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           By early the next morning, most of their large family had departed except Aicha, Khadija, Adam and Othman and their children who had stayed on and had accompanied her, along with Delphine and Mokhtar to R’hamna, a closed army truck with Radouan in his sandalwood box preceding them. 

          Arriving here she was still asking her self why Radouan had never told her the real story of the Baroness’ death when she entered this room, the room where Radouan had first made love to her and felt drained and empty and really wished she didn’t know Radouan’s secret, wished Mokhtar had kept it to himself. Could it really be true or was he playing some kind of trick on her. She would never know. What she did know was that she would have to live with it for the rest of her life!

          After a short nap, she joined Delphine and Mohktar and they went down and stood by his coffin and shook hands with the town’s people who had come to say good bye to him and as the afternoon slowly eroded, they carried him to the burial site, where she kissed his forehead for the last time, and swore solemnly that she would faithfully keep his secret.

          Then Adam and his sons carried Radouan’s body to the gravesite, lowered it into the earth and Othman prayed:

‘In the name of God the merciful who forgiveth aye,

Praise is to Him, the Lord of all that be, the King of

Judgment Day.

Thee we worship and for Thine aid we pray.

Lead us in the right way.

The way of those, to whom Thou hast been gracious, against whom thou hast not waxed wroth, and who go not astray! 

                  Amen.

From God we come and to him we return.’    

          And Hafida whispered to herself:

               ‘Love wins all. Those who can truly see know.

Prosperous is he who purifies himself, or gives alms, and repeats the name of the Lord and prays.'

©Elwyn Chamberlain 2006