National Exile: A 21st Century Novel about Nobility, Poverty, and Cruelty

A 21st Century Novel about Nobility, Poverty, and Cruelty

Inspired by True Stories

By

Rusul A. Altaay

Copyrights

Copyrights © 2015 by Rusul A. Altaay

All Copy Rights Reserved

All materials in this book are copy righted to the author except the songs. They are translated versions of existing songs. All pictures presented in the book are copy righted to Moustafa Moustafa.

None of the materials presented in this book are to be copied or used in anyway without a written permission of the author or the participated parties.

Cover Design: Abrar Altaay

From the Author

100% of the profits made by this book will be donated to charity.

Parts of the story lines were based on the imagination of the author. While some characters are real, the main characters are fictional. Any reference to any names or places that do exist might just be coincidental.

This book is not a work of perfection.

Although the author did her best ensuring the quality of the work, mistakes could still be found.

If you happen to find any spelling or grammar mistake, please feel free to contact the author about it.

If you liked this book, please tell everyone by leaving a review.

Either way, we would love to hear from you

Facebook: /NationalExile

Twitter: @NationalExile

Email: NationalExile@gmail.com

Dedication

To those who put other people’s needs before their own

To those who care about the less fortunate

To those who chose to read this book

Hear me out

Why do you want to spend your time reading what I have to say? And most importantly, what is it that I have, that I need, to tell you? It was never about how I wanted us to live. It was about what I’ve witnessed living the cruelty of the human race. I saw atrocities that have haunted me for years. I saw the physically abused men and women begging for their lives. I saw mutilated faces that could’ve made a rock cry. I saw the brutalized humans who wanted to escape their reality. I saw the orphans who wanted nothing but to see the shadows of their lost parents. I saw the wrinkles on aging men and woman who wanted to scream from the oppression. I saw the infants of martyred parents who didn’t even know why they cried. I saw the tears of those who screamed, Give us our home back. So, for that ladies and gentlemen, please hear me out.

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I slowly walked towards the main door of the conference room. I raised my shoulders, and looked at the sky through the outside windows. I could not stop my hands from shaking as I reached the doors’ handles. I quickly opened the double doors, and hid my fears deep inside. I put a nice smile on and pretended that everything was going just fine. Many men and women were surrounding a long-glassy table.

Ladies and gentlemen… Welcome to Orb. I said proudly.

Who are you? And what’s going on in here? One of the men asked.

Me? I’m just the messenger. I replied, And Orb is our National Exile.

Table of Contents

Main Page

Copyrights

From the Author

Dedication

Hear me out

Table of Contents

Chapter 1 - Shattered Childhood

Chapter 2 - Every Day's a Blast

Chapter 3 - Under the Bridge

Chapter 4 - Les Miserables

Chapter 5 - The Arrest

Chapter 6 - Prison Break

Chapter 7 - Frozen Tears

Chapter 8 - The Orphanage

Chapter 9 - Images from The Past

Chapter 10 - The Hospital

Chapter 11 - Rain’s a Peacekeeper

Chapter 12 - The Obvious Way Out

Chapter 13 - Gone with the Fire

Chapter 14 - Glass

Chapter 15 - A Rushing Doctor

Chapter 16 - What’s wrong with us?

Chapter 17 - The Night of the Fire

Chapter 18 - Suffocation

Chapter 19 - Jenna

Chapter 20 - Radiant

Chapter 21 - A Smiley face

Chapter 22 - The Proposal

Chapter 23 - Launch a Warning

Chapter 24 - The Red Lake

Chapter 25 - Pink Gas

Chapter 26 - Robin Hood

Chapter 27 - One Wing cannot make a Bird Fly

Chapter 28 - The Bracelet

Chapter 29 - Minister of Peace

Chapter 30 - Coma

Chapter 31 - It’s Your Fault

Chapter 32 - Leave and Never Look Back

Chapter 33 - Welcome to Orb

Chapter 34 - We’re Mountains

Chapter 35 - I Do

Chapter 36 - Read Between the Lines

Bibliography

Chapter 1

Shattered Childhood

Our story started in the near past. Its story lines are not really over yet. It has been happening on a land where the word is to the oppressive strong. The land is known for its big wealth and long-honorable history.

The country is considered one of the wealthiest countries on earth. It’s a very rich country, but the majority lived in poverty. Billions of dollars disappear each year. No one really knows where the money goes. The country is known by Estil.

