Chapter 44 - A Womans Rights

Saphira

That evening I was mostly on the phone. After I had called Amanda, Lynn, Zachary and even Sierra called to check up on me. Mostly I just lied a lot. I wasn't fine at all. And the one person who I wanted to call me… Didn't. I saw that he often came only on what's-app. But he never said anything. I wanted to see how long it would take him to contact me himself. I didn't want to come across as the pushy type…

I didn't sleep much that night…. I just stared at him being online. Who would he be talking with? Around 5 AM I finally did fall asleep. But when I woke up I was exhausted beyond measure.

I took a long hot shower trying to wake up, but it was useless. I got dressed in a green v-neck satin with lace dress Benjamin bought for me, when I had my 'Benjamin makeover.' I then took a picture as promised.

When I hit send, I saw that he was online just a couple of minutes before. Then I saw that he was online again. He was probably looking at my picture right now, but then he was offline again and I didn't get a single reaction all morning.

Zachary came to pick me up for school today, since my car was left behind yesterday. It was a quiet event. At lunch Zachary finally broke off my silence. He was sitting next to me on the big long table with our friends."He still didn't call you, now did he?"

I looked at him wary. Then I heard Sierra raising her voice. And turned to listen what she said. She was talking to Janice. "Benjamin went with Daniel to shop a bride ." Sierra said rolling her eyes. Shopping for a bride? What?

He was going to study in Saudi Arabia, maybe that was customed there?!

And besides… How did she know that? I didn't even know THAT…. "We had such a nice conversation last night, we talked for almost an hour!

"And he sent me lost of pictures." Sierra said trying to provoke me.

I felt myself crumble into pieces. I got off my seat and went to the bathroom. I stayed there during the rest of our lunch break. Nobody seemed to notice me missing.

When I opened the girls restroom door, Zach was standing against the red lockers waiting for me. He walked towards me and put his arm around me, while walking towards our next class. He didn't say anything about it. He didn't have too. I felt that he understood me. When I didn't even understand myself.

When the school day ended we all walked as a group toward the parking lot. Sierra, Lynn, Naomi, Janice, Tyler and Zachary all decided to hang out at the beach after school. "Are you coming?" Lynn asked. "No, I have a few thing to take care of at home." I lied again.

Zachary smiled at me and I think he saw straight through my lie. All of a sudden Zachary couldn't go to the beach either.

Just a few minutes after I had arrived home, I saw his car on our driveway. I could have expected that. Somehow I didn't mind in the least. "If you're going to lock yourself up then ill lock myself up with you." Zachary had said.

Jasmine

Benjamin said he would be with me as soon as he could. What was he up to? Naïma was snoring beside me, but I couldn't catch my sleep.

Would that be the woman he was going to marry? About an hour ago I received a picture of a female called 'Saphira.'

She had dark brown hair and radiant blue eyes. I felt a pang of jealousy, which I knew, was absolutely unfair of me. Benjamin deserved happiness and I didn't want to give him that.

But what would be the alternative? Marry Saeed and get raped and beaten up every day. Still, I couldn't just marry Benjamin because I had no better alternative. No there would never be another man, that wasn't it.

Benjamin deserved someone who would cater to his every needs. Who would stand by him and support every decisions he makes in life. To be the mother of his children and help him with his royal duties.

Benjamin surely did not need a woman who wanted to study herself. It was foolish, I knew that. If only I was born in another world.

I believe that woman should have rights as well. The right to marry who she wants, or not to be married at all, to have a say in how many children she has, the right to study if she wanted to, and to have a job.

Having a job would mean you have income and don't longer depend on the mercy of male relatives.

Would that Saphira have all those options? I started to resent her even more.

Benjamin

"Grandfather we need to do something." I pleaded. I was kneeling before him at his court. It was unusual for a prince to kneel before the sultan, but it was an unusual situation.

"Son, listen to me. I know you are very fond of Jasmine, I am fond of her family as well. Still my son, there are rules." My grandfather said with authority.

"I think he abuses her." I said, my voice breaking on each word. "If he has intercourse with her, then she is contaminated and it would be best for her to marry her brother in law." The sultan said with earnest.

I had to back out of this. "No, that is not what I meant." I said wheeling out of the situation. "I meant that I think he beats her, that he physically abuses her." I felt sick to my stomach. How could they let an innocent woman, who would possibly been raped, marry her predator?!

I was always glad that I was not inline for the throne, but at moments like this, I wished I were. I would gladly change all those banana republic rules.

My grandfather was whispering about something with his first wife. Then he finally spoke. "My first wife just agreed for me to take her as a wife, so that is settled then." He spoke with thought

"NO!" I shouted in the big room.. My voice echoed.