Chapter 2

Maybe

Maybe far away

Or maybe real nearby

He may be pouring her coffee

She may be straightening his tie

And maybe in a house

All hidden by a hill

She's sittin' playin' piana

He's sittin' payin' a bill

Betcha' they're young

Betcha' they're smart

Bet they collect things like ashtrays and art

Betcha' they're good

Why shouldn't they be?

Their one mistake was given' up me...

So maybe now it's time

And maybe when I wake

They'll be there calling me "baby"

Maybe...

Betcha' he reads

Betcha' she sews

Maybe they've made me a closet of clothes

Maybe they're strict

As straight as a line

Don't really care as long as they're mine

So maybe now this prayer's the last one of it's kind

Won't you please come get your baby?

Maybe...

("Maybe" from "Annie")

She watched helplessly from the steps of the big building as the familiar dark skinned woman with colorful clothes and the shiny jewelry hurried away...

"Daj?..." she cried. "Mama?..." The woman turned around, and the child reached out to her expecting her to come back and take her into her warm, loving arms once again...

But her mother did not come back... Instead she offered only a brief wave... and turned away again... "Achen devlesa, chav," she replied. "Goodbye, my child."

"Daj?..." she called out, confused. Where was she going?. Why did she not take her with her?. "Daj!," she burst into tears, but it was no use. The young woman was already disappearing into the crowd.

Cold, rough hands lifted her up and started to take her away into the scary looking old building... She tried to resist, but those bony fingers were much stronger then her own two year old stubs...

"Daj, av akai!," she screamed, "Mama, come back!," as the doors of the orphanage closed behind her "Daajjj!!!."

Sadira opened her eyes, tears streaming down her cheeks. It had been a long time since she had had that dream. The dream about that awful day when her mother, the mother she could barely remember, had abandoned her at the orphanage...

Sadira brushed her tears away with one hand while fingering the little gold circlets with the other... She couldn't remember her mother all to clearly... All she remembered of her was the colorful skirts and the dazzling jewelry. Not like the kind wealthy people wore, but more like the kind a performer would wear...

But that was all in the past. Her mother, the scorpion, and the entire orphanage were all a part of her lonely, miserable, past. There was nothing left to do now but make the best of her new life in Agrabah.

Only last night she had arrived in the city. Exhausted from her journey from the village, and having no money for food or an inn, she had curled up in one of the city's many alleyways and spent the remainder of the night there.

It had been a long and sleepless night for her, but it was morning now, and the bright desert sun was shining with the promise of a fresh start...

"Make way for the Sultan of Agrabah and his daughter, the Princess Jasmine!," cried the royal guards as the chubby, middle aged man and the little girl in his arms were lead on the back of a magnificent white stallion on their way to the royal palace.

Sadira watched them in fascination. She had never seen such finely dressed people before. They wore expensive jewels that sparkled in the afternoon sun, and their clothes looked like real silk, embroidered with exquisite gold designs. Nearly the whole kingdom had turned up to watch as the royal family was paraded through the city for the princess's thirteenth birthday celebration. Sadira felt a twinge of jealousy, she couldn't remember when anyone had celebrated her birthday at the orphanage...

Suddenly, her heart sank as she recognized two familiar faces in the crowd... The scorpion and the chief magistrate... They were coming closer... Any moment now they would spot her...

Thinking quickly, she ducked down and crawled on her hands and knees, sneaking behind the skirts of a group of woman in the crowd. She could just make out the scorpions voice nearby...

"Do you think she's here?. She couldn't have gotten very far in one night and Agrabah is the closest city from the village."

"Yes," Yasir remarked. "But she seemed like a clever little thing. It wouldn't surprise me if she is already in the next kingdom by now. Either that, or she's found an exceptionally good hiding place here."

"Do you think we should search the next city, just in case?," the scorpion asked.

"Perhaps, just remember you are not getting a single coin from me until that girl is found. Is that clear?."

The orphanage director nodded obediently. "Yes, Sir."

