Lilies Glow

Fourth land

Your crime is your doctrine

Burma Flowers

Aung Rasul

Sometimes she squeezes her brain from a crazy pain. Why did it all happen? she imagined she goes back in time and thought , What event would she pick from the chain of events to change it, to change the fate of her family that she deprived of in the blink of an eye?!. Would she condone the insult and go through it like nothing? She remembered entering the market and her mind screamed... It’s the durian dish. The reason for all of this.. I wish you didn’t pass by the fruit seller! but her brain screamed more... Let me not enter the market!

＊＊＊

Aung landed steps of the stairs leading to the exit door in fast steps. she finished her work that day and hurried to catch the bus passing by her residence on the outskirts of Yangon, Myanmar’s old capital, which overlooks the east bank of the river carrying its name. As for her job, she was working in downtown in one of the telecom companies’ branches. From this point, the most stressful part of the day begins, in the journey to home .. she was not walking, but she was flying. Where she passes first to take her five and seven-year-old kids from her mother, Then she goes to her house and stays into her kitchen first to prepare food which Often made up of rice or pasta, fish soup and vegetables, Just before the arrival of her husband, who works in a government interest ,so she does not re-sit after all this running until after sunset.

After she landed from the overcrowded bus, she walked to bring the two children, but before walking to her mother’s house, she remembered that she needs to buy some lunch purchases from the market, so she entered the town market to finish her shopping first. She was wearing a small hijab over the uniform in which she goes to work. Aung was one of the Rohingya Muslims who live in Burma as a minority, where the majority... Burman nationalism who believe in Buddhism.

Muslims are spread across Burma, but are based in Arakan Province, Mandalay City and Rangoon. The Rohingya minority in Burma is one of the most persecuted in the world, and the Arakan region has the largest share of violence in that Asian country. There is a long history of differentiation between Burmese and Rohingya. Burmese claim that the Rohingya are migrants from Bangladesh, who settled in the adjacent Arakan province on the borders. they call them Bengalis as a racist word. The Rohingya insist that they have been in that territory since the seventeenth century, when Islam was introduced by Arab Muslim traders..

In 2011, one of these sparks went off, when three young Muslims were accused of raping a Burmese woman, and to revenge , Buddhists attacked a bus and killed ten Muslims, even before the accusation was decided. the violence spreaded throughout the territory. Mass murder, house burning, wholesale arrests done by the Burmese Army, which committed numerous documented crimes against Muslims with military rule.

The result was also the displacement of thousands of Rohingya from Bangladesh, and the Arakan Salvation Army was formed to defend Rohingya Muslims in the town of Mongdau,as They directed their strikes at the city police station. A violent, bleak and bloody situation. Black blinders covered the sky from the smoke of the fires, and the land’s soil and rivers were pigmented in bloody red due to that religious sectarian conflict.

Things in Yangon were stable and far from that ongoing war, but we cannot rule out the outbreak of fire between the two sides of the conflict who are also in Yangon... the Burman and Rohingya.

A fast-paced round in the market resulted in more bags in Aung’s hands, after which she began moving out of the market but she found this fruit seller, who stood behind his cart which was filled with different fruits .she thought she might want to prepare a durian dish for the kids ..which is a mixture of juices, fruits and one of the distinctive dishes in Burma. She placed her stuff on the ground and approached the seller. after filling her hands with two bags of what she had requested. He stood waiting for his money. seconds passed and Aung put his money on the carriage and before she went away, she was surprised by that dirty hand groping her lower back from behind!

For a while she didn’t believe it. she looked back and found the seller sitting with a dirty smile. Her heartbeat accelerated as she continued to walk in heavy strides. Are you going to scream? will you bring him the police? But she looked around and remembered her little veil, they may hurt her even so she’s the victim. Before she walked away from the perimeter of the fruit cart, she heard the sound saying:

-Looks like you loved it, Bengali!

She didn’t turn around, she swallowed the words with a flaming chest and kept walking, but when she nearly got out of the market, she couldn’t go like that without reacting to the insult! She put her stuff down, and hid behind that building on the borders of the market. from her hide , she saw the seller - who was close to her - clearly. she looked at the ground and found a piece of metal with killer edges. she carried it to find that it has a heavy weight. The fire of anger was still in there fanning her, . the fire which made her raise her arm high to hit the metal piece on the seller’s head, and the fire which made her hit her target precisely also ! , so the seller screamed like he was burning in hell!.

