Forget Me Not Vol 1: Chapter 7

 Chapter 7

     "Wooow… I wanna touch them!!!", Mariam started bouncing up and down. "One touch and I promise you that you would be sleeping outside…", threatened I as calmly as possible. The place was surrounded by natives, only God knows how old they are! The huskies were howling most of the time, they seemed to be calling for something whatever that is. But, what caught my attention was that single husky aside from the pack. He was sitting still, tilting his head, almost approaching me steadily, sniffing me around and sitting upright. Staring! Since the beginning of this adventure, things were starting to get weirder and weirder. I tried to ignore that fact, but I believe I reached out a point where I can no longer ignore it. Where I can no longer do anything, but notice… "That's an omega! It's a he…", said the old lady while patting him gently. "What's his name?", inquired I. "I couldn't name him anything but Omega…", the old lady replied. "He seems attracted to you… You must be an Alpha!", she deduced. "I beg your pardon?!", I didn't  understand the constant law of attraction that I had to weird stuff. "An Alpha… A naturally born leader, he only does this when he sees an Alpha! See… I'm still rubbing his fur, but yet he didn't take his eyes off you!", proving her point I couldn't help but believe. 

     "Heba… They're having smores!", Toka called. "Coming, with Allah's will…", giving her some sort of mysterious sign language that you give to a friend just in case they didn't hear you. "Excuse me…", asking for a permission to be dismissed only to find my hand being grabbed firmly by her to warn me: "Be careful of the answers you're looking for, some may kill you!", then she let go of my hand to continue petting Omega as if nothing has ever happened. What did she mean? Why is everyone acting so weird?!! And I thought I was the weird one… I marched quickly, trying not to bother myself only to find someone in my way. I didn't look up, but I think he apologized saying excuse me. Both of us paused for a moment, doubting the familiarity of the presence. Then, ending up ignoring it and continuing our path. "Heba… You're gonna miss it!", Mariam urged while trying to protect what's left. "Coming… It's just I have short legs and things are getting slippery around her!", fastened I. "I see you have run into Hady…", Menna noticed. "Wait… What?!!", looked back at Omega seeing that Hady was playing with him. They seemed like a perfect match. I didn't want to stare at his eyes, that would be much better! "Ummm… I'm gonna faint from their beauty!!!", Toka was almost flirting with the smores. "Hey… Slow down or you would choke!", Sarah apprised. "You're only saying this so you would have more!!!", Toka increased the pace so there would be nothing left for Sarah. Trying to punish her, I guess… "What about me?", Nada rushed to us while running towards us and grabbing Salma and Noureen on her way to us. "You didn't play with them Nada, did you?", interrogated I. "Ahhh… Don't worry!!! We cleaned our hands very well, on the right way…", soothed Salma whilst having Nada and Noureen nodding off their heads so I would just leave them alone. "Hey… Why did they get to pay with them while I didn't?!!!", objected Mariam. "Fine… But make sure you clean your hands, we don't want to mess our prayers!", yelled I as she went away. "Menna… Go with her and make sure she won't do anything stupid!", begged I. "Sure…", Menna ran quickly towards Mariam upon my request. Oh my God… I can't stop eating! 

     "Hey, dear… I can't seem to find Omega, is he with you?", the old lady seemed worried. "I last saw him with my family…", I told her while scanning the area for him. Mariam and Menna came running only to tell us that they saw him running into the woods, but were too scared to catch up with him. Subconsciously, I took the flashlight on the table and ran into the woods as fast as I could so no one would keep up with me. I can't leave him there, he must be scared. The woods were dark and I could barely see anything, I could feel that I got so deep into the forest that I couldn't find my way out. So I kept searching for him, he must be somewhere! I called out for him, but no answer was to be found. I could no longer call out for him, so I started whistling. When I'm scared, I whistle. I can whistle different stuff, mostly lullabies. I get anxious most of the time, so I trained myself to calm myself by myself. I didn't want to put such power in the hands of a stranger. So I whistled MAMA's lullaby, for a while there was still no response. Until… I heard a bark! Omega!!! I followed his sound whilst whistling, that's how I found him. But… Omega wasn't alone! He had a bear with him, Omega was still barking and the bear was growling. So I approached them carefully whilst whistling. Trust me, you do not want to startle a bear! Looking down, I understood… Her cub was trapped in the bushes. The mamma bear couldn't get his out because they were full of pointy edges. They seemed like wilted roses to me. Steadily, I covered my hands so I wouldn't get hurt. Pushing the bushes aside, whilst making way out for the cub to run free. The Mamma bear seemed to be concerned for her cub, worried about the possibility that he wouldn't make it. But, I kept whistling refusing to give up. The cub was finally free, he licked me a few times then went on to cuddle with his mamma. That was one lucky cub to have such a mother by his side! It was getting late and the mamma bear and her cub disappeared into the forest before I could even notice, I pray that Allah helps me find my way back. Looking back at Omega, I whistled to him and then told him: "Omega… Lead the way!", I signaled to him whilst he was listening to me attentively. Omega barked twice and ran around me so I would follow him. Somehow, Omega seemed to understand me! Like, we were bonded… Am I a Heyoka? It seemed like the old lady wasn't crazy at all… 

