daughter, we must leave. Someday we will see each other again.”

“But Baba who will care of us?”

“Sell everything beside the house and get hired as a maid.”

“I love you, my children,” Haya said after she stopped crying. Noor tried to run to her mother, but Amira held her little sister back. She tried to wriggle free. Amira wouldn’t budge. Tears began to flood down Noor’s rosy cheeks and she stopped flailing and dropped to the dirt floor of their home. Amira knelt beside her and cried as their parents walked back outside and into the rain.

A few weeks later, the girls were hired by Commander Usama. They sold everything but the small stone home that they had lived in for nearly nine years.

Whenever Noor thought of that day it brought tears to her eyes.

Noor and Amira were entering the castle now. The guards knew them well and split their spears, letting the sisters pass. It wasn’t a long walk to the female chambers and the two girls split ways.

“See you this evening,” Noor said to her older sister as they walked in the female chambers, Noor to Nadia’s chamber and Amira to Fatima’s. The two sisters looked eye to eye now, Amira was shorter than most girls her age and was plain like their mother, but no one seemed to care. Even if she wasn’t as pretty as most women she was more beautiful in every other way. She was old be unmarried and had many suitors but said she couldn’t leave her sister alone, even if it meant she could never be married.

“Yeah,” Amira said, bringing Noor back to the present, “I love you, have a good day.” The girls split ways.

It was a short walk to Nadia’s chamber and Noor quickly arrived. She knocked lightly on Nadia’s olive wood door.

“Come in,” a familiar voice called from the other side. Noor walked in and closed the door without making a sound.

“Hello Noor, I thought it was you,” Nadia said.

“Good morning,” she replied. Nadia was sitting on a plush couch with her kitten purring in her lap.

Nadia and Noor found the small creature three months ago when they had been exploring around the castle, the kitten’s back leg had been stuck under a boulder. The girls helped the animal get out from under the rock but it was barely able to walk. Nadia asked her mother, Lamees, if they could nurse the kitten back to health. Lamees allowed the girls to keep the kitten after a long time of begging and pleading from Nadia. The friends named the animal Mishmish— apricot — for its beautiful orange coat.

Now Mishmish was barely a kitten anymore.

The cat jumped gracefully from Nadia’s lap and walked over to Noor and rubbed up against her legs. Noor stooped down and picked Mishmish up, petting the soft fur between her ears.

“She’s always seemed to like you more,” Nadia said sighing.

“No, I don’t think so,” Noor replied a little too quickly. Nadia raised an eyebrow. After a few seconds, the girls burst into laughter.

“What are we doing today,” Noor asked after their giggles ceased.

“We are going on a picnic,” Nadia said excitedly.

“Oh Nadia, that’s so fun!”

Noor loved going on picnics with her friend.

“I asked Fatima to let your sister come with her and mama said we could bring Mishmish and Owen will be there.”

Noor’s heart beat quickened. Owen was Nadia’s brother, he was a year older than the two girls and had always treated Noor as a friend not a servant.

“Will your father come,”she said changing the subject.

“No, he said he had business to attend too,” Nadia replied sadly.

Noor thought about how happy Nadia’s father was when he was around his children and wife. Noor longed to have a loving hug from her father like Nadia’s father gave his children.

“Oh and I forgot to say, there’s going to be freshly baked Moajanat for lunch,” she said acting as if it was nothing.

Moajanat was a savory pastry with meat, spinach, or cheese fillings in the middle. It was Noor’s favorite. She had it occasionally and loved it every time she ate it.

“Okay, I’ll come,” Noor said quickly, her mouth watering as she thought of the delicious pastries.

“Yay,” Nadia said hugging her friend a little too tightly, “now what do you think I should wear?”

Six girls, one boy, two guards, and one cat, walked on a narrow goat path. poppies and dandelions grew around the groups feet. Nadia held the short slip of rope that was harnessed to Mishmish’s leather collar. Noor and her sister laid a blanket down on the soft earth and Nadia, Fatima, Owen, and the children’s mother Lammees sat and ate. The maids sat on a separate blanket and ate their own food.

After they all ate, Noor, Nadia, and Owen explored.

