ACT TWENTY-FIVE
Hat man drags the table closer to him and sits next to her.
Hat man: I know this is hard, but this isn’t your fault either but mine. You were right the other day when you yelled at me for kidnapping you in the first place.
You were right about everything. I am sorry you are going through all this, but I am promising you that I will get you out of here.
Sekinat: It's okay.
Hat man: Please don’t hurt yourself over my mistakes. If you don’t treat this cut, you will contract an infection.
Sekinat: I know.
Hat man: So, should I call them?
Sekinat: No need! I can do it myself. But it hurts seriously.
Hat man: Sorry, my Queen.
Sekinat: (glances at him) What did you say?
Hat man: Nothing. Sorry.
Sekinat: (she slides down from the bed and picks up the equipment, beginning to work on herself) Ahhh! It hurts so much. (tears roll down from her eyes)
Hat man: How about if I do it, then you guide me on how to?
Sekinat: Okay. Firstly.
Hat man: But if anyone asks you about what happened to you, especially the
Empire, don’t tell him his wife was behind it.
Sekinat: Why?
Hat man: Because not even the wife can report me to him. She is tired of being his wife because he doesn’t love her anymore, but she loves her position as the Queen.
So he never listens to her, and they hurt each other silently.
Sekinat: (confused) I'm sorry, but I'm still confused.
Hat man: Just do as I say, okay? Everything will be fine, I promise. By the way, our wedding day has been fixed for next week.
Sekinat: What? Without even my permission.
Hat man: It was made by the Empire himself. We are not in any position to decide
that.
Sekinat: This isn’t right.
Hat man: I know, but I will use our union to protect you, then reveal my plan on our escape to you.
Sekinat: So you won’t tell me now.
Hat man: The plan can only be guaranteed when you are my bride. It will open doors you wouldn’t believe.
Sekinat: Oh, okay? Ouch!! It hurts. Please do it gently. Ahhh.
Hat man: (smiles) Sorry.
Sekinat: Are you seriously laughing?
Hat man: No!! I'm sorry, I...
Sekinat: I hate you so much.
Outside the room, the three old women stand close to the door, listening to their conversation as they smile at each other.
Old woman 2: I have never seen him this happy in his life. I knew this is the kind of love he really needs...
Old woman 1: But he is too stubborn to accept the truth.
Old woman 3: But all that matters is he is happy. Let's leave the lovebirds alone and get busy with the wedding preparation. Her dress must be beautiful.
Old woman 2: Remember, she will wear her hijab.
Old women: No one would forget that. We all know that’s her rule, so we must abide by it if truly we want this wedding to take place peacefully.
Old woman 3: Yeah, let's go!
Each day that passes toward the new union week, Sekinat is still contemplating her decision and steps in life. Her contemplation gives her more worries than she expected. To clear her doubting heart, she wakes up in the middle of the night and performs Istikhara, seeking guidance on her new path in life. She hopes for a sign from Allah, to know if it will favor her or destroy her instead, hoping for a sign from her Allah. So, to know if it's to reject the proposal, she waits until the wedding is in two days, but still, there isn’t any sign to her, she looks through the window and inhales the toxic air under the noisy environment, people moving up and down.
Sekinat: (lost in thought) I can’t imagine there could be a nation under a nation… it sounds unbelievable, but that’s what I am seeing. Our leaders are so corrupt to fight for justice. Why should I be surprised when some state government join forces with the mafia king? What else should I be expecting rather than that? Look at how they are moving up and down, preparing for a forced union with a stranger. I can never believe that I could get married without my family's presence, more like an imagination to me. If I should write my life story out, none of the readers could ever believe it's a true story. Now I am stuck in this fake world forever despite Toheeb giving me hope, but I see nothing but a reason to die here. How will marrying a Mafia help me out of here, but instead, I'll rot here? I want to believe him, but in reality, who would believe such? Even I can't believe myself. And sometimes I do really want to put myself in his shoes, but I can't even last longer in it than he already has. The life most of us are living isn’t the life we hoped for. Imagine a couple being kidnapped until they have their child here, and then the couple were killed by the empress, and they have the guts to raise the child into being one of them. Although he hasn’t told me his life story, which I don’t even want to know, based on what I heard him saying to the empress, I guess that’s how his story works. Life must be so unbearable for him, that’s why I do realize all these aren’t his wish or desire. May Allah forgive all his sins and mine for a better life in the hereafter. Thousands of victims killed and kidnapped, and the government couldn’t do anything about it. I can't even believe all these Mafia stories are real until I landed into one. (Suddenly she sighted the hat man discussing with some of his subordinates) Look at him, they turned him into a killer… to kill for them. All these innocent men were forced to live a life they never wanted just to survive. Makes it look like a real home for them by letting them start a family so they can create a new generation for the mafia before they finally die at a war. Turned human into animal.
Hat Man: (Heading towards his mansion, he spotted Sekinat by the window and waved happily) Hey, my Queen! Every passerby glanced at Sekinat immediately;
some murmured, while others smiled.
Sekinat: (Surprised and whispering) What are you doing? Don’t ever call me that.
What is wrong with you?
Hat Man: I'm coming up! (He happily entered the gate) See you soon.
