<p><strong>The wailing of people and the sound of gunfire in the air made them all freeze, huddled together in fear. They anxiously watched as someone tried to open the door, their hearts racing. When it didn’t open, they collectively sighed in relief, glancing at each other before the truck started moving again, leaving the scene behind.</strong></p><p><strong>What baffled her most during their journey was how the people who had purchased them didn’t care about their well-being. Even the cries of a baby didn’t make them stop to see what was wrong. Once bought, they had no interest in their fate.</strong></p><p><strong>The journey continued without incident until they reached Jordan. At the country’s border, they were taken out of the truck. The smell of blood filled the air, unsettling everyone, even the locals. They were eventually taken to a house where they were to stay the night before being transported to Amman, Jordan's capital city, the next day.</strong></p><p><strong>Inside the house, they saw both men and women standing, being forced to work while being whipped mercilessly. They exchanged worried glances before being shown to a large room where the women would stay. The men were taken to another similar room. The women’s room had a single bathroom.</strong></p><p><strong>Once inside, they wasted no time. They fetched cold water and washed the baby along with its mother. One of the slaves, who had been washing the baby, couldn't hold back her tears, missing her family from whom she had been separated. She carefully cleaned the baby and wrapped him in a cloth before handing him to his mother. Then the mother went to take a bath herself.</strong></p><p><strong>The women observed her—a dark-skinned woman with a pure heart. One of them extended her hand and said,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm Zahrah. What's your name?”</strong></p><p><strong>The woman smiled warmly, a smile that seemed to be part of her nature, and replied,</strong></p><p><strong>“My name is Nafisat, but people call me Feener.”</strong></p><p><strong>The woman who had held the baby after his birth said,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm Zakiya.”</strong></p><p><strong>Another woman nearby introduced herself,</strong></p><p><strong>“Mujahida.”</strong></p><p><strong>A woman sitting next to Mujahida said,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm Hinduh.”</strong></p><p><strong>Finally, the baby’s mother came out, smiling. She introduced herself,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm Salmah, from Afghanistan.”</strong></p><p><strong>Feener adjusted her seat and said,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm from Senegal.”</strong></p><p><strong>Zakiya added,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm from Oman.”</strong></p><p><strong>Hinduh chimed in,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm from Algeria.”</strong></p><p><strong>Hinduh said,</strong></p><p><strong>“I'm from Libya.”</strong></p><p><strong>After their introductions, Salmah sighed deeply and said,</strong></p><p><strong>“We’re headed to Jordan's royal court, a place filled with danger. If you make even the slightest mistake, your life is forfeit. Please, let’s stay united as we are now and not lose anyone. Especially you, Feener—you’re dark-skinned and might face discrimination. Stay strong.”</strong></p><p><strong>Fear flashed across Feener’s face. She opened her mouth to respond, but just then, someone brought in a tray with some stale bread and a strange-looking soup. They all sat down to eat. Since leaving Syria, they had been surviving on stale bread thrown at them and water in dirty jugs. Seeing the food, they hurriedly divided it.</strong></p><p><strong>Feener took her share and offered it to Salmah, who said,</strong></p><p><strong>“You need it more than I do. I’m not too concerned about food.”</strong></p><p><strong>Shaking her head, Feener replied,</strong></p><p><strong>“Please eat. This is enough for me.”</strong></p><p><strong>Salmah insisted,</strong></p><p><strong>“Don’t worry about me. I’ve never been one to eat much since childhood. Just eat.”</strong></p><p><strong>Seeing Salmah’s determination, Feener stood up to avoid further argument. She went to the bathroom, performed ablution, and returned to pray. She made up for her missed prayers before completing her obligations for the day.</strong></p><p><strong>The other women followed suit, each performing their prayers. Afterward, they spread out their thin mats on the floor and lay down to sleep.</strong></p>
