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“Left where?”
“Home. On the ship.”
“Princess, I want you to think very carefully. Where were you when the kidnappers came? In the hotel?”
“No, we were never at a hotel. We were on a ship, but not like this one. One with tall masts and sails. Several men came over the railing with guns. I was scared. So was Mama. She and Am’maty Z tried to stop them, but…” The words caught in my throat as my mind spun back through the memories.
“It’s okay, baby.” Baba kissed away the tears ripping down my cheeks. “You don’t have to remember the rest. Just sleep. Close your eyes.”
I obediently flitted my eyes closed, but Baba didn’t wait for me to fall asleep. A few minutes after he left, the sounds of voices kept me from drifting off. I strained to hear, but couldn’t quite follow all the curses and shouts volleying between the deep, masculine voices. The fighting reminded me of the kidnapping. But that night I’d hid, too scared to help Mama and Am’maty Z.
Fearing the worst, I snuck out of my room, edging along the short hallway until I was close enough to make out the voices. The men fighting weren’t strangers who had boarded our yacht to kill and kidnap us, they were my father and grandfather.
“Where did you get such a preposterous idea, Malik?” Jadd asked Baba.
“Mira said Zamarad told her. Is it true?”
“Mira’s confused. She’s an imaginative, rebellious child who’s just survived an extraordinary trauma. The drugs and medications are making her say such crazy things.”
“I don’t think it’s crazy. I think you wanted Zanji hidden away. You were always ashamed of her. Did you lock my sister up on the island like some kind of animal? That’s why you bought Marakata Cay, isn’t it? To hide her away.”
“Where’d you get these ideas? Your blasphemous sister?”
“You wanted Z shut away too.”
“I wanted Zamarad calm and happy. How dare you claim I didn’t love her or treat her fairly. Did I not give her everything she could ever dream of? Did she not do all the things you did—skydiving, scuba, horses?”
“You wouldn’t let her speak her mind!”
“I wouldn’t let her be sinful!” Jadd bellowed.
“She wanted to leave, but you wouldn’t let her go. Are you going to shut me away, too?”
“You’re my son.”
“Exactly. I’m male. You vilified her for the very things you praised me for.”
“Why are you talking to me like this? Vilify? Do you think I’m some sort of monster?”
“Honestly? I’m not sure anymore.”
“Tread careful, Malik. Where would you be without me? What would you have?”
“My wife! My sisters!”
“Do you even hear yourself? You should be ashamed of these thoughts! These crazy ideas, are they yours or your white wife’s?”
Baba scoffed. “My wife’s skin color is to blame now? And Coptic Christianity is what made Zanji unique, isn’t that right?”
“Unique,” Jadd sneered. “Your mother was punished for her beliefs. As the head of this family, I was punished for allowing her sins. We all were.”
“Zanji wasn’t a fucking punishment! She was a gift. And Mira wasn’t kidnapped at all, was she?”
“Silence! You will not speak to me this way. Accuse me of such horrible acts. It is your guilt making you say such awful things.”
“My guilt?”
“You couldn’t control or protect your wife and daughter… I could. I did what needed to be done.”
