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Re: Scheherazade's tales
Posted: 20 May 2014, 23:54
by Aysel
Dear Zakar,
I thought you might like to know that I made it safe. Abdalla met me at the airport and we rode from there to the museum. I am currently spending, what will most likely be my last night, in a hotel room with real bed with a real shower. When the sun sets I will head to the museum and finish my research.
After that, the Tribe and I will go where ever the winds take us. I have included the address of our first mail stop, in hopes that you will be able to write back in time. If you want to that is. I know my leaving was not the easiest thing on either one of us. But I am hopeful that if I should return, it will be with the pieces of myself that have been lost. I hope that I will be whole again.
Thank you, for taking care of that thing I left you with. You know what I mean. I really appreciate you taking on such a thing, given the circumstances. It means a lot. I've only been gone for a day, but I already miss you as if I have been gone a lifetime.
Try to stay out of trouble, write me often, and think of me always.
In Allah's Light,
Aysel Asun Johari El-Sayed
Re: Scheherazade's tales
Posted: 21 May 2014, 01:11
by Zakar
Dear Aysel,
I am glad you made it safely to your destination. I would attempt to run a background check on this Abdalla person you speak of, but I have serious doubts anything would turn up. Make sure you use up all the hot water you can, or rather I hope you used it all up since, by the time this gets to you, you will be living the life of a nomad.
I find that I am hopeful the winds will take you somewhere that eventually has hot water, a bed, little to no sand in your food, and a means of electronic communication. You know I am not adverse to writing letters, but the occasional call or email is always nice too. Not much has happened since you left, nothing of any great note at least. I will make sure the item you entrusted to me is returned to the owner, more than likely that will happen later this evening since I can make it a dual trip and drop this in the post to you. I have enclosed a couple of hand drawn pictures for you, Fatima said you would like them and that she has plenty more where they came from so that if they get lost in your travels, do not worry overly much.
Your leaving was and is terrible. My best friend and confidant has now become my pen pal. What is this world coming to? I miss you and it has been such a short time since you left. I am holding you to the thing you swore to me before you left and I expect that you will find whatever parts of yourself you have lost, and probably a few more you did not realize you had.
As soon as you are able, let me know the next mail stop and I will write back and ship this out promptly while you are studying those dusty old clay tablets. In the meantime, you take care of yourself and I would tell you to stay out of trouble, but I feel I would be wasting my breath so instead I will say, be good and if you cannot be good, then be good at it. If you need anything, you know how to reach me.
In Allah’s Light,
Zakar Aarif El-Sayed
Re: Scheherazade's tales
Posted: 26 May 2014, 15:50
by Aysel
Dear Zakar,
I cannot tell you how much it warmed my heart to speak with you the other night. We reached our first stop today and collected the mail. I was pleased and delighted to find this waiting for me. Now I am sitting in my tent, writing to you. Tonight is a night of celebration for the Tribe. Once I finish this letter, I plan to go and join in. There is dancing, food, music, stories. It is a wedding you see. Abdallah took another wife. A lovely woman who was widowed and chose to join his house rather than move on to another Tribe.
So far, all has been quiet since Syria. We continue to ride at night, and by two days end, we will be in Egypt. I have not been there in so long. I cannot wait to see it again. We skipped Turkey as our ultimate destination is Saudi Arabia. Though we are taking a more circuitous route instead of going straight south from Syria. I have seen in some places the Tribe and goods we bring are welcomed with open arms and in tohers we are met with suspicion.
It seems that even here, in this peaceful realm of desolation, prejudices linger. I think it is akin to all the myths you hear of gypsies. Child stealing, money hungry monsters. And yet, the Tribe uses no money. They barter and trade for every thing. It is a strange, yet familiar scene.
When we get to Cairo, the women and I plan to go do a little shopping in some of the open air markets. The guards have been bored to tears, and they are not as good of horsemen as you claimed. Each morning, we stop before the sun begins to rise to set up the camp. I cannot help but laugh when I see them walking bow legged through the camp, groaning and complaining about how sore they are. It has been, perhaps, a week and they are suffering. They lament the lack of hot water, and the sand, and pretty much any thing they can. As a result, I will be sending them home to you. I trust Abdallah and the tribe to protect me more than these soft, city men.
