What’s in Storybooks

Maraba was out to find firewood for the house. He hated admitting it, but living with Laila’s parents felt more “home” to him than he had ever felt living with his father. Maybe it was because he has known these people his whole life that it felt like he had a role here, a place to belong. Even after his death, his father felt like a stranger to him.

“You haven’t explained to me what this paper is yet,” Laila said to Maraba. It was a black and white picture of some people, too detailed and too accurate to be a drawing even by the best artist. Maraba had come back home and put the firewood in the barrel near the door. Laila asked him about the paper he had found in his father’s drawer. He still doesn’t have an answer for her because this invention, the replication of the real world on paper, has never been heard of. It has to be from the island’s outside, which no one had made contact with in about a century. Who even are the people in the picture? One was a woman, she had monolid eyes and features different from the people of the island. The two others were young men, one who looked very similar to his father, if he didn’t have a beard and was younger. Was he close to them? This paper was a secret between the two. They didn’t want Laila’s parents to find out, fearful that they could get arrested by the king’s soldiers. They could be framed as enemies of the nation.

“It’s a treasure, that’s what it is. I’ll show you the treasures you’ve seen in your books, Laila.” She grew up reading books about things like “snow” and “seashells”. As children, Laila had told Maraba and their friends about the outside treasures that they’ve never got to see. “Snow is a form of precipitation, thicker than the water from rain. But it’s the exact same chemical elements as rain, can you believe that? It’s like magic. Chemical elements also create seashells, no one sculpts them. Like magic, I tell you. Don’t you see what this means? We don’t know half the creations in this world,” Laila would tell them.

Laila already knew what the meaning behind the picture meant. If Maraba’s father had visited land outside the island, doesn’t that mean there is a way? What if it was just propaganda that the ones who leave the island are killed by unknown forces? The royal family and military had never told them who the nation’s enemies were. What if it was all just a way for them to keep citizens out so they could steal resources for themselves like the aristocrats they are? 

“You always tell me that. But I want us to travel the world before we grow old.”

“And we will. This paper is proof it can be done.” Laila and Maraba had heard rumors of a group of merchants planning to leave the island. It was common knowledge that the island was surrounded by water. Horses can’t swim. The merchants said they’ll be using an invention from centuries ago, the ones conquistadors used to travel the waters and find ‘discoveries’. Laila had told Maraba this invention was actually made by us, our ancestors. They called them dhows. She also mentioned that these ‘discoveries’ weren’t found by them either, only claimed. 

After a week of getting ready to leave home, the two had left their homes early morning when it was still dark out, and Laila’s parents were sleeping. Truth be told, Maraba didn’t want to bring Laila. He knew she was actually scared to leave, who wouldn’t be? They could be on their journey to death after seeing what’s inside Pandora’s box. What’s more is that she has parents who care about her on the island. He didn’t want the kind Mr. and Mrs. Abud to worry, so he left a note saying they’ll come back after a short trip to find cattle in the forest. 

“You know you don’t have to do this, right,” Maraba asked her. He saw the expressionless face she makes when she doesn’t want to show she’s nervous, but you can tell from her eyes and her sudden silence. 

“This has always been my idea, you know that,” she said to him. “Besides, aren’t you also curious about that picture your dad left behind?”

“Not really.”

“Then what about the secrets your dad had kept?” He didn’t answer. “If you’re only coming along just to ‘protect’ me then you must be out of your mind. We’re the same age and I am not your responsibility.”

“Laila, you were wrong from the start. The books we read together, the drawings of flowers from the outside that we were dazzled by, the places covered completely in sand, the mountains so high they could touch the sky, that was our dream.” 

                            ***

The commute to the destination took a few hours. Although it’s a piece of land shut away from the world, the area was pleasant and had many resources, unless you lived in the poorer and overcrowded parts, some underground. Maraba paid the driver of the carriage. When getting to the meeting point, they found the man that was leading the expedition. There weren’t only merchants, but some other civilians too, some who seemed excited to see the world outside and some who just wanted to leave their lives on the island. The guards near one of  the several gates that lead to the outside were all on standby. While the group of soldiers were outnumbered, they each had guns. They could signal for help and we’d all get arrested. Maraba was ready to fight if need be, but the merchants told them they had things covered. Four of the men charged at the guards first. The plan was to make themselves seem powerless without any weapons so no one would signal the military that they’re criminals. The guards pulled out their batons to repress the rebels. The remaining guards were on lookout. Then, one of the guards did something unexpected. He pulled out a gun. But he wasn’t aiming to shoot. He hit the heads of the two officers near him. 

“That’s our boss,” the merchant next to Maraba said. He had always thought the merchants were money-hungry. He paid the merchants to be able to tag along in their trip, using all the profit he earned from selling the animals he hunted. What was their real goal when they’re following orders from a soldier who knows more about what’s happening behind closed doors than all of the people here? 

The man aimed his gun at the remaining soldiers that weren’t knocked out yet. The group was small for this very purpose, they needed to make a clean getaway. The few merchants and civilians had opened the gate. The man escaped with them.

The merchants and the officer started talking. While it’s true it’s against the law to go against the king’s wishes of staying inside the gate, the military takes trips outside to gather resources a couple times a year. For this reason, Laila and Maraba wanted to join together. To find out the secrets the authorities have kept from them. But to do that, you’d have to pledge allegiance to those same authorities. Maraba’s pride was too big for that.  If you break your oath, you get killed on the spot. Maybe this is evidence that they won’t survive. The officer will never be able to come back inside the island or else he’ll be persecuted immediately. Laila and Maraba are still underage so the most they could be punished with is a few beatings and a fee. But the kids in their neighborhood would treat them like a king and queen. 

Laila looked at Maraba to get affirmation that what they’re doing isn’t just immaturity and impulsivity of 15-year olds. The people in the picture he had found in his dad’s drawer are his friends. If we meet those people, they’ll become our allies.

The officer approached Maraba. “You know, I used to be friends with your dad.” A light turned on in his head. His face. It’s familiar. Maybe he was at the funeral. Or maybe… He took out the picture. The man in the picture is him.

“Are you from the outside? Who are you?”

“Boy, there are two people in this group that aren’t the king’s subjects. And I’m talking to the other right now.” Laila’s eyes had widened. Her best friend? The boy she had known since early childhood? It felt like someone was telling her a blatant lie as a joke. 

The man hadn’t elaborated any further, only telling Maraba the memories he had with his dad. It was an hour walk to the shore when they saw an open space of water. The two ran to the shore. No words were spoken but they could tell from each other’s laughs that this was the prize, the treasure. 

“Maraba! Look what I found!” She was holding a seashell the size of her hands, smiling. Maraba smiled back from ear to ear. But then, they started hearing a sound in the distance. It was getting louder and louder when suddenly a large aircraft was flying above them. It was something they’ve never seen before, but they couldn’t admire it when they were scared. They are possible enemies of the island with an objective of killing them. The aircraft landed with five armed people coming out.  

The officer that was with them took out a paper, a proof of his identity. Then after joining the armed group, he yelled something to Maraba. “Your father was a traitor to our nation. You have the option of coming along with us but your friend stays behind.”

“Are you deranged? What are you saying?”

“Then I’m sorry.” 

A shot was fired. Then two. Then three.