Timbuktu Monologue

I spoke to my sister yesterday about my husband, Abu Bakr. I 'm quite worried about him. He told me that he was going to leave me. I ran to her pleading for her to pray to the Almighty One on my behalf. I just couldn 't believe that our marriage was coming to an end. Ever since we moved to Timbuktu a month ago, everything has changed. He has become increasingly distant, so much so that I feel like I knew not the man that I married. When we first met in Cairo, he was such a nice young man who was studying law. I was fascinated by his brilliance and there was an immediate attraction. He is a devout Muslim and hafiz. I quickly fell in love with him and felt that we would be happy together. We married in Cairo and had an extravagant wedding,

He chose to finish the hajj with me as well as abandon his law practice. After we arrived in Mecca, we debated whether to return to Cairo or go to Timbuktu, and he chose Timbuktu. He wished to venture into the merchant trade just as my father

He left at dawn every morning and returned after dark with sweat flowing from his brow. One day we decided to head to the mosque on a Thursday as well as the usual Friday so Abu said that he would leave his work and return home earlier. The day was nearing its end so I went to the edge of town to check up on his and as I near entered the tent there was a man there. He was a very young man of muscular stature. I was attracted to him and he seduced me. I immediately felt guilty afterwards and prayed hard for Allah 's forgiveness. I arrived home to find Abu sleeping. In the morning, he asked him where I had been all night. I lied and said I slept in the university library as I often frequented the place. He showed no signs of suspicion. He went the work the next day and life went on. When he came home that night, everything changed. He walked in ragged and drunk, with the smell of wine still on his breath. He told me that I was a disgrace to him and his family and reminded me that the people of Cairo weren 't as kind to women as those in Timbuktu. The man that I slept with was an Arab trader and informed him of the events of the previous night. I apologized profusely and begged continuously for his