Read Online 72 Hours till Doomsday by Melani Schweder - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Melani Schweder
Ads: Link
feet gracing the stone patio. Two tiny figures broke out from behind her, bounding towards him.
“Baba! Baba!” they squealed as he scooped them into his arms.
He kissed the tops of their heads, inhaling the cinnamon from their ebony hair. He wanted to squeeze them tight, hold them safely forever, lost in their smells and sounds. The warm air plucked at their tunic sleeves, brushing their noses and eyes with sand.
“And how are my mischievous children today? Have you been bothering your mother? Fatma? Fahri?”
The twins shifted their eyes to the ground, the corners of their mouths smiling at one another.
“No!” they giggled in unison.
“Good, good. I would hate to lock you outside for the lions to eat tonight!”
“Baba! No lions!”
He stood, brushing the sand from his hair, and kissed his wife.
“Sule. My queen.”
“Come inside. Tell me what happened today.”
“I will. But first, I need my raki.”
“Baba! Let’s swim!” Insistent hands had taken hold of each of his, pulling him towards the door.
“Baba can’t swim today. He’s tired. You swim yourselves. Just be careful of the sharks!”
Sule laughed a delightful laugh, carried on the gentle wind. But she knew that something wasn’t right with her husband. She could feel the alarm rising from his skin, could smell it on his breath. They settled into their spacious den after sending the twins off to change into their swimsuits, their maid following in attendance. He poured himself a drink from their bar, mixing the milky white liquid with water. Lion’s milk, they called it, the milk for the strong. He definitely needed that strength today.
“Altan, tell me what’s wrong.” She tucked her feet underneath her, smoothing out her dress.
“Just something strange today. You remember the meeting I was supposed to have?”
“Yes. The one with foreign investors? You were going to make an oil trade agreement.”
“Yes. Except half of them pulled out of the deal. One of them didn’t even show up. Apparently he is being held hostage.”
“What?”
“In Damascus. Rebels have surrounded his home.”
“Oh.” Her slender hand rested on her mouth. “What can we do?”
“I’m afraid it’s too early to tell, Sule. The markets here are unstable, and soon the Americans will follow. I have a feeling we are in for some tough times ahead.”
“Yes, but we’ve survived those before. And look at us now.” She waved around the expansive room, the heirloom rugs and gilded mirrors hushed in her presence.
“Yes I know. We’ve had many successes,” he took a sip from his sweating glass, “but honestly, I have a bad feeling about this time. There are tanks in the square, and I passed several combat vehicles on the way home. People are getting frightened.”
“Should I be frightened too?”
“Not yet my love. Not yet. Let’s see what this week will bring.”
She gave him a wan smile and rose from the sofa. She held out her manicured hand.
“Let’s go out and join the children. At least enjoy the night.”
“Very well.”
They walked out towards the back patio, a mosaic tile terrace surrounded by lush palm trees, just as the hanging lanterns began switching on. The swimming pool was shimmering turquoise and amber, ripples of water emanating from the two rambunctious kids playing. Their attendant, a young woman in a blue headscarf, sat quietly on the edge of a padded lounge chair, her eyes fixed on them, constantly assessing their safety. She nodded when Altan and Sule made their appearance and settled into lounge chairs of their own.
As the sun gently dipped under the horizon and the sky faded to black, they could see a smattering of orange flames dance in the distance. The soft rumblings that followed, slow and deep like thunder, told them what was coming. Coming straight for them.
3. March 6, 2017. 8:22 A.M. Oxnard, California.
He always prayed to her on days like these, when the Western winds blew, the sun beat
“Baba! Baba!” they squealed as he scooped them into his arms.
He kissed the tops of their heads, inhaling the cinnamon from their ebony hair. He wanted to squeeze them tight, hold them safely forever, lost in their smells and sounds. The warm air plucked at their tunic sleeves, brushing their noses and eyes with sand.
“And how are my mischievous children today? Have you been bothering your mother? Fatma? Fahri?”
The twins shifted their eyes to the ground, the corners of their mouths smiling at one another.
“No!” they giggled in unison.
“Good, good. I would hate to lock you outside for the lions to eat tonight!”
“Baba! No lions!”
He stood, brushing the sand from his hair, and kissed his wife.
“Sule. My queen.”
“Come inside. Tell me what happened today.”
“I will. But first, I need my raki.”
“Baba! Let’s swim!” Insistent hands had taken hold of each of his, pulling him towards the door.
“Baba can’t swim today. He’s tired. You swim yourselves. Just be careful of the sharks!”
Sule laughed a delightful laugh, carried on the gentle wind. But she knew that something wasn’t right with her husband. She could feel the alarm rising from his skin, could smell it on his breath. They settled into their spacious den after sending the twins off to change into their swimsuits, their maid following in attendance. He poured himself a drink from their bar, mixing the milky white liquid with water. Lion’s milk, they called it, the milk for the strong. He definitely needed that strength today.
“Altan, tell me what’s wrong.” She tucked her feet underneath her, smoothing out her dress.
“Just something strange today. You remember the meeting I was supposed to have?”
“Yes. The one with foreign investors? You were going to make an oil trade agreement.”
“Yes. Except half of them pulled out of the deal. One of them didn’t even show up. Apparently he is being held hostage.”
“What?”
“In Damascus. Rebels have surrounded his home.”
“Oh.” Her slender hand rested on her mouth. “What can we do?”
“I’m afraid it’s too early to tell, Sule. The markets here are unstable, and soon the Americans will follow. I have a feeling we are in for some tough times ahead.”
“Yes, but we’ve survived those before. And look at us now.” She waved around the expansive room, the heirloom rugs and gilded mirrors hushed in her presence.
“Yes I know. We’ve had many successes,” he took a sip from his sweating glass, “but honestly, I have a bad feeling about this time. There are tanks in the square, and I passed several combat vehicles on the way home. People are getting frightened.”
“Should I be frightened too?”
“Not yet my love. Not yet. Let’s see what this week will bring.”
She gave him a wan smile and rose from the sofa. She held out her manicured hand.
“Let’s go out and join the children. At least enjoy the night.”
“Very well.”
They walked out towards the back patio, a mosaic tile terrace surrounded by lush palm trees, just as the hanging lanterns began switching on. The swimming pool was shimmering turquoise and amber, ripples of water emanating from the two rambunctious kids playing. Their attendant, a young woman in a blue headscarf, sat quietly on the edge of a padded lounge chair, her eyes fixed on them, constantly assessing their safety. She nodded when Altan and Sule made their appearance and settled into lounge chairs of their own.
As the sun gently dipped under the horizon and the sky faded to black, they could see a smattering of orange flames dance in the distance. The soft rumblings that followed, slow and deep like thunder, told them what was coming. Coming straight for them.
3. March 6, 2017. 8:22 A.M. Oxnard, California.
He always prayed to her on days like these, when the Western winds blew, the sun beat
Similar Books
