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This is a story I've been working on, so I thought about typing it up to see what everyone thinks. It might take up more than one entry, so if it's a page stretcher, I pre-apologize! It's about a Saudi girl who stands up for her rights. Enjoy!
PART 1
The sun began to set as Amani returned to her spacious apartment in Riydah, Saudi Arabia. She quickly turned the doorknob and slipped inside, hoping to find no one home. She looked around inquisitively, first noticing that the living room was dimmed and the house seemed lifeless, next checking the kitchen for either of her siblings or mother. She called out her father's name along with a nice greeting. "Saloom papa, I brought the groceries home for our evening meal." When no one was spotted around the home, Amani gave a sigh of relief. "My family must still be visiting the temple, which means I can finally eat a meal alone."
Amani walked into the kitchen and put the groceries in the refridgerater, grinning at the possibility of sneaking dinner into her room and eating it there. She walked into her bedroom and sat down at her vanity, immediately removing her veil and abaaya so that she could breathe easier. (She layed them closeby though, just in case her family returned early.) Then she got out her eyeliner pen from the vanity drawer and began the apply the thick black paint under each eye. Beauty is an important part of her culture, and in Amani's eyes, a women cannot be wed unless she is both radiant and luscious.
After a few brief strokes of mascara, Amani returned to the kitchen to start the preparation of the family meal. She reached into the fridge first, removing the freshing cut vegetables and putting them all in a medium size pan with the intent to sauter them. However, a noise from the front door stopped Amani in her tracks. She quickly remembered her veil and abaaya and turned down the stove so that she could go fetch them before her father saw her naked face. However, as the footsteps came closer, Amani knew her time was too limited. "Hello father, I am cooking dinner for you," she said in her naturally quiet tone. "It will be a surprise so please do not disturb me..." She knew her father couldn't resist a home-cooked meal, which meant that he would rather wait with anticipation at the table than spoil the surprise while the food was still being prepared. Amani felt a sigh of relief overcome her body.
As Amani continued to sauter the vegetables, she heard the footsteps loom closer. "Father, please do not ruin the surprise," Amani shouted into the adjoining room. However, the footsteps came closer and closer.
"Father, did you hear me?" Amani said again, praying he would not enter the room and discover she was not wearing her veil. (Women in Saudi Arabia are only allowed to take off their veil in the presence of women.) She decided she must fetch her veil before he arrived, she that she would not be punished. However, a strong hand on her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.
Amani turned around with a guilty look plastered on her face, but gasped when she realized the man was not her father. Amani stared at him fearfully, wondering why he had entered her home while her father was away. "Excuse me," she said timidly, "but my father is not at home right now." She watched the man's face closely, hoping he would smile nicely or give some sort of sweet gesture. However, his face continued to look cold and cruel as he held Amani, staring deeply into her bright brown eyes with a look of anticipation. Amani nervously gazed back. "You can wait in the living room if you prefer sir until my father returns."
Suddenly without hesitation the man wrapped his hands around her waist and dragged her away from the stove. Amani began to kick and scream with fright, trying to release herself from his clutches, but failing. "Help!" She screamed as he dragged her towards her parents bedroom. However, only a faint echo could be heard from outside the home. The man hungrily threw Amani onto the bed and began the grueling process of raping her. Amani screamed in terror as the tall Arabian man subdued her and began to undress her with his bare hands, without holding back. She continued to scream with despair, praying that her father would return in a moment and save her. Sadly though, her dream would never come true...