Sadira breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Hopefully they wouldn't stay long in the city before they decided to search the next one for her. She eyed the purses of some of the wealthier citizens in the crowd... Now all she needed to do was find a little money. Just enough to pay for some food and lodgings until she could make her own way in Agrabah...

Carefully, she approached a well dressed man whose back was to her... then began untying his purse from his belt...

Just then, he spun around and grabbed her arm. "Stop thief!," he cried. "You give that back, you accursed, filthy brat!."

But Sadira did not release her hold on that purse. Instead she bit down savagely on the man's hand like an animal. With a scream, he released her. She broke away from the crowd and took off running... right into the path of the sultan's horse...

The animal reared up in fear, and Sadira just barely managed to roll away from it's hooves. The sultan and the little princess were thrown to the dirty ground.

A palace guard grabbed Sadira while another steadied the horse. Roughly, he lead her over to the sultan who was just helping his daughter to her feet.

"Your Highness," he announced, "This is the one responsible for you and the princess's injury."

"Injury?," Jasmine asked as she dusted herself off. "But we only fell off the horse."

"Hush now, dearest," the sultan chastised gently, patting the princess on her head. "I will handle this." Then he turned to the guard. "Just what is going on here?."

"Your Majesty, this street rat has just stolen a purse from one of the crowd, then she purposely bolted in front of your horse. Obviously, she intended to rob you too."

"That's not true!," Sadira snapped. "I was just trying to get away, and I needed that money in the purse!."

The sultan looked confused. Obviously, it had not occurred to him that there were people who needed money in his kingdom, and who were actually desperate enough to steal it.

The princess came and stood beside her father, giving her a pitying look. "Father, look at her. Her clothes are ragged and she looks so hungry. Perhaps she only needed the money to buy a little food."

Sadira glared at Jasmine in resentment. Of course that spoiled rich kid would make a comment like that about her clothes, she thought. Her clothes were probably all linen and silk!. And she probably changed her dresses after every meal too!.

"Hungry?," the sultan frowned as he struggled to understand. "Jasmine, dearest, I'm afraid I don't..."

"Excuse me, My Lord Sultan," came a painfully familiar voice. Sadira nearly fainted when she recognized it as the scorpion's.

"Your Majesty," the orphanage director approached them with a bow. "I'm afraid there has been a misunderstanding. This young girl ran away from my orphanage just last night."

"Did she?," the sultan gave Sadira a disapproving look. "Well that was very naughty of you, my dear," he scolded.

The guards all nodded in agreement, releasing her.

"Yes," the scorpion purred, with a false, sickeningly sweet smile. "We were all so worried about her."

Sadira's mouth fell open. How could anyone believe this?. Couldn't they see that that woman was only putting on an act?. Out of all of them, only the Princess Jasmine looked skeptical.

"Excuse me," she said. "But why did this girl run away in the first place?. I don't believe a little girl would run away from a home where she is loved and looked after properly... I know I wouldn't..."

At this, the scorpion suddenly became very nervous "Well... you see, Princess... er... she is a very disobedient and ungrateful child... and... er... she doesn't have the pure blood and good breeding that a young lady like you has... and... er... she would rather steal things then ask me or anyone else for them... although, Allah knows I've tried to teach her right from wrong, Your Highness."

If Sadira hadn't been so furious at the scorpion, and so terrified of returning to the orphanage to be sold the the magistrate, then she probably would have laughed!.

"I understand, Madam," the sultan smiled. "My own daughter can be quite unruly at times too. The children back at the orphanage are probably missing their little friend a great deal."

At this, the scorpion put on an unhappy, melodramatic face. "Indeed, they are, Sir. Unfortunately, one of the younger children was so distressed at her leaving that she took sick and died only last night," she moaned, showing perfect crocodile tears.

Sadira's face went pale... Her legs felt weak... They couldn't be talking about...

"That is a pity," replied the sultan. "How awful to lose a child so young. And how wrong of you, young lady, to cause such grief by running away like that."

"Indeed, poor little Aisha spent her last hours crying her dear little heart out," the scorpion whined. "This is a very wicked girl indeed, Your Majesty. You can be assured that once I have brought her back to the orphanage, she will be punished accordingly."

