She lowered her eyes.
Damn, Saba’s words had hit a nerve.
‘Does she have any moments of lucidity?’ she asked in hope.
Kemisa’s eyes clouded further. ‘Nada. She can’t understand who you are, nor does she carry any memories from the past.’
‘Any treatment?’ Shiloh said, her voice trembling with emotion.
TheShimashook her head again, her gaze never leaving Suri’s frail form. ‘You should realize that her affliction has irrevocably altered her mind. She has forgotten not only the world outside but also her former life. It is cruel, but tis the reality we must accept.’
Suri’s stare drifted away, her eyes unfocused, adrift in a reality only she could perceive.
An unimaginable grief hit Saba for the sibling they’d lost and what might have been.
‘What can we do for her?’ Saba asked, looking at Shiloh and then at Shima Kemisa. ‘Do we have any hope for her recovery?’
The luminary sighed, her expression somber. ‘There is no cure for her affliction. The best we can do is provide her with a safe and peaceful environment in which to spend her remaining days in comfort and solitude. It is the only way to protect her from her dark thoughts.’
Saba took a deep breath, trying to process everything she’d just learned.
Suri, the vivacious and caring older sister, was long gone. In her place was a fragile, lost soul, a shell, a mere echo of her former self.
Without warning, she wrapped her hands around herself and began keening in a low groan, rocking back and forth.
‘Oh my,’ Shiloh murmured in distress. ‘What’s wrong?’
The nun pursed her lips. ‘Your visit might have awakened her memories of the world outside. We must take her back to her quarters now, where she will be safer and more at ease. You may return to call on her, but remember that she will never know who you are, no matter how often you come.’
‘That’s not the point. We know who she is, and we’ll keep her memories alive and keep visiting, now that we know where she is.’
‘Tis your decision,Šarim,’ theShimasaid with a tight smile.
‘Indeed it is,’ Saba snapped.
Twas clear they were muddying the waters, but she didn’t give afokk.
It was their sister, and they’d been wrenched from her for too long.
ShimaKemisa turned to Suri and extended a hand, which Shiloh took.
She stood slowly, shaking her veil back into place.
Their eyes followed their sister’s frail figure as she leaned on her fellowShimaand shuffled towards the chapel door.
Her steps were uneven, her face etched with lines of pain and confusion.
They were silent observers, helpless in the face of this heartbreaking truth.
‘You may let yourselves out by going back the way we came in,’ theshimagelesaid before the pair disappeared outside.
They exited in their wake and lingered in the courtyard again, sorrow, regret, and guilt hitting hard.
Their hearts ached for Suri, for what she had lost, and for what had been snatched from them, not just in years but in shared experiences.
They exchanged a sorrowful glance, and Shiloh squeezed Saba’s hand.
‘We’ll be back,’ Saba said, her voice breaking. ‘Also, we’ll do everything we can to help her.’