＊＊＊

He was lying on his back with his eyes looking up at the sky. His breath was faint and his chest barely rises and lands. They all gathered around him to see what had hit him. everyone was in pain after they left the water, but it was just painful prickles, they discovered the source of it , when they found the skin of their hands invaded by those little red dots like mosquito bites. Ramo knelt and lifted Bilal’s shirt to reveal his belly. the horrible scene made everyone back steps ! . Bilal’s skin was completely melted and the flesh filled with cavities, so you could almost see his internal organs! Ramo closed his eyes, re-covered Bilal belly , and his mind was restoring that scene down the water!

The water was not empty . it was full of those little creatures that were scouring the water quickly sniffing their bodies!. Frog-sized beings close to it but wilder. It seems that their bodies were completely numb underneath the water so they didn’t feel anything. Ramo found that this beings was covering whole Bilal body, and he immediately understood that it was due to the load of his bag of the red fruits

Ramo retreated to stand next to the rest of them . they were looking at the dying man with fear and pity. In his final moments, the tattoo on Bilal forehead began to glow in intermittent way, and in the second when the body completely dead, the flash stopped dancing then the three circles glew firmly, at the end , they were completely extinguished!. For minutes, the place became in deep silence in the presence of fear of death. They seemed to pray in a silent funeral, after which their looks met and urged them to keep walking. They gave their backs to their dead partener one by one. They did not notice that the river level had risen gradually to swallow Bilal’s body and then quietly receded back to its former position!

What united that land was one color. Bright pure color was widespread... The pure and brilliant whiteness. Extended plainfull of white flowers of all kinds, types that they have seen before in their former lives such as orchids, lilies, flamingos, and other species that never sprouted on their Earth. There wasa small watercourse with clear, pale water. when they saw it , they went down to wash their bodies off the traces of the previous bloody corridor. Taqiya told Aung as she squeezed her long black bristles after they got out of the water:

- We fall one by one, who death will choose for the next station?!

Looking at the breeze manipulating floral stems, Aung said:

- Have you seen the glow of the tattoo on the Bilal front?!. Answers, what I hope now are answers to all those questions, I don’t mind receiving death,i just want to know .

- We all wish death, this is the level we have reached, for me I hope this place is atonement for our sins, we may have found comfort after we leave this world!.

In those moments, Ramo was sitting on the river bank with naked torso , reflecting on the page of water from which Milan had not yet emerged, when he heard voice speak, saying:

- Who are you?!

Ramo turned around to the source of the sound, to find Asia. She was standing looking up to him with her wet bristles. He didn’t speak, he wore his shirt in quick motion, while Asia continued to talk:

- I feel like I’ve seen you before, but I don’t remember when or where.

he moved his shoulders carelessly:

- It happens a lot , you meet someone for the first time, and you think you know him.

- No, I’m sure what I’m saying. It’s so weird. Ramo, you act like you know everything, like you’ve been here before!

-Not because I’m the most coherent and rational of you, you think I’m not one of you, Asia.

He left her whileshe mumbled:

- I didn’t say it, you said it, you’re not one of us!

The sun set down that day and the three moons returned to spread their absent fascination. the grass of the white land gently received them as comfortable bedding as if it made of the most luxurious types of cotton and feathers, so their sleep was royal privileged that night!.

****

Insomnia nights are long. Sleepless nights like an endless eternity.That’s how it passed on Aung after the market accident. she was barely settling on her bed at night, while her day was vacant running between work and children and her husband. all this daily physical exhaustion did not force her mind to sleep. Because Aung was silent, she told no one about her fears even her husband. Her mind was drawing many scenarios for the future, all bleak. she remembered Arakan Province and its horrific scenes, and she saw that a similar scenario might break out in Yangon because of her ... A Rohingya woman kills a man from Burman, thereby breaking out clashes between the two sides throughout the city. But the situation is different here. Muslims in Yangon are a minority, and in Arakan are a majority. But this particular reason may increase the darkness of the situation. if the Rohingya are fragmented in Arakan and they are a majority, how is their situation here and they are a minority!. she was hoping the sharp piece doesn’t cause fatal damage, but when she remembers its sharp edges and heavy weight , she saw that this is a distant dream.

she heard her husband mumble :

- Stop fluctuating in the bed , Aung!

