The next morning, Khalid opened his eyes to the sound of loud noises. Finding himself lying on the side of a street, he quickly got up, trying to fix his appearance and dust off his clothes.
Then he looked ahead and ran his hand through his hair when he saw the massive crowd of people walking in an orderly direction.
Everyone was wearing what seemed to be new clothes. Men were holding hands with women, boys were holding hands with girls, and the beauty was evident on their faces.
They walked in great joy, each wearing a garland of flowers around their necks. They were accompanied by music he had never heard before, played by a group of people in different attire, carrying drums, strings, and wind instruments unlike any he had seen before, yet producing exquisite sounds.
They walked amidst the crowd of people. Khalid then noticed some young men riding horses, each accompanied by a girl, her left arm wrapped around his waist while her right hand held flowers, waving them.
Khalid smiled and said:
"Now I understand why everyone is waiting for this day."
He was amazed by the acrobatic movements some were performing until he was surprised to see the rich carriage moving through the crowd, the one he and Yamen had clung to when they were in the desert .
A girl of extreme beauty emerged from it, and as soon as she appeared, some cheered in excitement, and their joy increased.
She began throwing many flowers, and everyone rushed to take them. Then she started throwing flowers upwards, and as they fell, the young men collided with each other, and her delicate smile widened.
Khalid watched this with great happiness and looked again at the girl, feeling great comfort until one of the girls approached him and asked
"Why are you standing alone? You can take me today for free."
Khalid looked at her, then looked back at the girl from the carriage and said:
"No, thank you."
Then he looked away and found Yamen. He hurried through the crowd and reached him with difficulty, asking:
"Yamen, do you remember me?"
Yamen smiled: "Yes, welcome, my friend."
Then he looked at Khalid's attire, "Congratulations on your new clothes. How was your first day in Zikula?"
The voices around them were loud, so Khalid had to raise his voice:
"My first day?.. I still don't understand what's happening to me."
Yamen laughed:
"Perhaps because we're in Zikula festivities. Once the festivities end, life returns to normal. These are exceptional days unlike any other."
Khalid smiled: "I see."
Then he asked him:
"Where's your girl?"
Yamen was astonished:
"What?"
Khalid laughed:
"I mean your girlfriend. I see most of the guys with girls."
Yamen smiled:
"Oh, no, I haven't tied the knot yet."
Khalid looked ahead and asked him:
"Where are we going?"
Then he felt like he didn't understand, so he asked again:
"Where are we heading?"
Yamen laughed, "We're going to the celebration grounds where all the people of Zikula will meet. And someone will be slaughtered there."
Khalid said, "Ah, I see... the poor one."
Then he fell silent, and they continued walking with the crowd until he asked again:
"Yamen, who's that?" and pointed to the girl throwing flowers from the carriage
. Yamen replied, "That's Asil, the doctor of Zikula."
Khalid whispered to himself, "Asil... a doctor?"
Then he saw her throwing a rose into the air and it fell towards him. He wrestled with the young men until he jumped and caught it, taking advantage of his height. He looked at her smiling, so she smiled back at him in a way that made him captivated for moments…
Everyone was walking, and Khalid admired the celebration... and the wonderful music soaring everywhere, and the scent of roses that refreshed his chest, making him forget the questions he kept asking himself about the land of Zikula...
He walked beside Yamen, looking at the carriage and at Asil, who smiled whenever someone caught a rose she threw...
Then he looked with a completely different, arched look at the girl whom he refused to walk with ... She didn't take her eyes off him the whole time, and as soon as their eyes collided, she stuck her tongue out at him angrily.
He looked again at Asil, and he inhaled the fragrance of the rose he held and smiled... And he continued walking with them until they reached a wide area... And he was surprised to find a huge crowd of people, maybe exceeding fifty thousand... So he asked Yamen:
"Who are all these people?"
Yamen replied:
"They are the people of Zikuala... They came from its many regions... and the rest of the women came from other regions …"
Then he smiled joyfully as another young man approached him... and hugged him tightly then looked at Khalid:
"This is my lifelong friend, Iyad…"
He pointed to Khalid as he introduced him:
"This is Khalid... My new friend... He seems noble, and he'll be your friend for sure…"
Khalid shook hands with Iyad, smiling, and said:
"Yes... we'll be friends until I leave soon…"
Iyad laughed loudly: "Leave?!"
Then he turned at Yamen and said:
Then he looked at Yaman:
- Your friend wants to leave!!..
Then he laughed again, angering Khaled with his mockery..
And he looked at Yamen:
- Is it strange for me to leave or what?
Yamen was about to answer him, but Iyad gestured for him to be silent after the drums had been beaten many times..
And everyone fell silent, and the music stopped..
After that, a big man climbed onto a high platform holding a long sword in his hand..
Khaled realized that the slaughter was about to happen.. and that the boy had been sincere with him when he told him that.
Then two strong men ascended, escorting a sickly-looking, bald-headed man despite his youth..
And silence engulfed the crowd as the drums resumed, prompting everyone to kneel except Khaled..
Yaman pulled him down until beside him, alongside with Iyad, as they observed the platform where the unfortunate man knelt, hands bound behind his back.
Moments later, the executioner swung his sword, and the poor man's head rolled, blood spattering the platform
The townsfolk erupted in jubilation as the music resumed, initiating festivities and acrobatic displays
Meanwhile, Khaled trembled at the sight, his heart racing and breath quickening as he beheld the headless corpse. He had never seen anything like this before..
He touched his face, and asked himself if he was dreaming or if it was real..
"Why did they slaughter this poor man?! Aren't we supposed to help him instead!!"