For What it's Worth

“Aren’t you glad it was him and not me," Adam asked his younger sister Leyla. Leyla made no reaction and continued to stare at the floor. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

"Hey, Hey!” Adam tried to grab the attention of a zoned-out Leyla. He clapped his hands together but she still didn't move a muscle. “He would’ve never given your rightful cut, at least I respect the religion and divide any wealth accordingly,” Adam continued while he casually inserted a Marlboro cigarette into his mouth. “With the way that dumb-fuck Yusuf hated women, I'm surprised he wasn’t a faggot himself.” He chuckled while he proceeded to light his cigarette. while Leyla brought herself back to reality. Upon seeing the 20 thousand shillings (African dollar) in her lap from the council she shed a tear.

“No tears now we're going to be late," Adam said. He honestly had no time at all to console his distraught sister. He was a very impatient person and lacked any empathy, most doctors would honestly diagnose Adam as a sociopath if it wasn't for the fact that most times he was too busy getting high all day he'd have been a threat to society for sure.

"We need to sign some more documents confirming we accepted the blood money before the Sheikh has to lead Friday prayer.” Adam chuckled while gesturing for Leyla to get up.

Leyla reluctantly got out of her chair and began to make her way to the driveway where the family car and driver were waiting.

Two months prior-

Leyla made a living working at her late father’s café right on 4th street Mogadishu. The café was so popular that esteemed government officials of Somalia came for their daily dose of tea while they bickered about their nonsensical use of the budget.

Leyla honestly loved her job with a passion, that even the most overbearing supervisor of a brother never phased her. Well on most days at least-.

“Stupid face! Stupid head!” Yusuf, Leyla’s older brother shouted from across the café.

Leyla was in the middle of taking a customer’s order when she was forced to turn around to all the commotion.

“Yes,” She said with a look of both disbelief and anger smeared across her face.

“God! Why are women so stupid?” Yusuf proceeded to scream while he pointed his head up to the sky as if asking God himself this ridiculous question. “You messed up the count again!” He sassed while holding up the little black book the café used to record inventory. “The inventory and numbers don’t match Dumb bitch!” He growled as he almost stuffed the shiny black book into Leyla’s face. “God this why I told Dad we shouldn’t hand over the livelihood of this family to women, but I am but a man of my word so what do I do? Respect the old bastard’s wishes, Ya Rabb! (God in Somali) free me from ignorance” Yusuf shook his head in disbelief and marched back to his office.

Leyla proceeded to apologize to the guests and continued with taking the customer’s order. Yusuf always got on her case, but never would she imagine he'd feel comfortable enough to disrespect her and publicly scold her to this degree.

Dad would never allow this.

Leyla loved her father’s café and often felt this was the last place she still felt somewhat close to him, she wasn’t going to give up that feeling for snot nose Yusuf.

Rahma entered the café, Rahma was Leyla’s coworker, she was the family’s cook’s daughter and worked part-time at the café in between her classes that the family paid for. Not only was Rahma a waitress at the café but she was also Leyla’s rock, enlightenment in itself.

“Hey girl,” Rahma said as she tied her apron around her waist.

Leyla didn't respond, she was too busy looking into Rahma’s eyes. She could never keep focus whenever she stared into Rahma’s black almond-shaped eyes, part of her truly believed those dark beauties were the antidote to all the world problems

“What’s wrong Habibti?” (love in Arabic) Rahma asked,

How did she do that? Leyla pondered to herself. Within minutes of being around Leyla, Rahma could already detect she wasn’t all right.

“Nothing, It's just Yusuf He’s being his usual ass self," Leyla answered.

Rahma smiled and grabbed Leyla’s hand softly as she led her into the supply closet.

Rahma gently placed her velvet palm across Leyla’s face, their eyes met for a brief moment before their lips connected. Leyla moaned softly into Rahma’s breath before Rahma slid her fingers into Leyla’s waistband.

A sudden bright light shone on the girls from the door opening.

“What the Fuck!” Yusuf yelled with the door wide open behind him. Neither Rahma nor Leyla could respond with an explanation. What could they explain, they were both gays in a 99% Muslim country where their sin was punishable by death. "Get the fuck out!" He yelled towards Rahma, Rahma pushed past him with tears in her eyes and left the cafe. Leyla tried to follow her, but Yusuf physically pulled her back.

