Princess Play by Barbara Ismail Page A

abduction, but a real and official wedding. Congratulations were in order!
    Zainab took a firm hold of her sister’s blouse and steered her rather roughly into a bedroom, pushed her on the bed and stood in front of her, arms akimbo, chin thrust forward and patience exhausted. ‘Start talking,’ she ordered.
    â€˜We’re married,’ Zaiton said firmly, but her defiance was already melting away. She twisted her hands, and then looked imploringly up at her. ‘I had to, Kakak . I’m having a baby.’
    Zainab suspected this might be the case from the moment Zaiton had gone missing. ‘ Astaghfirullah ,’ she moaned. ‘How could you?’
    â€˜ Mak knew.’ Zaiton now began crying, but found absolutely no sympathy. ‘I told her, just before the main puteri .’
    â€˜Our poor mother was already sick, needing to be cured, and you dropped this in her lap?’
    â€˜I had to tell her, so she would understand. She said we would organize the wedding right after the ceremony. She said she was sure she would feel better afterward, and be ready to help me. I know she was angry, but not that angry. She understood.’
    â€˜Understood?’
    â€˜I know it was a mistake, really, I do. But now it’s been made good. I’m married, we’re in love,’ – here Zainab rolled her eyes and considered slapping her – ‘and it will be fine. I’m not very far …’
    â€˜Everyone will know anyway,’ Zainab informed her. ‘Running away to Golok to get married. People aren’t stupid, you know. Just you,’ she added under her breath.
    Now it was Zaiton’s turn to stick out her chin. ‘I don’t care. I’m married now. Rahim’s parents know. We can live with them for a while.’
    â€˜And leave Ayah all alone at a time like this?’
    â€˜Well,’ she said doubtfully, ‘I guess we can stay with him if he’d like. I’m afraid he won’t want us. But I’d like to stay with Ayah if I could. I could help at Mak ’s stall, we can do it together.’ She smiled tremulously, on the verge of crying again.
    Zainab could see the advantage in that. Of course the two of them could take over their mother’s business, it was only right as daughters that they do so. And if Zaiton and Rahim lived with their father, he wouldn’t be lonely. When the baby came, he’d be with his grandchild and would no doubt love that. He’d get used to the fact that Zaiton (idiot!) had run away to get married – at least she’d gotten married.
    Still, she deserved some punishment. Zainab suddenly leaned over and gave her foolish younger sister a hard smack across the face. Zaiton gasped and cried, holding her hand up to her cheek.
    â€˜That’s for getting pregnant before you were married. You know better than that! We’ll make the best of it, we have to and we will. But aren’t you ashamed?’
    She nodded silently, tears rolling down her cheeks. ‘I am. I’m ashamed I worried Mak the way I did. And now Ayah too, and you. I’ve been terrible.’ She cried into her hands.
    â€˜Oh, stop it,’ Zainab said tiredly, her mind already running over how to put it to their relatives and neighbours in the best possible light. She wondered if, according to religious law, the child would still be considered illegitimate. Maybe, but once it arrived, everyone would probably forget how it was conceived and Zaiton would be just another young wife and mother.
    She’d missed out on a wedding, which every girl looked forward to. The bersanding , the sitting-in-state in the splendour of songket , with attendants fanning the new couple, the highlight of every wedding, would never be hers. But that was her choice, and she’d have to live with it. Maybe they could get a picture taken of them in rented finery so they’d have something to show their children.
    â€˜Come