by Shaikha Hassan Abbas Mohamed Al Hosani
“Shaikha reluctantly left the mangroves covered in trash.”
Illustration by: Dana Naser Mohamed Mataar Abu Nemr Al Mazrouei
Shaikha and Bshayer said goodbye to their sisters, Maryam and Azza. Three years later, they returned and the sisters decided to give a party to celebrate. Shaikha said, “We need to choose a special location that no one has used before.
Mohammed, their cousin, suggested a campsite he’d visited. “It’s a private island inside the mangroves,” he said. The girls agreed and began inviting all their friends to, ‘The Mangrove Masquerade’.
Suddenly, they heard a voice and saw the trees rustling. Mohammed checked but didn’t find anything. They started to imagine what it could be.
Maryam said, “It’s really big, with a huge mouth and a giant earring.”
Bshayer said, “It’s very tall with long hair.”
Shaika said, “It has large eyes, long hands and a hairy body.” Then they all went to bed.
The next morning, the girls left to prepare for the party. Mohammed brought beverages and music, while the girls decorated the trees. When the party was over, Shaikha suggested they clean up all the litter, but Maryam refused. Shaikha reluctantly left the mangroves covered in trash, because no one wanted to stay and help her clean.
That night, Shaikha couldn’t sleep. Something was moving in her room, suddenly she saw a strange person and screamed. Everybody in the house ran directly to her and later laughed saying it was just her imagination. The following day, Maryam told Shaikha she was right; there was a monster in the house – a bald man with cat eyes, a long, pointy nose, and really long toes. Maryam went to speak to the others and then screamed. The sisters ran to her, but found she had disappeared. They searched everywhere but without success, that was the last time they saw their sister Maryam.
Azza knew the monster was Fatouh, the guardian of the mangroves. He had tried to warn Shaikha to return to the island to clean up after the party, but no one believed her. Now one sister had paid for the destruction of the area with her life. The sisters were devastated by Maryam’s loss and regretted not listening to Shaikha’s advice to take care of the mangroves.
