There are different kinds of titles.
There are nice titles and ugly titles.
There are other titles that can only be found in Tangier.
If you have somehow narrow eyes, you are a ‘Chino’.
If your hair is a bit blond, you are a ‘Rubio’.
If your skin is black, you are ‘Africa’.
The truth was that Khaled did not find it strange when he heard of the ‘Tranquility’ for the first time. Tranquility was the nickname of the leader of a dreadful and powerful group in the prison. It was not actually a direct opponent of the Masmoom group, but they enjoyed an equivalent strength despite they did not have any previous frictions because their interest did not conflict thus far. It seemed that both of them were avoiding it. They had enough problems and businesses.
‘Tranquility’…what a beautiful nickname it is!
Khaled was aware this nickname was most probably a result of a grave mistake. It might be committed in the elementary level when a teacher asks about the meaning of Tranquility, and a student answers, ‘It means courage, sir’.
A feeble laughter escapes from the teacher. Then the whole class bursts in laughter as if all of them know the meaning of the word. Then the teacher frowns at everybody and has fun with slapping you on the neck.
The truth was not that bad as he never heard of a person who committed suicide because his nickname was Tranquility.
Tranquility had no relation with his nickname whatsoever. He was a frequent inmate who was convicted of different crimes such as looting and robbing properties, and drug trading.
Khaled noticed that Tranquility was not as bad as he seemed. He saw him more than once saving the leftovers of his meals for the cats in the prison. He had that childish, happy looks in his eyes. It really grabbed Khaled’s interest. That man was still a human whose inner nature was not corrupted despite of the apparent ugliness on the surface.
Khaled concluded when he heard Tranquility’s story that he was completely different from Masmoom.
Everything Tranquility needed was to be fine. He committed a lot of mistakes on his course to achieve one of his objectives, or both of them, but he never intended that or wanted it. He just did not know a lot of means to reach his goal. He was exactly like an elephant who knew no other way to caress its owner excepts for waving its trunk or trampling him.
Even mistakes differ; there are mistakes and there are slips. There are foul crimes and mild ones. There are sins and abominations.
Masmoom liked evil and enjoyed inflicting it on other people. Tranquility did not harm anybody at all unless they harmed him first.
As such, Khaled had to get close to him. He knew that Tranquility got into prison this time unfairly. He carried his tray that had a lentil dish on it and sat opposite to him.
Khaled had learned the prison language. People here were bored of chattering. The key of holding conversation was to be brief. Say whatever you need using as few words as possible. These people got bored of eloquent speaking. They heard huge amount of it without a tangible benefit.
Khaled acted quickly. He wrote an article under an anonymous name and the photo. He smuggled them via his friend Mahdi. The truth was that he did not defend Tranquility; all he did was rephrasing the realities in a slightly different way with a concluding exclamation, ‘Was the person known as Tranquility really behind it?’.
And there came one of the farthest end of the prison. He was carrying copies of the paper and gave them to the leader Tranquility. The incident created a lot of clattering in the prison, and Khaled gained more fame and respect.
With extreme astonishment, Khaled realized that Tranquility did not pay any attention to the content of the article. He was actually happy for seeing his photo on the paper. It seemed that it was the only important thing for him. Khaled was never mistaken when he thought that there was a big child living inside that man.
Tranquility came close to Khaled and punched him on the shoulder then spit on the ground. This was his highest expressions of gratitude and appreciation.
Samir actually did not do anything. Khaled wanted him to join the Tranquility gang. In prison, you have to belong to a group. Wolves attack the sheep that wanders away from its flock.
It was clear to all that Khaled and Samir belonged to Tranquility group. An apocalyptic fate awaited those who would disturb the tranquility of Tranquility if they dare to harm his friends.
This was exactly what Khaled needed. He knew that Masmoom would not have ignored that incident any longer. Black-hearted people never forget. His life in prison would have become hell waiting Masmoom’s revenge from him and Samir. He noticed then that it was Masmoom who avoided him more than once. He was not wrong when he concluded that Masmoom was a coward. He was another treacherous person unable to face other people.
Khaled and Samir were chatting in their cell.
Khaled stood behind the bars of the dock. It was a scene he never saw anywhere but movies when the judge would say, ‘It is the judgement of this tribunal that the defendant be hanged to death’. This was what they always used to do, but in reality, it was completely different.
The court was overcrowded with people. Khaled was not aware that his case had gained that social dimension and media coverage until that moment. Some of the attendants were giving him thumb up as sign of victory, whereas he was barely able to swallow his saliva. Mahdi came closer to him,
Khaled heard his heartbeats as if they were drums. He wondered whether the attendants were also able to hear them.
Sweat pours down his forehead and his armpits. He is no longer able to stand up, so he sits down awaiting the arrival of the judge to pronounce the sentence.
He sees Aziza Rahma lifting her arms in supplication. He feels hope filling him as if he heard the news of his acquittal.
He hears something similar to noise and humming. They all stand up, so does he when they hear they most famous call in history.
‘All Rise’
‘In the name of God, the most Gracious, the Merciful.
Having reviewed the evidence submitted by the defense for the accused, and according to article…
Khaled becomes completely deaf. He hears, but he cannot understand a thing. He is waiting the last thing the judge will say. He does not care now neither for the legal texts and their articles or chapters, the public prosecution, defense, nor any other thing whatsoever.
He only needs the verdict… the verdict that will change the course of his life.