Amanda in Arabia: The Perfume Flask (6 page)

Amanda shivered. Her cotton blouse wasn't warm enough for a desert night. She couldn't believe it had been so hot during the day and now was so cold. Could she survive a night in the desert? If only she knew where she was and where she was going. What if those guys found her again? They would be awful mad that she escaped. She shivered again, but not just because it was cold.

What about her aunt and uncle? They would be worried about her. What happened to Leah and Mohammed? She remembered what the men said about Mohammed and the reward money. Was Leah in danger? Amanda scolded herself, ‘That will teach me to mind my own business and not get myself, and my friends, mixed up in things I don't know anything about. And why did Ali Baba bolt like that?' She just couldn't understand the camel's sudden action. ‘I guess camels aren't as predictable as I thought. Riding on a camel sure gives you lots of time to think.'

She wiggled on the hard saddle trying to find a more comfortable position and also thought, ‘It gives you a sore bum, too.' She thought she might start to cry again but took a deep breath and said out loud, “Suck it up, princess. You wanted travel and adventure and now you have it.”

She also thought, ‘Be careful what you wish for.'

***

A full moon and a never–ending display of twinkling stars lit the way for Amanda and Ali Baba as they traveled towards an unknown destination. One star appeared brighter than the others and got brighter as they moved toward it. Soon she realized it was attached to a tower. Then she recognized the familiar crescent moon that topped a mosque's minaret. Ali Baba started to trot.

Amanda hung on tight. “Please, don't run away again.” As they got closer she thought she could see a flash of green in a window.

‘Could that be Shamza?'

Amanda wasn't sure when she saw two other figures come out of the building.

Fear gripped her. ‘Oh, no! What if it's those two men and they have found Shamza by following Ali Baba and me?' The two figures ran towards her. She wanted to turn and run the other way but Ali Baba was determined to get to the mosque as fast as he could.

“Amanda? Is that you? Oh thank heaven. Are you okay?” she heard Leah call out, before she got close enough to see her and Mohammed through the grey light.

As soon as they came to a halt Mohammed grabbed Ali Baba's reins and made him sit down so Amanda could get off. She could hardly stand up. Not only was her leg throbbing, her bum was numb.

“Where have you been?” asked Mohammed as he put his arm around Amanda to help her stand. “We thought Ali Baba would bring you back sooner than this.”

“I fell off when he started to run away and – and then two guys in a jeep came and took us to a tent, then I escaped and – and then we rode for hours and hours...”

“Slow down, stop,” said Mohammed. “You can tell us about it inside.”

At that moment Shamza ran out of the mosque and threw her arms around Ali Baba. The camel nuzzled Shamza as she stroked his neck. “I knew you would come back to me,” she whispered.

Leah gave her friend a hug. “I was so worried about you. But who are these people?” She looked around at Mohammed and Shamza. “And what is this all about? Mohammed has been frantic. He wouldn't answer my questions and appeared to have forgotten how to speak English. That girl
seemed to be expecting us when we got here. This is all too weird. You realize we will be in big trouble when we get back home. It is the middle of the night!”

“I'm sorry.” Amanda felt guilty about not having told Leah the real reason behind the camel ride but she had no idea it would turn out this way. She wasn't sure if Leah was puzzled or annoyed – or both. “I will tell you everything later.”

They helped Amanda into the warmth of the mosque where she told everyone of her adventure and showed them her bruise. Mohammed brought her lunch in from her saddlebag. She munched on the bread and cheese while she talked. Many hours had passed since she had eaten the dates and the rice.

“Why did Ali Baba run off like that?” Amanda asked Mohammed.

“He must have sensed Shamza was nearby. It can be the only reason. We were not that far from the mosque, but the men drove you in the opposite direction. You were brave to escape like that, my little friend. Ali Baba knew how to find Shamza after that.”

Amanda looked directly at Shamza, “Those men said they worked for your father. What exactly is going on?”

Shamza lowered her eyes and sighed. “Yes, they do work for my father. They are looking for me. If they find me, they will take me back to my father and they will get a reward.”

Amanda gave Mohammed a suspicious look, “I overheard them say you were hoping to get the reward also.”

“That is what I wanted them to think,” replied the young man.

