December 10^th, 2021
6:00 PM
Sulaiman felt a surge of electricity in his veins. He wanted to be sangfroid but the situation wouldn’t allow it. Maybe it was better not to be. The leader had just laid out the entire sequence of what was to unfold.
The men were no longer calm. There was an uneasy sensation of knowing that, from this point on, their lives would be forever changed. The room was dimly lit but their hearts burned with passion. There were sharp weapons and a few pistols scattered near the wall. Vests were scooped up in the corner. Following the tense moments they hugged each other.
The hairy one, Joshua, as usual tried to get closer than comfort to the brothers he embraced. He didn’t do that to Sulaiman. They then washed their hands, face and feet before sitting cross legged on the floor. Delicious mandi was served on their steel plates from a couple of huge containers.
The Yemeni dish was made from lamb which had been slow-cooked for more than 24 hours. There was also the unique tomato sauce that went along with it. It was not ordinary ketchup but rather a concoction that traced its origins to the Red Sea. Trade links and people migration had occurred between this land and the Middle East for several millennia.
Now it was the time to feast.
Soon there would be be hell.
Hell on earth.