Chapter 2: Aminat

A week later, John, Alex, Toby and Chess were resting in the morning in their tent around ten o'clock am after their night duty was over. Shawn and a UN official walked in with their breakfast on a tray. "good morning everyone" the official smiled greeting the four of them who were lying down. They all turned and looked at him "good morning" they all replied in a tired sleepy tone. "get up, breakfast" said Shawn who handed them steel plates and spoons. The UN official then opened the food flask he brought. He then used a bigger spoon to serve them potato porridge. "nice" Alex commented in a soft bass voice when the UN official poured a big spoon of the porridge on his plate. They all laughed and started eating. The UN then gave them a bottle of water each before leaving. "Won't you eat?" Chess asked Shawn who was still standing looking at them eat. "yea man your food is getting cold" added Toby. "I will. You guys remind me of my family back in New York" said Shawn who was still standing and smiling looking at them eat. "oh God…, don't man. You're gonna make me sick" teased Chess. "Shawn laughed and sat down. He took his plate and as soon as he started eating, he heard the sounds of vehicles entering the gate. Shawn then turned his ears towards the direction of the gates to listen closely. "Oh, the new refugees have arrived" said Shawn. "new refugees, from where?" asked Alex. "we received report yesterday that immigrants from Syria where arriving today" replied Shawn. Alex nodded and continued eating. Shawn got up and started dressing up properly. "where are you going?" Toby asked. "I need to help the officials sort the refugees" replied Shawn who has now finished dressing. He picked up his rifle on the way out, strapped it on and left. Alex tried to take a spoon of Shawn's potato pottage but Chess used her spoon to hit his spoon. "hey…, it's just one spoon" Alex grumbled. Chess gave him a hard warning stare and said "I'm gonna beat the potato out of you if you try it". "okay… geez calm down" said Alex raising his spoon. John and Toby laughed at the two of them. Meanwhile Shawn and other UN officials were taking the records of the immigrants that just arrived. It took two buses to bring all of them to the camp. Shawn noticed most of them where women and children. Shawn helped organize the women with their children to stand in a single file. He stood at the beginning of the line and took them into the tent where their names and data will be recorded before sending them to their tents. In the line, Shawn noticed a woman who looked tensed. She held her son's shoulders tightly in the line and bowed her head as if she was hiding from someone. He walked up to her "madam" he called her. The woman slowly lifted up her face to look at him but still avoided eye contact. Her eyes were red and swollen because she had been crying. "is everything alright?" Shawn asked. The woman nodded her head in approval but Shawn was not buying it. Shawn went back to the front of the line but kept an eye on the woman. The woman's turn to came and Shawn called her, she walked up with her son in front of her slowly and still tensed. Shawn then escorted her into the tent where the UN officials were. "What is your name please?" the UN official asked. "A-Am-Aminat" she replied stammering with her head down. The UN official looked at her and her son closely for some seconds. "are you alright Mrs. Aminat?" asked the UN official. "I'm fine" she replied with a nod. The official looked at Shawn and Shawn shook his head telling the official he also doesn't know what was wrong with the woman. The official now looked at the child who doesn't know what was going on "is this your son?" the official asked Aminat. Aminat nodded in approval. "what is his name and how old is he?" the official continued. "his name is Mu-M-Mubarak, Mubarak Ali a-and h-he is 9 years old" she answered still stammering. The official asked her other questions and recorded it down then Shawn directed her and her son to a tent where medical personnel will give them a check-up. Shawn could not stop thinking about the woman "is she a spy? but spies don't get tensed. Was she forced?" Shawn thought to himself. About three hours later, Shawn came back to the tent and found only Chess sitting as if she was waiting for him. "how did it go?" Chess asked. "good" Shawn replied looking tired and exhausted as he dropped his rifle. He sat down and took his plate and started eating. He looked around and asked "where are the others?", "Alex tried to take a spoon of your food so I stopped him, then the others tried to gang up on me so I sent them out." Chess narrated. They both laughed then Shawn continued eating. "so how many refugees are there?" asked Chess. Shawn swallowed the food in his mouth before replying "about thirty of them. They all came from Syria". Chess then nodded. Shawn knew Chess wanted to talk to him about something that was worrying her but he chose to drag their conversation with jokes a little longer. After a moment of silence Shawn decided to ask "what's wrong?". Chess scoffed and smiled "nothing" she then replied. Shawn gave her a stare as if he knew she was hiding something when Chess couldn't take it anymore, she spilled it "I just miss home" she said. Shawn gave a short laugh "well, well, well. Chess has feelings for something or is that Sarah now" Shawn continued laughing. Chess frowned and attempted to leave but Shawn held her by the arm "okay okay okay, I'm sorry it's just…", "I'm too violent?" Chess interrupted. "No no… well yes, but in a good way. We are used to seeing the fierce Chess not the sweet caring Sarah" said Shawn in defense of laughing. Chess gave a little smile and went back to her chair. "I understand you. I haven't talk to my Jasmine for a while now" said Shawn who then removes a picture from his left chest pocket. Chess looked at him for a while before asking "who's Jasmine, your girlfriend?". "She's my daughter" he answered while handing the picture to Chess. Chess looks at it picture for a while before giving it back to him. "I never knew you're married" commented Chess. Shawn smiled and looked at her. "I was married. Her mother died six months ago of brain cancer" said Shawn with a sad face and a smile "she reminds me of the mother" he added. "oh, I'm so sorry about that" Chess said as she held him on the shoulders and stared at Shawn who was holding his forehead looking down. At that moment they heard John, Alex and Toby approaching. Chess and Shawn quickly got up and composed themselves. They were both surprised of how they both got up so they started laughing. John, Alex and Toby entered the tent and saw them laughing. The three of them were surprised at the situation but they ignored it. "it's time for camp patrol" said Alex as he picked his jacket and rifle. The five of them quickly dressed up and waited for each other before heading out to different parts of the camp. Shawn went to Aminat's tent to check on her. He found her standing outside her tent lost in her thoughts looking far out the desert. Shawn touched her on the shoulders and she jerked in fear. "are you alright mam?" Shawn asked. She looked at him and hurried back into her tent without answering him. Shawn looked around in surprise and continued his patrol.