part 118: (sabreen)

**”Bismillahir rahmaanir raheem”
-in the name of Allah, The Most Gracious, The Most Merciful-**

‘Hello ma’am… I’m constable mokoena.. I’m sorry to bother you at this very late hour” an elderly gentleman said from the doorway. He was accompanied by another police officer to his left.

Alice stood there with a frown on her face and worry all over. She just nodded.

“Just to confirm. Are you related to a Mr Tony…” He looked down at a card.. “Williams?”

Alice swallowed hard.. “Yes” she replied.. Barely audible. She had to clear her throat and repeat herself a little louder for them to hear “yes! I’m his sister”

The 2 policeman looked at eachother before the other continued.
“Ma’am.. We need you to please come with us for identification. Unfortunately Mr williams body was found near the dam about 30k’s from here”

The world was spinning and alice suddenly couldn’t hear anything. All she could see was the constables lips moving. Everything was suddenly very bright. She absent mindedly started shaking her head profusely and walking backward.. “No! No!…. Not tony… You’re lying!”

She ran to her room where her cellphone lay beside her bed, leaving the policeman still at the door.

“Alice? What’s wrong? Who was at the door? Was it tony?” Sabreen asked innocently, unaware of what was going on.

Alice ignored her and grabbed the phone to dial tonys number. It went straight to voicemail.
“Dammit tony!” She shouted to no-one in particular and redialled another 3 or 4 times but every time it just went straight to voicemail.

“Alice? What is going on?” Sabreen shouted for alices attention.

Again alice ignored her.

There was a knock on the door again.
“Miss williams!” The constable screamed from the front door.

“Alice?who’s at the door?” Sabreen pleaded.

Alice walked to the front and sabreen followed.
“Its not my brother.you’re mistaken. Its someone else. I’m trying to call him. His phone is off. His battery is probably dead. He’ll be home soon…” Alice went on and on without breathing inbetween. She was in denial. She didn’t or couldn’t accept what the officers were saying.

“Miss williams. If you can come with us, you can decide that for yourself.” They said sympathetically. They were probably so used to delivering bad news. They probably did this every day.

Today it was to someones sister about her brother. Some days its probably someones mother about her son and other days someones fathers about his son.

It can’t be easy for them though. Having to deal with peoples different reactions.

“Go where? Alice? Talk to me!” Sabreen demanded as she shook her sister.

But again alice ignored sabreen. How was she supposed to tell her sister that their brother was lying dead in some government mortuary?

“Are you related to this young lady aswel?”. The constable was talking to sabreen now.

She just looked at him and nodded.

“Are you also a sibling?” He asked since sabreen didn’t volunteer any more information about how she was related to them.

Again she nodded.

“Well can you and your sister come with us please? We understand its getting late and the sooner we get this done, the better it will be for all of you…” He said in a straight tone.

Sabreen looked at him puzzled. She still wasn’t used to speaking to strangers so she didn’t have the courage to ask.

“We need someone to come and identify your brothers body at the mortuary. His body was found dead at the dam and this card was found nearby. ” The officer put forward tonys drivers license before sabreen and alice. It was torn and tattered but the name was visible.

Alice broke down… She was hysterical… While sabreen on the other hand was unusually calm and composed. She was in shock. It was time for her to return to her shell.

********
Authors note:
I really really love you all soooooo much for being such wonderful readers. So there you go…. There’s your post for today.
Bibi ayesha

Posted by silent living…