“Owen, Noor, lets go look at this cave,” Nadia said picking up the annoyed kitten and giving the slip of rope to her mother’s maid. Then she grabbed Noor’s hand and ran toward the dark cave. Owen followed close behind. One of the guards tried to follow.

“Its alright, its just a cave It can’t hurt us,” Owen said his dark eyes sparkling with humor. The guard stepped back clearly not happy with the boy’s order. Owen smiled at the two girls, and gestured for them to continue.

As they stumbled over small pebbles Noor looked up and noticed something, the entrance was almost completely square.

“It looks like a square,” she said to her friends. Nadia squinted and nodded.

“Yes it does. maybe its man made. What do you think Owen?”

“I think it might be,” Owen said as they finally reached the cave. Nadia touched the surface of the stone. She yelped and drew her hand back.

“It’s burning up,” she exclaimed nursing her burned hand. Noor and Owen looked at each other. It was morning and the weather wasn’t hot enough to even make the stone a little warm.

“Lets go look inside,” Owen suggested. The girls nodded.

They walked into the cave and found that it was surprisingly cold.

“This is a weird cave,” Noor said laughing nervously.

They glanced anxiously at one another. After a moment, Noor gestured for Owen to lead the way. He nodded solemnly and continued.

They had been walking for a while when they saw a dim orange light in the distance.

“I wonder what that light is,” Nadia asked.

“Me too,” Noor replied, “it doesn’t seem bright enough to be the other side of the exit. and—”

“Shhh,” Owen cut her off, “listen.”

The girls listened. They heard voices. The three friends couldn’t make out what the voices were saying but it sounded like a large group of people.

“I’m going to go see what they are saying,” Owen said.

“Alright, but be careful,” Nadia said.

“I want to come,” Noor said impulsively.

“No, You’re going to be too loud.”

“I want to see what they are talking about,” Noor said.

“I’ll tell you when I come back though,” Owen replied.

“I want to see for myself.”

“Why?”

“I just want too.”

Nadia cut in, “Owen just let her go, I’ll stay here by myself.”

“Fine, but, Noor, you have to be quiet.”

“I will,” Noor said, smiling mischievously.

Owen sighed, “lets go then.”

“Nadia, you sit here. It will hide you if someone walks by,” Owen said motioning to a boulder. After Nadia hid herself behind the boulder, Noor and Owen crept closer to the lit room. Noor realized that it was more of a cavern than a room, as the two friends neared it.

Suddenly they heard the sound of feet. Owen grabbed Noor’s hand and dove behind a rock. they held their breath as the footsteps passed them and disappeared into the darkness. They both sighed with relief and crawled to their feet.

“Did I hurt you,” Owen whispered, his voice full of concern.

“No, of course not. Owen, I’m not a spoiled princess; I can take a little tumble.”

“I know,” he said, “I was just making sure.”

She bit her lip, no one had ever cared for her like that since her parents left.

“Thanks Owen.”

They crawled to the entrance, inside was a huge cavern with torches that lit the room up. The walls were smooth and rose straight up like they were carved. There were hundreds of small tents, and there were people all around the cavern, they all wore white bandages wrapped around their bodies. The people were all surrounding one big tent. They all seem extremely excited to see what or who was in that tent, Noor thought to herself. Finally, a man came out. The man wore a plain cream colored Qamīs, a long sleeved, ankle length tunic. The man didn’t wear the white bandages that the others wore. She was too far away to see his face but she thought he looked familiar.

“Hello Majadhīm,” the man boomed. Noor gasped and looked at Owen. Majadhīm means lepers. Maybe my parents are here, she thought excitedly. The man continued, “I have brought food and supplies to you.” he paused to let the people cheer, then he continued, “There is medicine and—”

“Who are you,” a voice asked behind Noor and Owen. They both whirled around and saw a man with the bandages wrapped around his arms and legs.

“Come with me,” the man said. he roughly pulled Noor and Owen to their feet. Noor lost her sense of direction as they wove through the cave. After a few minutes, they came to a small room. The man pushed them onto the ground and tied them up back to back.

“Stay here. I’ll be back,” he said coolly. It’s not like we could go anywhere, she thought to herself with grim humor.

“Owen, we’re going to get leprosy,” she said after the man left, “we’ve been more than exposed to a leper. He touched us.”

“Yeah. I don’t know what to do.”

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come with you.”

