Eight.

A Walk Down Memory Lane..8

"Hala bil7ub," Zaid greeted me.

"Hala feek," I said as my cheeks flushed.

He slid his hand down my cheek, "t9adgen walaht 3alaich!!"

"3ayarttik ams shayfnyy!" I said.

"Shasawy ba3ad, tlomeeny?" he said with a smile.

I was spending a little too much time with Zaid. We met in all kinds of weird places and hung out. He filed the divorce papers, which raised so many questions. My mother interrogated me thinking that I had something to do with it. If only she knew..

I was the happiest person in the world, thinking that God finally answered my prayers and Zaid and I will be together forever.

"Barkeelyy," he said.

"3ala shnu?" I asked.

"I’m finally a freeee man!!! te6alagt hahah," he said with the biggest smile ever.

"Haha mabrook!!" I said.

"Walla mat9adgeen shkithir estanast! A7is ham winzaa7!" he said.

"Wee we lehadaraja elzawaj ham 3ala galbik?" I asked, surprised.

"Waiih el zawaj walla ham o 3awar ras!" he said.

"La wallah!! Tara el zawaj shay 7ilu bs lana Rawan makant the perfect wife fa may9eer tikrah elzawaj kila minha!"

He looked at me and smiled, "haha hathy maniftak minha lazim etkharib 3alaina kilshay khalas sakray elmawthooo3."

I tried not to think about Zaid's sudden hate for marriage, I decided it’s just a reflex of his recent divorce.

"Ok khalas.." I said with a tight smile.

He got out a cigarette and slowly lit it. He took a drag and started smiling like an idiot.

We were walking along the beach in Zaid's shalaih. It was 4 something pm and the sun was just about to set. The cool breeze swept through my hair and slowly tickled my neck; it was beautiful.

"Zaid mta ra7 enrid??" I asked. I was worried because my family didn’t know where I am exactly. I told them I was at some spa and that it will be long. I lied, I know but I’m kinda used to that now.

"Taw enaaas," he said as he continued smoking.

"La Zaid minziman e7na hnyy!" I said getting worried.

"Ok ok yalla nrid al7eenn," he held my hand and walked me to the car.

__________

"Tara walla ana makint chthyy," I said trying to justify my actions. I felt so cheap as the memories continued pouring into my brain.

"Hahaha shfeeech bain kil kilma wilthanya tgolen makint chthy," she said, laughing.

"Haha lana kint afashel bs walla tara mo no3y asawy chthyy o walla ana 3abaly enny kint mistansa ma3a Zaid lama n6la3 o nsolif bs walla enny a7is eb qamta mo 6abe3eya gabil la anam aw etha kint broo7yy," I said.

"Et7seen enich msawya shay ghala6?" she asked.

"Eee a7is aby awagef bs magdar lama ykalimny a9eer chny mdamagha magdar agol laa!" I said.

"Makan 3ndich a7ad tkalmena tashkenla el7al?" she asked.

"La ge6a3t 3elaqty ma3a el kil 7ata ahaly.. o kint agoola kilshay! 7ata umyy yat'ha fatra t3abat wayed o 9i7at'ha kilyom etidahwar zyada. Kint aby asawy shay aby akalimha bs magdar magdar a7is shay ymna3ny!! makint agdar at7amal ashofha wihya ta3bana fa kint ya 7absa 3umry bldar aw 6al3a ma3a Zaid," I said.

_________

I was in my room watching movies when suddenly someone knocked furiously on my door.

"Mnu?," I shouted.

"Ana Saad bsr3aa ft7ay elbab!" he said.

I walked to the door, opened it, and peeked through the small opening.

"Na3am?" I said coldly.

"Umy, umy madry shfeeha tkfain ta3alay!" he said nervously.

I furrowed my eyebrows, "Shnu maku a7ad blbait ghairy?" I asked.

He widened his eyes, "agolich umy ta3bana!!"

"Way enzain! Dig 3ala eles3af aw wad'ha elmostashfa y3ny ana shbasawy ballah??" I said while I hurried to the living room, deep down my heart was racing but I acted like I didn't care. Its like I was doing that because I wanted to prove something or wait for my family to do something for me.