While the president of Estil and his inner circle were enjoying the country's wealth, the people were missing the basic aspects to survive. Hunger, ignorance, and crimes are what Estil is known for as of now. Everyone thought for sure that life is going to get better once the president was gone. It never did. More dictators have risen than ever before.

They had to accept the present under the fear of the future. It all began when the president of Estil declared war on a neighboring country. No one knew why. He certainly never cared to explain what he was fighting for. And his people could do nothing but obey.

Among the pain and suffering of the people, lived a boy named Zain. He lived with his family in a very poor neighborhood. When the war was declared, his father was forced to join the military just like any other young man.

Zain’s father had to go leaving them nothing behind at all. After his departure to the war zone, they did not even have enough to eat.

A little by little, food ran out. There was absolutely nothing left in the house. The ill mother had to sell the old furniture and cloths that they had in order to feed her kids. It was painful going to bed every night hearing her kids cry because of how hungry they were. Nine year old Zain was the oldest sibling. He realized that he had to take things into his hands until his father return.

He left his house one day knocking from door to door. He kept asking if he could clean or do anything in exchange for small piece of bread for his mother and siblings. However, Zain's family was not the only one suffering.

The majority of the people are considered lower class. Almost no one, but for few rich people, have any money. Nearly every young man was called into the war. Zain had nowhere to go other than some people's trash.

He started collecting trash from the people and took whatever he could eat or give his family. It was not enough. His mother was getting sicker by the day. They had no money for a doctor or medicine. He had to do more. He kept searching for a job until he was finally employed by a rich man. The job was to keep the back yard cleaned. Zain was getting paid small amount of money every week that was barely enough for few days’ worth of food for his family.

The rich man was very rough on little Zain. He always looked down on him despite his age. People always feared that man because he was very wealthy. This basically meant he could do what he pleased. Zain was a very cheerful boy regardless of his situation. He always thought that life would get better as soon as his father return. His father never did. Once Zain's family received the news about their father getting killed in the battle, everything was darkened in his little eyes.

Why? He screamed. Why did my father have to die and everyone else live?

Little he did know. Nearly half a million men and women were killed in active duty. Zain’s mother’s condition got really bad. She needed some medicine to survive.

Don’t worry mother. We lost father. We are not about to lose you too. He said. I will take care of this.

Zain said that as he was running out of the room that night. His mother's heart was shattered when she heard those words come out of her son's mouth. She was too weak to follow him, but she did manage to get on her feet to go after him. Zain was already at his boss’s house explaining the situation.

Please, my mother is very sick. She could die. I will do anything. Zain said. I just need some money to buy her medicine. He said with teary eyes while grabbing his boss’s hand.

The rich man pushed him a way and said,

You people always making excuses to get money from us. You are pathetic.

Zain looked at the floor and left crying. His heart was filled with hate for his boss and sorrow for himself. Later on that night, Zain returned to the rich man's house and did something he always swore he would never do.

He stole from the old man just enough to buy his mother's medicine. The rich man saw Zain steal and was very angry at him. He grabbed him from his neck, took him out to the street, and gathered the people around him. Zain's mother heard what happened and ran towards her son.

Please, he’s just a kid. He doesn’t know any better. She said.

The rich man replied, So you are the mother? Let me show you what I do to thieves.

He took his gun out and pointed it toward Zain while everyone around them just watched.

No, please… Kill me instead. Zain's mother begged him and cried.

I will leave him alone this time, but I better not see his face again. The old man screamed.

Zain's mother quickly took her son and walked as fast as she could. As soon as she was leaving the scene, she heard a gunshot. She looked down and saw blood all over her son’s chest.

NOOOO… She screamed.

He shot him. He killed Zain with a cold blooded heart. He took her son away from her. As she put him to rest in peace, she wanted nothing more than to die herself and put an end to all of her pain and suffering.

Years had passed and the war had finally ended. The president claimed that they had won the war. However, it was at the price of millions of innocent people like Zain's father. The few soldiers that survived returned home, and everyone was so sure that life would go back to normal, or so they thought. It was just getting started.

Two years after the war ended, another one started. This time it was a civil war. It started after a new president dictated his way to the throne. The president Maki Lion was all about war and power at the cost of his people. They called it The Decisive War. When the Decisive war first started, people thought it would end soon enough, and they would have the normal life they always dreamed about. No one knew how wrong they were. After years and years of bloodsheds, the war is still going on.

