Hina’s father had indeed come home. Although it wasn’t a very hot day, her father was still sweating hard. He seemed to have run very fast home. He slumped against the wall to catch his breathe and slid down the wall on his back. He sat there on the floor, deep in thoughts, his eyes fixed on the floor. He didn’t seem to have noticed Hina’s presence.1

Hina seemed to know what to do. She went to the kitchen a bought a glass of cool water for her father. She stood in front of him, quietly and waiting. Her father slowly raised his eyes from the ground and fixed them on Hina, with a strange uncertainness in his eyes.2

“Hina?” he asked uncertainly, as though he feared something.3

“Dad? Are you O.K?” she asked with a hint of anxiousness in her voice as she put down the glass on a nearby table.4

Relief washed over her father as he heard her voice. Without warning, he pulled her into a bone-breaking hug and kissed her forehead.5

“I have been so worried about you” he said this with a tear trickling down his cheek “I feared that you … I mean … I feared the worst. Oh, I am so glad you’re alright” He hugged her again.6

Hina thought her father must be mad. Was anything to happen to her? She was in bed all the time. No, her father must be ill or tired.7

“Hina, did you have dinner?” her father asked.8

“No, I wasn’t hungry” she answered as her eyebrows rose at the new inquiry.9

“Good, listen to me, Hina” Her father said urgently “Who made dinner? Don’t eat anything anyone gives you. We are in mortal danger. You know what happened to your mom, don’t you? I don’t want you too…I mean, I don’t want that to happen again. Listen carefully, don’t go to sleep tonight. If anything happens, run. Anywhere. Just Run. Don’t care for me. O.K?”10

“Dad, what are you talking about?”11

“Hina, I hate to break it up to you. But, we are going to be murdered.”