‘Suri?’ Saba whispered to her.
The woman before them was no longer the beautiful, youthful girl Saba remembered.
Her face was gaunt, her skin pale and wrinkled.
The deep grooves appeared etched, and her eyes seemed hollow, the vibrant blue now dull and tired.
Her habit was loose and ill-fitting as if she had lost weight.
She sat in a hunched position, her posture weakened and frail.
Time had worn her away like the tide wore at the shore, leaving behind a different spirit, a faded painting once colorful and full of life, now muted and threadbare.
Shiloh’s hand trembled in Saba’s as they stared, too.
The woman blinked. ‘Who are you?’
Her inflection was soft and gentle.
They exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of how to respond. Saba took a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts in this solemn place.
‘We’re your sisters, Suri,’ Saba began, her voice wavering. ‘Saba and Shiloh.’
Suri’s eyes widened, and a flicker crossed her face for the briefest moment before being replaced by a look of profound sadness and confusion.
‘I am so sorry,’ she murmured. ‘I don’t recognize you, but I sense the love within you.’
‘We’ve come a long way to visit you,’ Shiloh said, taking a step forward and dragging Saba with her.
Suri gave them a tremulous smile.
With a trembling hand, she reached out to touch their faces.
‘Sante,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll add you to my daily prayers.’
That’s when they realized the woman they were once acquainted with was not with them.
Her essence, her spirit, and personality were gone.
Saba and Shiloh exchanged glances, their hearts shredding with pain.
The door to the chapel opened, andShimaKemisa stepped back in.
‘Šarim,’ she said soothingly. ‘As you can observe, your older sister has suffered an affliction of the mind.’
‘For how long?’
Saba’s voice was sharp and ragged, a wretched cry that rent the chapel’s quiet.
‘Years now,’ the luminary offered with a sad dip of her head. ‘Her soul was never meant for the wider world and the shadows outside our walls. Unable to bear the burden of its darkness, she has retreated. I believe she may have already had early-onset dementia in her twenties, which might explain her behavior then.’
Shiloh and Saba looked at each other, disbelieving.
‘How can this be?’ Saba said, swallowing back the lump in her throat. ‘Why didn’t anyone tell us? All our Uncle said was that she didn’t want to see us at all.’
The nun pursed her lips in displeasure. ‘It would seem that your uncle kept Suri’s state from you. From everyone, he didn’t want the world to view her like this,’ she added.
‘You mean he was ashamed?’
