Indira Jackson - Rayan - Son of the Desert

Jack sent most of his servants away to take a prolonged vacation because what his wife needed right now was peace.

Only a housekeeper came several times per week, who also cooked their meals for them.

Julie, when he made her go outside, sometimes sat in the garden and stared for hours at the same spot. Apart from that, she did not leave her room at all. From time to time the doctor checked in on her, but besides giving her some tranquilizers he could do nothing for her.

What was bothering the general most of all was that all the research on the background of the explosion or to find the perpetrators had led to nothing. That topic was on his mind as he dragged open the door. To his utter surprise Yasin stood in front of him; yet he barely recognised him. The boy seemed to have neither shaved for weeks nor washed himself. His clothes were in rags and dirty; his hair was shaggy. He could not have eaten a lot as he had visibly lost weight, which intensified the run-down state of his garments. His eyes lay deep within their sockets and had a fierce, almost insane shine.

Even though Yasin’s appearance was alarming and his sudden showing-up after so many weeks was more than a little suspicious, the general ignored this and waved him inside without saying anything.

He was glad that his wife was upstairs in her bedroom, fast asleep. This entrance would surely have been too much for her strained nerves.

They had barely walked into the living room when suddenly Yasin blurted out all about the events he had experienced. He was talking in a strange mixture of Arabic and English, which was another sign of his completely disoriented state of mind. Stammering he whispered in a hoarse voice: "I have found them – those pigs! They were just about to build a new bomb … I talked them out of it…“, he giggled like a lunatic. “I have killed them all!”

Then he suddenly grabbed the General’s shirt with unexpected strength: "Do you understand?! I have avenged her!! I have avenged Clara!“

Jack calmly grabbed Yasin’s hands and freed them from his shirt. It slowly dawned on him what It slowly dawned on Jack what the boy’s stammering actually meant. Could it be true? He was just thinking about how to get further information out of Yasin and wanted to ask him some questions, but at that moment the boy just fainted silently and collapsed on the ground.

Hanif stood thunderstruck in Rayan’s tent. How could he let himself go in that way? He knew exactly – along with everybody else – that it was the worst lapse he could have done, to contradict His Excellency in front of his man. While he always especially appreciated Hanif’s advice in a face-to-face discussion, he would not tolerate any contradiction when others were present.

"I am …, I am so sorry!“, he spluttered. "This should not have happened! I have no idea what came over me. Please forgive me sire, I did not mean to compromise you …” His voice broke. Rayan had so far not said anything at all. He struggled to get his composure and did not want to say anything on impulse. He owed that much to Hanif. Still, he had the feeling that his friend had betrayed him somehow. He fought to reign in his rage.

Several seconds passed by and a while later the Sheikh said with a mocking undertone to his voice: "These two must have impressed you, given that you are risking your loyalty for them.”

Hanif’s face went red. His lapse greatly embarrassed him and he would have gladly taken his words back, if only he could. He was insulted that his master was now questioning his loyalty because of this small error. He vowed an oath 13 years ago, which he had so far not broken, not for even one second. To doubt him because of this little mistake, hurt him badly. "May I talk, Your Excellency?“, he asked in a neutral tone, yet his body language showed that he was offended. Rayan raised his brows: "Of course.“

"I would like to make the following proposal, Sire: please give the merchant the honour to kindly receive him and to listen to his story personally. I take full responsibility. If he does not succeed in satisfying your expectation, I will personally carry out any punishment that you are going to order for both of them.“

Rayan felt agitated. He realised why Hanif was so ceremonial now. What was the problem with his second-in-command today? First he contradicted him in front of Jassim and then he was insulted because of it? What did he think of himself?

Consequently, he responded in a cold voice: "Proposal accepted. And right after the talk with the merchant we are going to discuss YOUR punishment.“

All colour drained from Hanif’s face; he did not say anything, bowed low and went outside to fetch Hatem.

When Rayan woke up he had no idea where he was. He had definitively never been in this room before. The bed in which he was lying had red-white bed linen and the walls around him were painted in a clean white colour. All was decent, orderly and light, which was quite unusual around here, especially considering the places he had been to during the last weeks. On the desk someone had even put some colourful flowers in a vase.

He looked down at himself and noticed that he was wearing dark blue pyjamas, which he also had never seen before, but which seemed to fit quite well. When had he last worn such a thing? Rayan tried to get up, but as soon as he reached a sitting position on the side of the bed, his head was spinning around so madly that he had to wait until the room stopped rotating. This told him that he had obviously been out cold for quite a while. How many days? He checked his face to find an answer there, but someone had taken the effort to shave him. Where on earth could he be? This was clearly not a hospital.

Just when he was trying to make his aching head think about what he could last recall, the door opened quietly and a housekeeper dressed in black with a white apron came in. As she saw him sitting on the bed, she turned around, left, and he could hear her call through the house: "He is awake!“

So he decided it would be easier for him to just stay where he was and wait. Obviously someone would now come and inform him about everything he needed to know.

Shortly after, he heard two sets of footsteps in the hallway and then Julie and Jack Tanner entered the room. The house of the General, of course! He suddenly had a blurred memory that he had come here. But how long ago?

Julie Tanner was very pale and much leaner than the last time he had seen her: a long time ago – as it seemed – during that lunch – together with Clara … Clara! Suddenly that part of the jigsaw puzzle fell into place and pictures shot through his head. He felt grief surge through him like a flood.

The woman seemed to understand that the memories had been triggered within him and she took him without hesitation in her arms. “How are you, lad?“, she asked him quietly. Rayan supposed that it had been her who had shaved him and felt ashamed. He had been in a desperate state and looked terrible.

The General had stopped in the doorway and had folded his arms on his chest. It was clear that Julie had told him that this was her responsibility and he should keep out of it. What kind of an opinion would Clara’s father have about him now?

But Jack Tanner just smiled reassuringly when he saw the doubt in Rayan’s gaze and said: “Welcome back to the land of the living. You surely have taken your time …”, which was immediately stopped by Julie: "leave him alone Jack, his body needed the rest, you saw how haggard he was!“

The she turned to Rayan: “And you are not going to even think about getting up now. You are going to eat and after that you will sleep again!“ It was not a question, it was a command.