This time, Sadira was to distraught to even notice the old woman's falseness, or to care about any punishment. She sank to her knees in tears. "No!," she sobbed. "Not Aisha!. It can't be Aisha! It just can't!."

The young princess gave her a sympathetic look, then she turned to the scorpion. "Excuse me," she said politely, but in a tone that showed she wasn't fooled by the scorpions concerned foster mother act. "But she's the one who's on her hands and knees crying. I don't see what right you have to punish her. It looks like she feels even worse about this then you do!."

"That is enough, Jasmine!," her father scolded. "Let me handle this." Then he turned to Sadira with an accusing finger. "I hope you have learned your lesson from this, young lady. Once you are back home I hope you will have more consideration then to run away from the people who love and care for you."

"She doesn't care about me!," Sadira snapped, tears streaming down her face. "She starved and beat Aisha and the others!. She wouldn't let her have any extra food, even though the poor kid was so small, and always sick!."

The scorpion's face turned red. "You can't take her word for anything, Sir," she protested. "This girl is nothing but a thief and a liar, an ungrateful runaway." She reached out to seize Sadira's arm, but the young rebel pulled away.

"Don't touch me!," she snarled. "You know damn well why I ran away!. I wasn't going to be sold like a piece of merchandise!."

"Why you ungrateful, snake tongued little vixen!," the scorpion screeched. In one swift movement she grabbed Sadira by the hair and drew out her famous stick...

"Father!," little Jasmine pleaded, tugging on the sultans arm, "Please, do something!."

"I... I... well... that is... I..." the sultan stuttered, looking helplessly back and forth between Sadira and the scorpion, confused, and not sure of what to believe now.

"Lemme go!," the ragged girl protested. "Lemme go!. Aggghhh!!!." she screamed as the orphanage director brought the stick down hard on her back, causing familiar pain... Sadira could stand this no longer!. In a sudden burst of rage, and ignoring the pain from her blows, she snatched a handful of sand from the dirty ground and threw it viciously into the scorpion's eyes, forcing the old woman to raise her hands to her face in agony. With a cry of pain and shock, both Sadira and that horrible stick were released...

Having no time to even glance behind, Sadira scrambled to her feet and snatched up the stolen purse, disappearing into the astonished crowd...

Later that evening, a small figure quickly slipped through the deserted alleyway... Sobbing, and out of breath, she threw herself down onto the filthy ground. Poor Aisha. Poor sweet, gentle Aisha. The scorpion was right. If she hadn't run away, if she hadn't caused that little girl such pain and worry, then Aisha might still be alive.

She looked at the purse in her hand. She had stolen it, and now she was a criminal. She would have to spend the rest of her life on these filthy streets, begging and stealing for her food and clothing. There was no chance of going back to the orphanage now. And there was certainly no chance of starting a better life here in Agrabah. All her dreams of wealth, home, and family were shattered... replaced by this!. Dirty streets and alleyways, angry palace guards, a life on the run, she had lost Aisha and given up what little freedom she had for this!.

Sadira glared in anger at the royal palace in the distance, shining in the light of the setting sun. How was it that some little girls got everything handed to them on a silver platter, a palace, fine jewels and silks, bountiful food, while not even having to lift a finger, while other little girls had to beg, steal and lie just to stay alive on these streets?. A new rage filled her heart as she remembered how that bundle of food had been snatched away from poor Aisha because it was intended to be part of that spoiled brat of a princess's stupid birthday feast!. It just wasn't fair!.

As the crescent moon rose over the city, Sadira huddled against herself or warmth. Shivering, and wondering how many more nights would be like this, the young orphan let the tears fall freely down her face as she softly cried herself to sleep.

"Aisha," she whispered as she gazed up at the starry night sky. "Aisha, I'm sorry kiddo... I'm so very sorry..."

The End

"I knew it was to good to last. I'll always be a nothing. A street rat... So here I am... Alone again..."

(Sadira, from the episode "Witch Way Did She Go?")

"Aladdin" and all characters are a copyright of Disney, with the exception of Aisha, The Scorpion, and Yasir, who are my own creations.