The Endless Doom by Asmaa Nada

be eighteen in two days. My birthday is the day after tomorrow and my father insists that I marry my friend Yusuf who is thirty years old at the celebration. Since you know so much about the village you know that I cant refuse. Anyway Yusuf told me that if I have a daughter hell take me away and well travel and she can stay with my father and hell take care of her.
The strange man said Just like he told your mother before.
Samar replied What?
The strange man stood up and looked at the sky saying The sun is about to set and theyll be returning soon.
He extended his hand to her and said Come with me. Ill show you something.
Samar stood up and took his hand feeling a sense of trust in him despite not knowing why. She followed him to the shore of the lake where he took her behind a large tree and whispered
Look at the boats coming and see who gets off.
Samar leaned against the tree and watched the boats returning from the lake. The strange man stood behind her. Suddenly although it wasnt nighttime darkness fell and a large white moon appeared in the sky illuminating the boats. Samar gasped in amazementthe villagers the fishermen.
The fishermen returned to the center of the village but Yusuf approached the ruler and said
Today I will marry Samar. And after two days we will see if she bears a son or a daughter. What if she bears twins like her mother?
The ruler replied If they are both girls thats wonderful. But if its a boy and a girl we will kill the boy and his mother just as we did with her mother Dunya.
Yusuf said No I wont endure burning another son of mine. Well let one of the village girls take the boy and well keep the girl.
The ruler paused briefly then said Very well. But if she bears two girls we will kill one girl along with the mother at the Well of Eternity.
After agreeing on their plan they turned and headed back to the center of the village. Samar turned to the strange man and said
Why? How could he do this to me? What does Yusuf mean when he says he wont let them burn his son? Does that mean Im his daughter?
The strange man removed the cloak that had been hiding his face revealing his disfigured visage. He said and threw me into the well with her body. But luckily my mother didnt die. She managed to escape the well after it was filled with water. She swam with me to the other side of the lake then walked until she reached the desert. There she met a caravan and gave me to a woman who was with them. She told them everything and asked them to raise me and never return me to the hidden village in the oasis. Then she left me and returned.
Do you mean to say that my mother is not