"Wai3 ana 6a3 min kalamt o raby maku galb!" Saad said with anger coloring his voice.

It hurt when they tell me things like that but no one can blame them really.

I saw her laying on the couch with one hand sliding sideways, her sight was terrifying. I wanted to run over to her and hug her and tell her that I love her but instead,

"Way Saad wad'ha el mistaw9if kila chthy e9eer feha!" I whispered.

He just narrowed his eyes at me, "Yuma," he called as he slowly shook her.

"Yeebay sweech sayarty bsr3a!!" He ordered me.

"Ashtgh---"

"BSR3AA" he shouted.

I quickly sprinted to his room while praying to God that she will be ok.

"Ta3alay ft7ay elbab," he said as he saw me coming back with his keys. He carried my mother to his car and drove off to the nearest hospital.

I just sat there on the steps in front of our main entrance.

When did I become so heartless?

Kint ad3y raby enna allah y6awel eb 3umerha o yakhith min 3umry o ya36eeha. Kint agool enna ana kharabt 3ala nafsy kilshayy o hadamt kil el3elaqat elly bainy o bain ahaly. A7is eb theegat khilg o qamta mo 6abe3eya. Kint ad3y enna allah yakhith amanty wefik ahaly miny o min mashakly. Faqadt el amal eb kilshay bs lilasaf makint adry enna al amal mawjood. Makint adryy ena sajda wa7da 7ag raby tgdar tnaseeny kil elham elly ana fee. Kint agool yarab takhithny lik waftaak bedal la agool yarab t3eeny wet9abriny 3ala hal ebtelaa2. Kint o Kint o Kint...

My mother's health partially stabilized but she was still in the hospital. All the doctors say its from increasing stress and because she's constantly thinking about something that’s hurting her. They might as well just say that her daughter is slowly killing her.

One day I was in my room crying my eyeballs out when Zaid called,

“Madry walla madry *sniff* bs 7ail thayeg khilgyy!” I said while I sobbed.

“Manawy 7abeebty thikray allah mo zain etsaween b 3umrich chthy!!” Zaid tried to calm me down.

“Madryy..”

“Enzain sm3ay shrayich nroo7 eshalaih bs tghayreen jaw witrdeen?” he asked.

“Shlon aroo7 shagol 7ag ahaly?” I said.

“3adyy khaly o 3amy blmstashfa o khwanich laheen 9adgeeny ma7ad be7is emshayy ana aghayer lich mazaajich!!” he said.

“Aaahh enzaiin!!” I finally gave in.

As usual, I parked my car in the school parking eb man6aqatna and Zaid picked me up. It was a long ride of me crying and Zaid trying to cheer me up until we finally arrived.

I quickly got out of the car and ran to the ocean. The sound of its waves instantly calmed me down.

“Esmaa3!!! Walla maskeeen hatha!!” Zaid said as he finally caught up to me. He was reading something off of his mobile.

“SHisalfa?” I asked.

“Wa7id min erabi3 esma Ahmad AlX tawa kha6ab, haha walla magrood,” he said while chuckling.

“Haw laish magrood maskeen!!” I said.

“Bs kil elly yitzawaj magrood ya7alat 7ayat li3zoobeya!” he said.

He keeps surprising me with everyword coming out of his mouth.

“La walla ya3ny enta mo nawy ttzawajny?” I asked so afraid to hear the answer.

He looked at me and smiled, “Monya chthy awnas min el zawaj la mas2olya wala 3awar ras!”

“Mashalla o laimita bnig3aad nitsa7ab chthy?” I asked, furious.

“Waaaih Monya mo wagta hal kalam emshayy emshay esahra dakhil mo hnyy!” he said as he got up and walked to the shalaih.

Ay sahra ba3ad, I whispered under my breath.

I walked into the building to see three guys sitting in the living room. One of them was smoking and the others were playing with their phones.

“Mnu hathaila?” I whispered to Zaid.

“Hathail rab3yy! Ana yaybich hnyy 3ashan anaseeech elham ya 7abeebty!” he said with a huge grin. He walked over to the window and closed all the curtains.