novelxo Chapter The Waiting Whistle
It has been three months since their last attack, and Papa had arrived home safely. Dari sat cuddled in Adilah’s arms. It was 12:03 a.m. Adilah was twitching in her sleep again. She had yet to tell anyone that every night in her dreams, she hears a faint whistle calling as if constantly waiting for her to do something. She was walking through a garden in her dream, and suddenly, PHWWWHHT! Adilah hears the voice and bolts straight up panting, rasping for a breath of air, just to find Aamir looking down upon her. She screamed as loud as she could. Aamir then said in a whisper, “That’s the third time this week you twitched and said ’I’m coming.” Aamir said with a curious expression.
“Dammit, Aamir. why are you here? It’s creepy, and you noticed,” said Adilah, sounding drowsy and confused. “Yep, and it isn’t creepy, just weird,″ said Aamir happy he was called observant. Dari was now on the floor glaring at her owner for pushing her off of the bed.
“Sorry Dari,” said Adilah with a guilty face, scratching the back of her head.
“Now, tell me about this dream of yours,” demanded Aamir. They stayed up til’ 2:36 a.m. as Adilah explained what she saw in every dream. Aamir was patient, and he didn’t say a word. He just nodded his head as if he understood.
When Adilah finished, Aamir said, “Damn. Well, it looks like you’re having deja-vu or somethin’ because the way you explained the garden sounded just like the apple orchard around the corner of my house.” Sounding surprised, Adilah said, “Oh my Allah, You’re-you’re right!” Dari hopped back on the bed and lay down. Aamir and Adilah, looking nervous, sat down on the bed and started stroking Dari on the head. Aamir then got up, having an expression like he came up with a bright idea. “Why don’t we go to the orchard tomorrow?”
Adilah smiled, “That’s a great idea, I can walk Dari there and we’ll meet up at the entryway.” They both grinned.
After a few moments, they heard footsteps outside the bedroom door and heard a man’s voice call, “who’s in there?,” and the door began to open, when the couple looked around they saw Adilah sound asleep but there was no sign of Aamir. They closed the door and walked back down the hall.
Aamir climbing back through the window said, ” I landed in something squishy.”
Adilah started laughing and said, “you might want to change because either you landed in our last meal or you landed in Dari’s poop.”
Aamir mimicked throwing up, gagged, and said, “ew,” He ran into the bathroom with a change of clothes that he always has on hand.
Adilah was laughing hysterically as Aamir yelled through the bathroom door, “it’s not funny! I was literally just standing in Dari’s shit,” Dari, knowing Aamir was behind the door, started to whimper trying to scratch at the door.
When Aamir came out, stiff as a board, and said, “the clothes must have shrunk in the wash when Grammy cleaned them.”
Adilah started laughing, taking her breath in, and was able to mouth, ” you look like an overgrown baby!” Aamir then said, “No I don’t, plus if I were a baby you,” jabbing his finger at her, “might be cleaning me up and that may have not been Dari’s poop.”
“Good point,” said Adilah nodding in agreement then they cracked up, laughing. Aamir leaves at 6:55 a.m. and says I’ll see you in a little while at my house.
“Why?” said Adilah, looking confused.
“Because Grammy is making Rhubarb, Ginger, and Rose Crumble,” Aamir replied.
In sync, they drift off and say, “Mmmmm!”
Adilah just started to close her eyes when her parents walked in and said, “Good Morning!” Adilah sighed, then, got ready and headed over to Aamir’s house. “Mama, Pa! I’m heading to Aamir’s!” She called out the door. “Okay be careful sweetie, I would like it if you weren’t blown to bits!” Mama yelled back. Adilah sighed. Mama said it in a joking way, but she knew a warning when she heard one.
She was only halfway through the door before the ginger and rose wafted through the open window. When Adilah walked in, Grammy greeted her with a warm smile and a hug. Aamir came over and sleepily, but enthusiastically said, “Good morning,”
Before she could control herself she started laughing. Cause Aamir was wearing a pink polka-dot robe! Aamir tried to cover it with his arms and hands, and said, “It’s a hand-me-down, when is there going to be a day where you don’t laugh at me?” Adilah answered the question with ease. She shrugged and said, “probably... NEVER!” Grammy gave a slight chuckle as she placed the desserts on china plates, and handed them to Adilah to place on the table.
Aamir tried to reach out and grab the plates from Adilah, but she pulled them away and for her amusement, she added, “Oh, I’m sorry Aamir I don’t want you to spill on that special robe!” All three of them cracked up and Aamir laughed the hardest. Once they began their breakfast and Grammy put down the baghrir they cracked jokes and Grammy told about how it was on the battlefields in 1791 when the beginning of the last battle started. Once the table was cleared and they were stuffed with baghrir and Rhubarb, Ginger, and Rose Crumble, Aamir changed and they got Dari on her leash to head to the apple orchard.
“How did you change into that ridiculous robe so quickly? I must have sprinted home,” Adilah asked, gripping Dari’s leash as she stopped and smelled the ground.
“I did sprint home, you think this sweater is a fashion choice? And I just threw on the robe so I could cover up the baby clothes,” he said.
Adilah nodded, “I see. Welp, I think you looked better as an overgrown baby than a pink giraffe but that’s my opinion,” she said. “Ha ha very funny,” Aamir rolled his eyes.
Adilah nudged him. After more talking and tugging on Dari’s leash- that dog stopped every five feet- they finally made it to the orchard.
Because of the bombing three months ago, the trees had remains of ash and were just beginning to bud again. The arch was less green and more black from soot that dried and caked it. They entered and suddenly, it happened. PHWWWHHT! she heard it. “Did you hear that?” said Adilah. “Hear what? That’s only the usual morning dove if that’s what you mean,” said Aamir. PHWWWHHT! PHWWWHHT! As Dari started to run around, Adilah and Aamir looking around for clues- what clues do you find when you don’t know what you’re looking for?- when suddenly, another arch appeared with a swirling substance of blue, neither solid nor liquid, in the middle where you would normally walk through. As quickly as the arch came a key made its form into the middle of Adilah’s palm that held Dari’s leash. Carved into the gold key the words, ′Whoever shall hold this key can save the world of their own and another′ appeared. Knowing nothing at all of what just happened, they both turned around and began to run. Soon after, they turned back to the portal, and the key was gone.
The two panted, “What the hell was that!” Aamir said. “I have no idea and frankly I don’t want to,” replied Adilah. And with that they headed home, Dari trailing behind them.