     It was only a few seconds after surviving the dark woods that I saw most of them running towards them, asking me where I have been and how I could find Omega. I couldn't answer their flood of questions, I found it to be overwhelming! So instead I told them that I was fine and that I found Omega by chance. I'm good at hiding, but then the old lady pushed her way through them having Chris by her side only to tell me: "So you're a Heyoka! Just like your mother…", she deducted whilst slightly nodding with her head. "What did you see my dear?", she interrogated. "A… Bear?", slowly confessing whilst waiting for their response. I was scared they would believe I was going crazy… "Without even a scratch! You know you're lucky you have survived a wild bear…", Chris examined my clothes. "Why would she hurt me? I was saving her cub…", I couldn't understand. They were looking at me in this weird way. "Because she is a bear my dear, but you're a Heyoka… You communicated with her just like you did with Omega!", pointed out the old lady trying to make a point. I didn't know what kind of reaction the old lady or Chris were waiting for, so I just stood there. But, apparently that wasn't normal at all!" Let's get back, people… That's enough for the day! We get it, she can talk to animals… Yaaay and stuff! But, it's getting late and probably she is tired…", Hady tried to hush them away and it worked. Earlier, he was an intruder whom I did not like at all. But now, it's the first time that I appreciated it. So I thanked him whilst looking at my family and we went off. I mean I can talk to animals, what could possibly go wrong?!! Anyway, I need some rest… 

     "Heba… How did you do it?", Mariam questioned curiously. "Mariam… Let her rest!", Menna pushed her away to stop. "What?!!!", Mariam pushed her back. "I don't know…", I sunk in the bed while staring at the ceiling till I fell asleep. They gave up and they went to bed. I have always felt different since I was a child, but I have never felt so different until now. What's happening with me? Would she call me again? Would there be a new quest? Why am I truly here?!!! Those were questions that kept hunting me all night… I tried escaping them through sleep, but the things that I keep running from often find a way through my dreams to hold me captured. I thought I knew who I am, but after all of this I found out that little I did know…

     "And the heart is aching… And the soul is longing… For a place called home… For a place called home! Mammy Mammy where are you? Come and take me home! Mammy Mammy where are you? This isn't where I belong! I was always born to be FREE! Neither tied to a fence nor caged… I will flap my wings so high! So high until they reach the sky… And I shall go through full speed with the wind by my side! And I shall feel the breeze of free, screaming right in my face. Cause the heart is aching… And the soul is longing… For a place called home… For a place called HOME!!! ", I could remember. I need a paper and a pen! I rushed to the drawer writing Mama's lullaby as soon as possible in fear of forgetting it. I remember, I remember when she used to dance while holding me between her hands. I remember her sweet voice. I remember the lightness of her steps. I remember her touch. I remember her love. I remember her moves. I remember everything. She loved me! She really did… I wish she could be with me! I wish I could hug her one more time… I wish I could smell her one more time! I wish I could call her MAMMA for the first time… I wish I could be with her! I couldn't stop the tears from rushing down my face… How could it ever be the same without her?! Where are you MAMMA? Take me home! 

     "Heba…", Mariam woke me up. Apparently, I slept on the desk having the pen in one hand whilst resting my face on the other arm. I could feel the dampness of the paper, it must have been the sadness soaked up by the piece of paper. "Peace be upon you…", comforted I Mariam so she won't have to worry about me. "Peace be upon you too my dear! What have you been up to at that time?!!!", Mariam inquired while reading out the piece of paper quickly. "That's the whole lullaby, isn't it? Does she still visit you in your dreams? Heba… We need to go to the old lady again, maybe she could help!", Mariam urged. "Don't worry… It's just a dream!", objected I. "No, Heba… It's not! Your DEAD mother is visiting YOU!!!", Mariam shook me off strongly attempting to wake me up as if I was asleep. "Yes, Mariam! You're right… She's DEAD!!! And she talks to me!!!! In my dreams! And I miss her and she won't come back… Happy?!!!", lashed I back while putting on my outfit and leaving off slamming the door behind so hard subconsciously that all of them woke up. "What's wrong?!!!", Menna freaked out. "Nothing…", Mariam hid it away.