She said in a faint voice :

- Sorry!

It was about midnight. She wore a light robe and put opened veil on her head. She looked at the sleepers and then her legs took her to the small garden that surrounds her house. Monsoon blows and Indicates the likelihood of rainfall. It bears the sound of rustling trees and the smell of orange blossom in the garden, so she continued to walk out of the garden as the night silence gave her some psychological quiet which she desperately needed. The steps attracted her away from home without realizing. she passed by sleeping houses inhabitants and banana and orange trees. She doesn’t know how long it has been, but her short journey has made sleep think about visiting her again, and also made her decide to tell her husband about the accident so that they could think together about what to do.

She was sitting on one of the rocks, when she swayed and her upper eyelid began to fall down , so she rushed to her home before sleep returned to his old stubbornness . she kept pacing her way back which looked a little different! . There was in sight that alarming black cloud, while her nose smelt the smoke. her whole senses was alerted and expelled any sleepy atom . other steps and found herself in front of the scene which she would never forget. Her house is on fire! Her house is consumed by fire! and Inside it the children and her husband! . She fell to her knees and fired a loud cry, then she crawled as ababy toward the burning house . she approached the smoldering inferno, but an explosion from inside expelled her for metres away .

She laid on her side after losing the ability to move. in those moments she was seeing only the three bodies charred by fire. When the consciousness began to leak from her gradually, and before losing it completely, she saw three men leaving the place, including a man she knew well because he was the cause of her insomnia! . his picture was dug into her brain and would never leave it . Yes, she knew him even though he had one eye! After she took his other eye by her own hand that day in the market !.

****

When they started getting up, they found the grass which they was sleeping on , sticking to their bodies ! .. the grass was higher than the night before! , and many small white flowers that had sprouted, which did not exist yesterday either!. Aung body got goosebumps and remembered the image of Ibo and the incisors that penetrating him. she thought that those grasses might be like the flesh-eating trees that killed Ibo! . the idea made her body shiver , so she quickly rose away from the grass , and staggered as she stood.

Aung looked at the rest and found them also pale and groggy.they understood when they looked at each other, that their illness because of that flowering land they slept on yesterday. They all went without agreement toward the river side and wetted themselves until their bodies heat dropped. they all sat on the riverbank, as far away as possible from the flowering land. Milan told Ramo:

- i think we all now know. that land made us that way. If we had another night here, we would be done.

Ramo looked at Aung, who rested her head on Taqyia thigh, while Asia was pouring water on her head to relieve the burden of that fever. He mumbled :

- This seems to be Aung station!.

he silenced little then said:

- Or we might rush out of here to save her!. Ramofinished his sentence then he went to sat next to Aung. he said with sympathy:

-Can you walk Aung ?, we have to leave quickly, this land is feeding on our health.

Aung wet her lips with her tongue and said:

-I got very close! , you keep walking and let me here .

Taqyia said in tears:

- We’re all going to leave, we’re not leaving you here!

Asia helped her to sit down, saying:

- You will rely on us and we will get out of here quickly. You’ll be fine.

Aung surrendered to the hands which raised her. the group started moving along the river.Aung was walking on by the help of Taqyia and Asia and other times Ramo was carrying her when she was unable to continue . their walk was delayed considerably, despite the objection of Milan, who would have preferred to leave Aung behind. they didnot stop walking and the sun was about to go down, and they haven’t left the white flowersland yet!

****

Sometimes she squeezes her brain from a crazy pain. Why did it all happen? she imagined she goes back in time and thought , What event would she pick from the chain of events to change it, to change the fate of her family that she deprived of in the blink of an eye?!. Would she condone the insult and go through it like nothing? She remembered entering the market and her mind screamed... It’s the durian dish. The reason for all of this.. I wish you didn’t pass by the fruit seller! but her brain screamed more... Let me not enter the market!