“Noor, it’s not your fault, I should have known not to be out in the open where anyone could see us.”

“But I should have obeyed you. I’m just a maid, and when you told me not to come I wanted to have my own way, and disobeyed you. I’m sorry Owen, I don’t know why I didn’t stay with Nadia.”

“It’s fine Noor, I would’ve gotten caught anyways. It’s nice to have a you here with me.”

She smiled, “Thanks.”

They sat in silence until the man returned. He walked in with the man who had spoken to the lepers in the cavern.

Noor thought the man defiantly looked familiar now that she was closer to him. She looked at him even closely, why it’s— but Owen cut her off.

“Baba,” he cried.

“Owen, what are you doing here,” Commander Usama asked his son. then to the man with the bandages, “untie them, Samir.”

The man quickly untied them.

“Owen explain,” Usama told his son, he looked mad, with his arms crossed over his chest and his face set in a stony expression. Inside Noor knew that he was relieved to know his son was safe.

Owen told Usama everything.

“Why didn’t Nadia come with you? Owen, you should know better than to leave your little sister by herself.”

Owen was about to respond, when a man came into the room.

“Sir, I found this girl behind a boulder.”

“Nadia,” Usama said rushing to his youngest child, “are you hurt?”

“No, but Baba, what is going on. Who are these people, and why are you here,” she replied. She finally noticed her brother and best friend, “are you alright?”

“Yes, of course,” Noor replied.

“Baba, what are you doing here,” Owen asked.

Usama sighed, “I’ve been coming here since I built the castle. There is a secret passage I found behind the castle that leads here. When I realized these people were lepers,” he said motioning to the men behind him, “I started bringing food and supplies to them. I found out that I couldn’t get the disease. It didn’t matter how much I was around the lepers.

“A long time ago, people carved out this cave for the lepers, and ever since it has been a safe haven for them. That is why I haven’t told anyone, not even you or Lamees. If anyone found out about them they would kill them and destroy these tunnels.”

“Baba, any of us could get the disease, right,” Nadia asked.

“Yes. But you wouldn’t see any symptoms until after three to five years. Maybe even more.”

Noor sighed with relief. Everyone was going to be fine for now.

“Noor,” Usama said changing the subject, “you’re mother is here.”

She gasped, “A’amu, will you please take me to her?” A’amu means uncle.

“Of course, child,” he replied soothingly, “come with me.”

Usama led Noor back the way they had come. They passed through the door that Noor and Owen had been. Noor looked around at the faces that stared at her. Their eyes had both hurt and light in them.

How many people have kicked these lepers out of their own homes and left them to starve, she thought to herself, but there is still happiness in their eyes. I could never live like this, in a dark cave with other sick people all around me.

“This way, Noor,” Usama said gesturing for her to come into a small tent. She followed the Commander eagerly. Noor entered, half expecting to see a woman with dark hair and olive colored skin to be sitting on the dusty ground. She did not find that woman, instead there was an old lady laying on the ground. Haya was graying hair and wore white bandages wrapped tightly around her red and white rashes that had blood and puss oozing out of her cracked skin.

“Mama,” was all Noor could say. She knew it was her mother but the woman was so different from the lady she had last seen nine years ago.

“Noor,” Haya cried as she crawled to her feet. Noor cringed at the sound of Haya’s knees cracking. Haya touched Noor’s red wavy hair with shaky fingers. Then she quickly withdrew her hand, “Noor, I can’t touch you. You’re going to get the disease. How did you find me? Where is Amira?”

“I’ve already been exposed to the disease. Mama, where is Baba,” Noor asked.

Haya looked into her deeply daughter’s green eyes, “he’s gone, my child.”

Noor couldn’t hold back the tears that immediately flowed down her cheeks and onto the dirty floor. Haya held her daughter like she had done when Noor was a child. Haya stroked her hair and rocked her back and fourth.

“Mama, when will the pain stop,” she asked through her tears.

“We must endure pain for real happiness, Noor. Keep that close to your heart, child.”

Soon Noor, Nadia, and Owen had to leave. Usama told them not to tell anyone, not even their family, about the cave. They were also never allowed to visit the cave.

Life wasn’t the same after that. Of course Noor had bad days but she always kept one thing close to her heart

Endure Pain for Real Happiness.