Loukia

She was an exceptional student. Her parents were very proud. No one in their family had gone to school before. Her mother proudly washed and ironed the white school collar for her daughter every day. Papa would buy her favorite falafel once a week, just because.

But when she was in eighth grade, she vanished.

Neighbors thought they saw her get in a car, and so Papa shut up his little cobbler shop that day and went to the local Mullah. Papa, being a Christian, knew he had no rights, but he tried. This is is only child, a girl. He asks for help. The Mullah shrugs. It is kismet.

Papa goes home, looking ten years older. Mama’s eyes are red from weeping. Neither can sleep or eat. The neighbors gather. The young men say they will help. Everyone begins looking. And two villages away, in a Muslim village, they find there is a wedding going on. Red flags go up. Then men pile in a vehicle. It is true. She is being forced to marry the son of a local leader. Their beautiful Loukia, gone. Everyone knows that once she is married to a Muslim, no one can change this. It is law in this land. Many, many, many other girls disappear like this, year after year.

And they are not able to stop the wedding. There are armed guards. Christians can not have weapons or defend themselves. They will be executed. They can not rescue Loukia. Papa and Mama are not even fifty yet, but suddenly they are very, very old. All their light and joy is gone.

Maybe after the wedding Mama might be allowed to visit her daughter. Perhaps when she is pregnant they can hope to see a grandchild. If they behave. They don’t know. They don’t know.

In the capitol city there is a small, hidden safe house. Here there is a safe place for girls whose families want to protect them. When the village is alert, and the local church stays alert, sometimes they notice if a vehicle is sitting around near a school, watching the girls. If this happens, sometimes they can figure out which girl is at risk. Sometimes. Sometimes.

If they do, the family brings her here, secretly, and she finishes her school privately, in this place. The only other choice is to lock her in the house. But even then, according to the local law, if a Muslim man comes and demands a Christian daughter, they are not allowed to say no. They will die. So it is safer to secret her away.

Here, at this school, the girls learn more things, like English and computer. Perhaps, somehow, by learning these things, they will have more tools to stand up and help change this country. To change this strange law of kismet. To work for a better future.