Lots of bad things happen in life, let a long in wars. Lots of innocents’ souls just die. Millions of people suffer. But sometimes, you have to make your own destiny. You have to stop hoping for things to magically happen. You have to move. You have to lend a hand to those in need. We are a group of young men and women who decided to take matter into our own hands. I am sharing some people’s side of the story. Some of the events have already happened. Some, I am writing as they happen. Let me start by introducing Sidra.

----------------------------------

Ignoring everything around her, Sidra was walking in a very beautiful garden. She was appreciating the beauty of life. She enjoyed a nice cup of tea. She listened to the birds’ songs. Short after that, she heard a sound of huge explosion that forced her to open her eyes, realizing that she was just dreaming.

Sidra slowly put on her jacket as if she just heard nothing. She got out of her room walking slowly with one eye open and another still dreaming. Her colleague Rain, a young man, screamed at her saying,

Where on earth have you been? I was looking all over for you?

I was a sleep. What's with all the noise? Sidra replied.

Another unit was just blown up. Three of the Peacekeepers just died.

Ok. What do you want me to do?

OK? That’s it? Have you lost your mind? Those are actual people… They are human beings with families to care for them.

I’m an engineer, not a doctor, Rain.

She ignored him and kept walking towards the main door of the building. She had joined the government hoping to make her country a better place. The government of Estil is referred to by the administration. Sidra never thought that her past would always hunt her down. She and many other young people were working and living in a thirty-story tower that was called The Burj.

Rain, who is a doctor, just looked at her with a confused face. Sidra was not like that. He wondered why she changed that much.

Sometimes, the best comes out of the people we expect the least from. This girl grew up not seeing but wars, blood, explosions, and pain in her life. Sidra grew up to be this bright, beautiful young woman whose main reason for living was to help others. Despite her attitude, she was always aware of the sorrow her people lived in. She made it her sworn duty to protect the people of Estil.

As Sidra looked at the chaos where everyone was rushing to help the injured, she started thinking.

When did I stop caring? Do I really feel nothing seeing all of this almost every day? What is happening to me? Do I want to care?

Many thoughts popped into her head. She looked away and went back to her room. As if she had no care in the world. She started remembering how she got interested in joining the Burj which is a special unit of the administration.

The Burj is where SANA, a super computer, was first built and developed. It is considered one of the most powerful weapons known to mankind. Its real functions are classified.

After that crazy morning, Sidra decided to go out for a walk in the city. She was hoping for something different. Something she had not seen before. As she entered the city, she started looking around for anything exciting. She saw few people surrounding a dead body of what appeared to be an old man. She looked away and kept walking. Then, she saw some dogs eating what looked like a big meal.

At least, they’re happy. she said.

Moments later, she realized that was not a big meal. That was a human body, that people could not have taken a way after some random explosion. She just stood there not sure of what to do. All she did after that was to throw a small rock at the dogs and scared them a way.

She just walked away. Anyone seeing the ways Sidra acted would think she was not even a human. It is not possible for a human being to react that way.

Almost no one knew what she had been through in her life to turn out that way. As she continued her walk, she saw absolutely nothing happy. She saw the pain and sorrow in people's eyes. The entire time she was walking, she kept telling herself,

I will change this world we're living in. I will not allow every human born in this world to live a life like this. I don’t know how and when. But… I will change the world in my own way. I will see people happy and smiling no matter what the price is.

She drew a smile on her face thinking of the world she wanted to create. She told herself that she would not lose her humanity. Her ultimate goal was to see no fear at all. While she was day-dreaming, she came across few kids playing.

They can actually play regardless of what’s going on around? Interesting… She thought.

At that moment, an image of her childhood just popped into her head. It was a day when she had to spend every waking moment looking for food.

Do not think about that right now. She thought as she shook her head and kept walking.

Chapter 2

Every Day's a Blast

Sidra lived her life pretending to be strong. There was a lot to do at the Burj. They were used to getting orders to devolve new lethal weapons. The military is unorganized. They kept them doing random things, and they gave them very little time to rest. They were not even getting any proper food. The administration is corrupted. Chaos is everywhere. No one cared about what was actually going on at the Burj. The workers did a lot of things thinking they were helping their country.