Beyond these things, please tell Fatima I truly enjoyed the art work she sent me and I look forward to receiving more. Do give every one my love. I look forward to receiving your next letter and I hope we can talk again soon. I miss you.
In Allah's Light,
Aysel Asun Johari El-Sayed
Re: Scheherazade's tales
Posted: 02 Jun 2014, 23:01
by Zakar
Dear Aysel,
I am sorry the guards I sent with to aid in keeping you safe were not everything they needed to be. Strangely enough, they came home and tendered their resignations immediately. I suppose I shall have to hire more of them, but if you say the tribe can provide the protection you need, then I will wait to do so until you give me the word.
Not much has happened in the time you have been gone. Most nights are very routine. Training, training, more training, work, work, work. I did make a djinn of my own a few nights ago. His name is Darnell and he is....a breath of fresh air in what is often a very dark and dreary world these nights. He has taken to most of the people he has met, though he does not seem to care for one person all that much. I have told him to ignore the person in question and he has done an admirable job of it so far...in my humble opinion at least.
I have recently taken up studying mechanics, specifically the art of making items. Things like guns and other items that might prove helpful to others in the future. If not, I will have quite a large amount of things to give you when you return. I am in know way trying to make you feel obligated to return, but I miss you and our talks. I miss hanging out with you, watching movies, laughing and all those types of things that friends do.
I hope your time away is proving to be enjoyable and productive. I have been looking into some designs to have etched into my flesh as well some tattoos. Perhaps something to the effect of, "There is no god" in Arabic. I am not yet sure, but when I finally figure it out, I will have the work done. For now, I must close this letter and get it posted if it is to reach your next mail stop in time. May Allah keep you safe in all that you do.
In Allah's Light,
Zakar Aarif El-Sayed
Re: Scheherazade's tales
Posted: 04 Jun 2014, 19:51
by Aysel
Dearest Zakar,
In'sha Allah is easy enough to do. However I would recommend it as a tattoo rather than scarring. While our written language is beautiful, it does not lend it's self well to scarification.
I do look forward to meeting your baby Djinn. You speak so highly of him that I can only think he is a person of quality. As for the guards, they resigned because I told them I would eviscerate them if I saw them upon my return. The tribe has plenty of security, though I will be leaving them in a few nights time.
My time in the desert has been an incredible learning experience. I have discovered things about myself that I never knew. Like my ability to milk a camel. But in all seriousness, this time away is what I needed. Each night that passes leaves me feeling more like a whole person again. I only hope that the second leg of my trip is just as informative.
The only difficult thing is that letters will be harder to receive. I plan to travel alone with only the few supplies I can carry and a tent to protect me from the sun. I will try to keep in contact via satellite phone, but even then I cannot make promises that it will always work. I know this is only going to make you worry for me, but you do not have to. I will be fine, I promise.
Give every one my love and I will contact you as soon as I am able.
In Allah's light,
Aysel Asun Johari El-Sayed.
Re: Scheherazade's tales
Posted: 21 Jun 2014, 19:15
by Zakar
Where to begin? Much has happened over the last two or three weeks. Darnell seems to be thriving in this new life and each time I see him or speak with him brings me great happiness. I think turning him, while not intentional, was one of the best decisions I have made since coming to live in Canada.
Since this seems to be the night to enter happy occurrences, I feel there is another one of note that I should write down. Aysel has returned from her journey. She came to the Masquerade ball, looking nothing at all like herself. She has changed in many ways, and it seems she suffered an accident that caused her to lose her memory. She has very few memories and I have tried to keep from telling her things that might have a negative association but there have been one or two things I did mention. It is wonderful to have my friend back! I missed talking to her, laughing with her, and just hanging out like we used to do. Between her and my Darnell, I am the happiest I have been in a very long time.