Sekinat: (Exhales softly) I hate it when he's like this. He's happy, but this is my worst nightmare. What type of marriage is this called in Islam, huh? (Suddenly hears a knock at the door) I am not opening any door.
Hat Man: Please, so I can treat your wound and discuss how tomorrow will be. You have no idea how long I've been waiting just to set my eyes on your beautiful face.
Sekinat: (Opens the door) Now I realize why you love me so much, because of what you see, huh? Because of my face, or should I call it beauty? Let me ask you this, what if I use a knife to cut my face? Will you still love me?
Hat Man: Well, that was unexpected, but I swear I don’t look at you for your looks. One thing about love is that once you develop feelings for someone, they become the most beautiful creature on earth. Love makes an ugly person beautiful.
Sekinat: Oh, so now I'm ugly?
Hat Man: Damn it! You ask a question, and I answered, and now you want to use it against me?
Sekinat: Good night. (Tries to shut the door)
Hat Man: Wait! Okay, I'm sorry. But I love you for who you really are. I love everything about you. I'm not a womanizer because I despise women a lot, maybe due to how I was raised.
Sekinat: Why?
Hat Man: Due to the Empress! Every time I set my eyes on her, it gives me more reasons to hate women. But you changed all that. You changed my mindset and replaced it with a beautiful one. If only you knew how much I once hated women.
Sekinat: Good to hear that. I hate you too.
Hat Man: I'll take that as a compliment. Thank you. So, how is your wound?
Healing better?
Sekinat: (Takes a look at her shoulder despite not seeing it due to her covered hijab) It's healing for sure.
Hat Man: Can I see?
Sekinat: No!
Hat Man: Then how sure are you that it's healing?
Sekinat: Because of its itchiness.
Hat Man: Oh, that’s true. I forgot you are...
Sekinat: Yes! Get that into your skull… good night.
Hat Man: Please. What if we stroll around the neighborhood, just the two of us?
Sekinat: No, thank you.
Hat Man: (Admires her for a few seconds) What if in this building?
Sekinat: I said no! Goodnight! Besides, I could see how super happy you are today about getting married to your worst nightmare?
Hat Man: More like a dream come true.
Sekinat: Well, guess what? Getting married to you is my worst nightmare.
Hat Man: I won't let that statement hurt me again because I will make sure this is the last time you say such nasty words again.
Sekinat: How? You will beat me?
Hat Man: I will feed you with love and delete those negative thoughts.
Sekinat: (Rolls her eyes) Good night!
Hat Man: Goodnight, my Queen!
Sekinat: (Slams the door in his face and rests her head on the door)
Hat Man: I LOVE YOU! SO MUCH!
Sekinat: (Smiles) Funny guy.
Two days later. In the morning, Alhaja Selimat sits in the compound while she watches her grandson water the garden, when they hear a loud bang at the gate. The gate man opens it, revealing three policemen.
Alhaja Selimat: As-salamu alaykum, oh? Good morning.
Police Men: Good morning, Alhaja! But we are looking for your daughter, Mrs.
Summayah Sulaiman.
Alhaja Selimat: What happened? She didn’t do anything wrong. In fact, she is home sick.
Police Men: Nothing much, Alhaja! We just need her to come with us for some questions based on her husband’s death and the parents of the victims her husband
had killed and kidnapped.
Alhaja Selimat: What are you people uttering out of your mouth for Allah’s sake?
Thank goodness you also said her husband is late, and you want to arrest her again?
The killer is dead now. Why do you need the wife again?
Police Men: Alhaja! When she gets to the police station, she will understand better.
Alhaja Selimat: Ya Allah! What is happening again? This trial is too much for my family. Help us.
Police Men: Where is she? Or shall we go inside?
Alhaja Selimat: Please don’t go inside. She is still sleeping because she is pregnant. Please, consider her condition. Wallahi, she knows nothing about her husband’s true identity. He lied to hide his identity from us too. We recently found out too, please.
Alhaja Selimat: Believe me, I can't lie with this old age. I already lost one daughter; please have mercy on me.
Police Men: Alhaja! We are only doing what we were instructed, so please kindly call her out, or we will have to drag her out ourselves.
Summayah: What is going on here? Who are they looking for? (Yawning) Police Men: Are you Mrs. Summayah Sulaiman?
Summayah: Yes, I am the one! What happened?
Police Men: We will need you to come with us to our station. When you get there, you will know why your attention is needed.
Summayah: Ahah! But I didn’t do anything wrong now, Mum! What is going on now? (Notices she is already in tears) Why are you crying? I swear I did nothing wrong. I don’t really know why this is happening to us.
Shuaib: Police officer, please leave my mummy alone. She did nothing wrong.
(He hugs his mother)
Summayah: (Breaks down in tears too) Let's go.
Alhaja Selimat: Please don’t take her; she hasn’t eaten anything. Please have mercy.
Summayah: (Puts on her shoes and follows them while Shuaib insists on going with them) Go back and stay with grandma. (They exit from the gate and enter
their car)
Alhaja Selimat: Please don’t take her away. Please have mercy, please.
Shuaib: Mummy! I want to go with you, please.
Alhaja Selimat: (Crying bitterly) Get me my phone and car key! Hurry up.
Gate Man: Yes, ma.