They lived, however, a much better life than a lot of other people. They had food and shelter. It was less than what a lot of people would kill for. People in the city, on the other hand, barley had few pieces of bread every now and then. They just had, actually have, enough to keep them alive. As hard as she thought her life was, Sidra never complained.

She always remembered the days when she went by with no food or shelter at all. There was only one thing that always moved her feelings. It was the look on children’s faces on the streets. They just seemed as lost as the adults. Every time she had something to eat, she had the street kids on her mind. She saw them every day struggling to survive while she could do nothing. It seemed that those kids were the only thing she actually showed any emotion towards for a very long time.

One night, all they heard at the Burj was explosions and guns’ fire. It was anything but a quit night. No one knew what was going on. As usual, the electricity was out. As a result, they did not have any internet access. No TV or even a radio to get the news about the outside world. The workers living in the Burj were not able to get but few hours of sleep. It was nothing unusual for them.

In morning, and in the main dining room where everyone ate, Sidra and her friends had a discussion.

So, Sidra, today we are going to visit the capital. I would like for you to come with us and help out. We might be able to find out what happened last night, and why there were too many explosions. Rain explained.

What’s up with your hair? You look like you’ve been electrocuted. And sure I will go with you. Sidra replied with a serious voice.

What? I just woke up. Focus on the task on hand. And leave me alone.

He tried calming his hair down with his hands.

I’ll be back in a second. Then, we can go.

Rain came back after he wore his hair normally.

Well, look at the bright side. At least… You still have your sense of hummer. He said.

I was stating a fact. I was not trying to be funny. So, who is coming with us, guys?

It is going to be me, you, Mai, Yazan, Rayan, and Waseem.

The six of them were always working together. They helped so many people both on and off the streets. They had so little and yet, they gave up so much.

They left the Burj that day and walked towards the capital. Entering the city was like entering a Zombie town. Things had gotten a lot worse since last time they visited. Almost all buildings had bullets’ holes on them. It looked like a battle just happened in there. Very few people were walking around. There were no bodies on the ground at all, which was surprising and comforting for them. They tried to stop some of the people and ask what happened, but no one wanted to stop what they were doing to talk to them. They kept walking between the buildings until they all stopped all of a sudden.

What on earth just happened here? Yazan asked. Yazan was 32 years old. He was the director of the Burj.

Let’s go and ask. Something really bad just happened last night, and we need to know what. Mai said.

Mai was Sidra’s best friend. She was 25 years old engineer. She was only couple of years older than Sidra. She had long-blonde hair that she always left freely.

I know we’re technically working for Estil’s administration, but there is something they are not telling us. I feel like we’re not fighting for who they say we are. Waseem added.

This is just crazy. Rayan said.

Rayan and Waseem were half-brothers. They were 26 and 18 years old respectively. They were both working as technicians.

All of them walked to the crowd and asked one of the men about what was going on. Hundreds of people had all gathered in one place digging the wreckage of destroyed buildings. A man from the crowd finally answered them,

After the bombing last night, a lot of the buildings collapsed. Hundreds of people died. No one could do anything last night because of the dark and the shooting never stopped. So… We gathered at the earliest in the morning to help the survivors. While we were working, we heard the sound of a baby crying. We are trying to reach to him or her… But there is way too much wreckage on top, and we don’t have any equipment to lift it. Maybe you young men can help out as well.

Rain shook his head and said,

Of course… Guys, let’s start by removing everything we can to get to anyone inside. Rayan, please help the men over there to get the baby out. Sidra and Mai, look at the ladies over there, try and see who they’re looking for and help out. We have to save as many lives as we can.

Sidra stood there like a statue. She said and did nothing. She was just looking at one destroyed building and watching the people as they were in panic mode.

SIDRA… Rain screamed. Move it, NOW…

But… this is... how can... I don’t understand… why… I used to…this building Sidra mumbled.

Wake up… We are all shocked, but we don’t have time to show our emotions every day. You of all people know that. Rain said.

She finally moved. They all went to help and dig through the collapsed buildings. There were no paramedics at all. There were very few local doctors that could only help few people at a time. It was very bad. There were more dead people than what they had thought. Rayan and Waseem took the dead bodies and started putting them all in one place. Rain and Yazan kept digging through the wreckage to get to the baby. However, locating him got really hard when he or she stopped crying.

I think he just got tired and finally went to sleep. Let’s keep removing the wreckage carefully until we find him. Rain said.

They kept working and working until they finally got a sight of what seemed to be