"I'll deal with you at home, go back and take orders." Yusuf scoffed at Leyla. She had no other choice but to return to work.

Later that night, Leyla returned home to Adam once again getting high as a kite off local greens while bickering with the family watchman during one of his usual drunken stupors.

This usually irked Leyla, but she always minded her business. Clearly, the events of that day had accumulated on her greatly, before she knew it she snapped at her older brother. “Will you stop being a useless piece of shit! and stop harassing the goddamn help!”

Adam was stunned, and paused before he responded, “Oh maybe I should start fucking the help then.” Adam and the watchman burst into laughter. Leyla was in utter shock, she knew Yusuf was going to make her life hell, she just didn’t expect him to be blabbering his mouth this fast. She ran out the main gate she made a beeline to Rahma’s house.

Luckily for Leyla, Rahma was already home and bedridden with the stressful situation.

“I don’t know what to do,” Rahma said despondently from her pillow without bothering to lift her head to confirm if it was even Leyla who had just burst into her room.

“My dad’s going to publicly assassinate me in the name of Islam, no one’s going to respect an Al- Shabab worker with a faggot of a daughter. You’re honestly so lucky your father is dead” Rahma said as tears began to pool in her beautiful eyes. Leyla made her way to Rahma’s bed to wipe the tears from her eyes and hug her tightly.

“Still doing gay shit I see.” a voice said.

It was Yusuf, he was leaning against Rahma’s bedroom door.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” Leyla growled to Yusuf

“I came to work out this awful mess, I’m not about to let a faggot harlot ruin the family's name-”

Rahma slapped Yusuf right across his smug face before he could finish his rant, Yusuf paused in disbelief before he could begin to register what happened, nevertheless, he didn’t hesitate to wrap his hands around Rahma’s neck, he was not going to let this disrespect go unpunished.

“Stop! Let her go” Leyla began to plead as she banged her hands against his back. Yusuf flung Leyla off himself like she was a mere bug.

During the panic, Leyla grabbed the first thing on the dresser that would work as a weapon.

Thud! Was the sound Yusuf’s body made as he landed on the floor. Blood sputtered from the incision the scissors made from piercing his neck.

Leyla and Rahma both gasped, she couldn’t believe what she had done, she had quite literally gone for his jugular. And spared him no mercy

“I think he’s dead,” Rahma said as she kicked the side of Yusuf’s lifeless body, she crossed the room to hug Leyla.

With nowhere else to turn to the girls found themselves in front of Adam later that night. After explaining the situation in grave detail. Adam paused silently with his head facing the ground,

The mood somber.

The girls looked at each other nervously before Adam began to slowly lift his head while laughing simultaneously. Their nervous look quickly turned into one of confusion.

“The solution is so simple Dumb-nuts,” Adam said smugly.

“Enlighten us,” Leyla responded with her arms crossed impatiently.

Adam proceeded to explain to the girls that Rahma would have to take the fall and claim self-defense since the crime scene took place in her room, and due to Islamic law, Rahma’s family would have pay Leyla’s family a lump sum for the blood their child shed.

“NO!” Leyla interrupted; she was concerned with what would happen to Rahma if they did this.

“Idiot!, since I’m the man of the house I’ll have to accept the cash on our behalf, and then we’ll split it three ways with me being the mastermind and all I'll be taking the lion's share, your girlfriend gets some money to start a new life in bum-fuck anywhere and you can get some to get over whatever sadness your dumb ass still thinks you got,” Adam explained while lighting a cigarette

It honestly concerned Leyla a little that Adam didn't even care that their brother was dead. He hated his brother but she never expected him to be this indifferent to his passing and especially since it was by her hands.

Rahma nodded in approval to Adam. It was the only logical solution. Her father would have to go into debt to pay off a blood-money type of fee. That was no small amount, and since Somalia is governed by Islamic sharia the bill would’ve been enforced by the government. Rahma feared the consequences if she dared stay. Leyla had nothing else to do but oblige Rahma’s wishes to go along with the plan.

About two months after the incident, The time had finally come for Rahma to leave. Her father was able to pay off Leyla's family, and since payday had arrived it was time for Rahma to leave. Leyla was seeing her off at the local airport. The girls had one last hug before Rahma broke it off. She placed one of her hands across Leyla's cheek and the other across her forehead and looked into Leyla’s eyes. “For what it's worth aren’t you glad it was him instead of me.”

Tears started to pool in Leyla's eyes.

End