“How do you and Shamza know each other anyway?” With the look that passed between Mohammed and Princess Shamza, Amanda began to get the picture.

“I also worked for her father,” said Mohammed and he moved closer to the princess as if to protect her from any more threats. “That is how we met and fell in love.”

Shamza blushed and looked away.

“I am a poor man,” said Mohammed. “And I have no royal blood. For these reasons our love was impossible.”

Amanda looked over at the princess and felt sad. “If those men find you and take you back to your father, will you have to marry the old man?”

Shamza didn't return her look or say anything.

Mohammed said, “We will escape to another country and get married. It is the only way.” He took hold of the princess' hand. “I will look after my Shamza.”

He gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it. He turned to Leah and Amanda. “We must leave this place before anyone finds us. Are you able to travel, Amanda?”

‘No,' thought Amanda. ‘I just want to have a hot bath and a long sleep.' She couldn't imagine getting back on a camel again. But she smiled and said, “Sure.”

Sheba led the way, with Leah and Mohammed on her back. Ali Baba was happy to have Shamza and Amanda as his passengers. The night air was cold but they hung on to each other and kept warm as they traveled through the dark desert not knowing what lay ahead.

The silence was incredible. The only sound was the padding of the camel's feet on the desert floor, like slippers on a carpet. No one said a word. Even Amanda, for once, didn't have any questions to ask. She was so tired and numb.

At one point both camels stopped and lifted their heads with their ears erect.

Mohammed whispered, “The camels, they hear something.”

Amanda thought she heard the sound of a jeep but then it could have been her tired mind playing tricks on her.

“We will hide,” said Mohammed.

He led them around to the back of a huge dune that loomed out of the blackness of the night. They waited for a while. The sound got louder. Amanda thought she could feel Ali Baba's heart beating faster. Maybe it was Shamza's – or maybe it was hers?

They could see the lights of a jeep as it started to climb the dune. They pressed close against the sand on the other side. They could hear the tires spinning in the sand. The whining jeep couldn't make it up the steep incline. Soon the lights disappeared and the sound faded as the jeep went in the opposite direction.

“I think it is safe to continue,” motioned Mohammed.

“Is it safe to breathe?” Amanda said when she realized she had been holding her breath.

After what seemed like forever, the blackness began to lift and a soft pinkish blush could be seen above the dunes as the sun prepared to rise. In the far distance a faint call to prayer could be heard. Amanda wondered where it came from, as there was nothing but mountains of sand as far as she could see. She was convinced they were lost and would perish in this wilderness of sand. There was only a little bit of water left in her second bottle and no more food. It was time to make a wish for her and her friends to get back home safe.

Then she called to Mohammed, “Are you sure you know where we are going?”

“Yes, my little friend, we will be there shortly.
Inshalla
.”

“What does that mean,
inshalla
?”

“God willing.”

“
Inshalla
,” she murmured to herself.

The sand turned a soft silky pink as the impatient sun rose from its hiding place behind the dunes. While the sun warmed the earth, the sand soon shimmered in shades of peach and orange. It was beginning to get hot when they stopped on the top of a huge dune. Mohammed walked to the edge and peered over.

“Just as I thought,” he said as he stared at a sheer drop, “a broken dune. We better go back down the way we came.”

“What is a broken dune?” asked Leah and Amanda at the same time. They looked at each other and smiled.

“It is a dune created by a sand storm that has blown the sand into a smooth hill on one side and left it broken off on the other. Many people have perished while dune bashing in their jeeps. They drive very fast up and down the dunes but when they reach a broken dune, the jeep tumbles over. It can happen if you are riding a camel very fast, too. Many times you do not see a broken dune until it is too late.”

“Will it take longer if we have to go back?”

“Yes, but it is too dangerous to try to go down the other side.”

“I guess you know best,” said Leah as Mohammed remounted Sheba.

Amanda was surprised at how calmly Leah was taking all this. She always considered her to be the kind of person who would freak out at any sign of discomfort or trouble. ‘I guess I didn't really know her that well,' she thought with admiration.

They rounded the dune and were on top of another when the sound of a jeep was heard. A very dirty jeep came bouncing over the dunes.

“Mohammed, I think it is those guys!” shouted Amanda.

“Run!” shouted Mohammed.