She disappeared after the fire, until everyone thought she was burned with her family, but from the second she saw the one-eyed seller, she decided that she wouldn’t continue life without her family.

She’ll end her life, but before that, she’ll have retaliated against this bastard . you find her every day there.. Standing on the borders of the market . the seller was going about his life naturally like nothing was happened.

she forgot about everything and stayed in this corner to count his breaths and movements. if you saw her , you will think she’s fond of his love. Strangely, she didn’t see him harassing any other female, so why did he do that with her? Is it because of her little headpiece that foretold him that she was Muslim, was her life desrtoyed and her world turned upside down because of that cover?! . as you see ,She was fanning the fire inside her more and more, sharpening the revenge knife for that promised moment.she knew the course of his daily life and kept it by heart to be ready for that day. she hid in that semi-empty road full of trees, which he passed by every day on his way to home.

he was walking alone by careful steps , making a soft whistling sound to entertain him self . The whistle was cut when he felt that some one was moving behind him. he Stopped walking and looked back, but he found the road empty. he turned around to complete his way but he didn’t take one step forward! He fell out with a sore cry, after the honed knife was stabbed in his belly !. He fell on his back and she got on top of him like wounded tigress while he continued screaming. The blade approached his face to forebode him so the screams turned into intermittent whining. the three eyes met each other . One terrified eye and un rationale two eyes filled with anger and hate .Aung mumbled in terrifying voice:

- Do you remember me?!

He made a trembling gesture with his head as yes.

she kept asking him:

- Do you know who i lost in this burning house?

he didnot reply, he only cried in pain and horror . she said:

- Do you expect my mercy?

His body stopped resisting and he looked at her in surrender then he shook his head with .. no!

That was the moment when Aung lost her last atom of reason .she screamed loudly at him then she stabbed every inch in his body approximately .

＊＊＊

The moons light filled the horizon again so the white flowers shined under the silver light . Whoever sees this beauty, never expects that it is deep danger . the land excites and tempts you, just hand over your body to soft grass , you won’t find a softer and more comfortable bedding, and as a badger , you give your tired body from this horrors journey to it, then you wake up to find that the cost of that royal bed is your life itself . So after they got tired of a full day walk, it seemed like that land would never end so they gave up and stopped. Looks like this land wants them another night! Or, more precisely, it won’t leave them until it receives her meal from them! .they were sure about that.. It became like fate, which must be carried out against their will. They chose a spot on the edge of the river away from the the grass. they settled in their places in the form of a straight line in parallel to the water. Aung was still tired and her condition did not improve, as opposed to the rest who quickly recovered. Perhaps she wanted it inside her, may be she wished to hand herself over to that white paradise. she wants to meet her lovers after long parting , so her body’s immunity collapsed faster than the rest of them . That night, they slept more quickly than usual, as if the land was rushing to get her meal after a long wait!

Asia was the one who woke up first, but she kept lying on her side reflecting on the flowers as they radiated under the fledgling light of the sun . This white color beats something in her memory that she doesn’t know..like Ramo!

She dived deeply into the white petals until she united with them, and at that moment she saw it ... She saw the flash! . She got up fast, despite the exhaustion she had after sleep.she approached the flower and touched its petals, but the flash was gone. She stood in her place watching the white flowering plain in front of her. the wind was moving to dance with the stems, exported faint music.. music she never heard before . She turned her head back and closed her eyes, listening well . Fresh melodies flow to touch her eardrum gently then the melodies was cut by a wailing, tearful voice!

she turned quickly and ran toward the river. she found Taqyia seated in front of something which her back hidden it from Asia wondering eyes, while Ramo was standing at the head of that spot, putting his hand on his face, behind him Milan looking at the same thing with shocked face!. Her heartbeat accelerated as she approached, and she predicted that they had lost Aung.!

There at that spot that took the shape of her body, Aung laid on her back, although it was difficult to show the features of her body in those moments as the white flowers penetrated her whole body except her face!. Asia approached with her hand on her lips and a hot tear that did not fall, shimmered in her eyes . Aung’s face was very pale and her lips filled with crusts, and as happened with Bilal the circles glowed with intermitten flash. Aung smiled at her last seconds. The glow disappeared.. then she closed her eyes forever!