the other in the fall. But this night, it was announced that Raphael had been born, and then word came through that you, Jamila, had been born too. Two healthy babies on the same night. And then we learned you were born at the same time. I remember it so vividly. As I was taking a sip of my wine I thought, what are the chances? And then, like a movie being played out like a fast-paced movie in my mind, I saw you both grow separately, born to hate each other without ever meeting. But it changed, and there was peace in Vita. The two of you were holding hands and the sun was shining, while the people laughed and sang with joy.”
His eyes glaze over, as if his mind is travelling back in time. Raphael sits forward, winding his arm around my waist with a big smile on his face, probably having already heard the story, and I smile in return.
It’s nice to think we were always destined to find each other and experience true love.
“I didn’t get a wink of sleep that night. I implored the Almighty to speak to me again, but He never came. I worked with what He had already given me, and the next day, I set out onto the streets and spread word of what I saw.”
“I’m surprised people believed you,” I say.
“People wanted to believe, Jamila, which made my mission much easier. Two babies from opposing families born at the exact same time? The chances of that happening are next to none. For seventeen years now, the people have been waiting, hoping, and praying for you.”
“Raphael thinks we’ll have to kill our fathers, and I agree with him. What will He think of that? I shall not commit murder, and thy shall honour thy mother and father.”
Reminding him of the two commandments spikes my anxiety.
“He set out the path for you and knows it won’t be easy. Fighting for the greater good never is. You hear about light overcoming darkness, but you hardly ever hear how they got there. As long as you don’t lose sight of the end goal, people only remember the victory, and the how’s of you succeeding will be forgotten.”
Rising to his feet, he makes his way into his vestry, and Raphael shifts me so I’m facing him.
“Are you having doubts?” he questions nervously.
“Of course not. I just want to understand more. I think it will help us better if we have every understanding of what we’re dealing with going forward.”
He strokes the stray strands of hair away from my face. “We should stick to our plan and keep it simple. We marry, I kill our fathers, and we move on after.”
“What’s the plan for the soldiers whose hatred is too far rooted, and they don’t want to follow our new path of peace?”
“They will be dealt with by the appropriate authorities.”
He always has an answer for everything. It’s comforting in a way, but sometimes the unknown is too much to put your faith in.
“I sometimes think the city doesn’t want change, and we’ll only cause more upset. What if we just ran away?”
“No, Mila. As much as I want it to be the two of us now, it’s not the answer. We weren’t born to run. We were born to help others and show what real love is. Are you afraid? Is that what this is?”
Taking my hand, he leans down and places a kiss on the back of it.
“Yes, I’m afraid. We’d be fools not to be.”
“What is it that scares you, and I’ll try to take your fears away.”
“For one, we could be caught sitting here together. And since it’s you on my side of the city, it’d be you who is killed. I’m afraid our fathers will find out our plans before we get to follow through with them. And most of all, I’m terrified something will rip us apart.”
There, see how he tries to soothe my fears now.
“Your worries are warranted, and it’ll be our fear that drives us to succeed. All I can do is promise you that if danger gets too close to us, we’ll get out and lie low. We may be trying to fulfil this prophecy, but I live for you, Mila. I don’t wish to die when I have the chance to spend a lifetime with you.”
The conviction in his words hold true in his clear blue eyes. I lunge forward, wrapping my arms around him.
The thudding