Jafaar and the Imaam's Secrets

“Haji, it’s time to go.”

I looked around the house. It was neat and tidy, with the dishes washed, the garbage bagged, and the floor swept. The furniture was arranged to my mother’s liking; nothing in her home ever stood out of place. She was a private woman who kept us all on a short leash; we had to ask before taking anything from her kitchen or leaving the house. We were always afraid of displeasing her.

“I want you to remember something son: You are Alawi Bekkaya’s only son. Your father has been gone for a long time but his soul lives inside you; you have his strength and his determination inside you. That is why I am sending you away to study in England. You can learn there and become a well-educated man, like your father was before he passed away.” Her eyes began to fill with tears as she spoke of my father but she quickly wiped them away. “You have never wanted for anything since you were born; I have always taken care of you and your sisters and brothers, but I must do this now so that you can take care of yourself when I am no longer here. They will help me get to England, they said they would help me find you again when you finish school.”

I didn’t know what she was talking about but I followed her out nonetheless; she had always been kind to me, even if she was stern and strict most of the time. She wrapped her arm around mine as we left the house that had been my home my whole life. Outside, a sleek black car waited for us; it was warm outside but the sun felt like it was burning up everything around us as we made our way to the car, my mother supporting much of her own weight on me as we walked slowly towards the vehicle.

The driver hurriedly opened the door for us and helped my mother into the backseat before gently depositing me beside her. He climbed back into his seat in front of us and drove off quickly down the street towards where I knew there wouldn’t be any other vehicles or people nearby. Suddenly, people appeared out of nowhere on both sides of our car; they wore black cloaks that obscured their faces so that I couldn’t see their features at all as they yanked open both doors on either side of our car simultaneously and pulled both my mother and I out onto the ground roughly, making sure to keep their hands firmly on our arms as they led us towards one side of a large truck parked nearby so that we could not run away in case we changed our minds about whatever it was that they had planned for us.

My mother began crying loudly; she had resigned herself to whatever fate these men had planned for her by bringing me along with her but it wasn't until these strangers touched her that she truly started seeing herself in an entirely different light - one where she didn't exist without me anymore and where she couldn't bear being separated from me forever this way...

“Your son is very young for such an important task Haji Bekkaya . . .” The voice echoed through a speakerphone set up next to where we were standing with our captors behind us so that we could not see them or hear them clearly at all, “you do understand why he must be sent away don’t you? We mustn’t leave any loose ends . . .”

My mother began sobbing harder than before as she looked at me pleadingly through tear-soaked eyes while still maintaining a firm hold on my hand so tight enough that it hurt slightly but not enough to make me cry out in pain despite how scared and confused I felt at this moment in time...