He didn't need to tell the camels as they both started running as if they were in a camel race. They ran side by side with their tail and mane streaming behind them and their big lips flapping. “Hang on, Leah,” shouted Amanda. Her tummy lurched and her tired body came back to life as panic took over. ‘What will they do to us if they catch us? Can a camel out run a jeep? Will I ever see my parents again?' She looked behind and saw them getting closer. The two men were shouting out of the windows and waving their arms as if to spur the jeep on. A knot of terror was in her stomach. She closed her eyes, hung on to Shamza and wished for a miracle.

The camels slowed down. What does this mean? She was afraid to open her eyes.

When she did, they were between two dunes and there was no sign of the jeep.

“Wh... What happened? Where are those guys?”

“It is a miracle. Their jeep stalled going up a dune and we got away,” replied Mohammed. “But they may find us again. We must keep moving.”

‘This wishing thing seems to be working,' thought Amanda.

The breeze felt good as Amanda's cotton blouse flapped and her hot, sticky hair was blown from her face. Then a fine sheet of sand began to fly in her eyes. The sky became dull, the sun turned a pale, white shade and the sand swirled around the camels' feet.

“Is this a sand storm?” She closed her mouth quickly as it filled with sand.

No one answered. Shamza pulled her scarf tighter around her face, not even her eyes were visible. Amanda wished she were wearing a scarf and long sleeves. The flying sand bit her bare arms like many mosquitoes attacking her. Mohammed and Leah, on Sheba, kept riding ahead into the gloomy, brownish clouds of sand. Then they disappeared.

The sun faded into nothing. The wind made a strange moaning sound like a ghost in pain and came from every direction, whirling the sand around like a frenzied dancer. It was like being inside a dark and scary haunted house, not knowing what was ahead of you, beside you or behind you.

Ali Baba pointed his head forward and kept moving into the thick fog of sand and dust. ‘How can he see?' thought Amanda. The sand was grinding in her teeth, blowing up her nose and filling her ears. She tried to keep her eyes closed. She knew better than to say anything again in case she would swallow a mouthful of sand.

Shamza in front provided some protection. She hung onto her tighter. The princess must have known she was scared because she gave her hand a comforting squeeze.

‘I sure am glad I'm not out here by myself. But what has happened to Leah and Mohammed? Leah must wish she had never met me. If we get through this alive, I wonder if she will ever forgive me?'

Slow and steady they rode on through the sand storm, not knowing how long it would last or where the others were. Then the screaming wind turned to a low moan and the shapes of some dunes could be made out. There was a glow in the sky like a light bulb with a scarf tied around it. The sand started to settle in drifts that looked like a sandy sea of waves. A camel with two riders appeared in front of them.

“Mohammed, Leah!” called Amanda, “Is that you?”

“Yes, it is us.”

“Where have you been? Where did you go? Why didn't you stay with us?”

“We did not go anywhere. We were here, in front of you, all the while. You just couldn't see us through the blowing sand.”

“Do you know where we are? Are we lost? Will we die out here?”

“The storm slowed us down but did not lead us astray. We do not worry about storms, they come – they go,” said Mohammed. “Our camels do not get lost in storms; they are made for the desert. They have a second set of clear eyelids that protect their eyes from the sand and lots of nose hairs to keep the sand out.”

Amanda was beginning to realize what a truly amazing creature the camel was.

She patted the animal's rump, “Ali Baba, you're the best!”

“That is why we call our camels
Ata Allah
– God's gift.” Shamza smiled as she loosened her scarf. “And you were very brave coming through the storm, not crying or making any noise.”

Amanda was glad she had kept her mouth shut for once.

The weary travelers continued to climb up and down the endless dunes. They rounded one large dune and saw something sticking out of the sand. Mohammed jumped off Sheba to examine it. He brushed some sand away and began to chuckle. He brushed more sand away and it became clear that it was a tire. Soon it was a set of tires attached to an upside down jeep. Amanda looked up and discovered that they were at the base of a broken dune.

“Do you think it is their jeep?”

“Oh, yes. It is their jeep, for sure. They must have tumbled over the broken dune in the sand storm.” He dug around the jeep some more. “They aren't in it.”

“Where would they be?” asked Leah, looking around.

“They will be on foot. They are no threat to us now.”

“That is good,” said Shamza with a faint smile.