Seventeen.

A Walk Down Memory Lane..17

"6aa3 shloon sub7aan mughayer ela7waal!!" Dr. Manar said.

"Eeee 7ady estaghraabt 9aar feeny ya7laaila he has a heart!!!" I said.

"Haha ee wallahh! Zaaain gam yit3adaal el7imdlaa," she said.

"Hmm ee, enzaiin khal agoolich salfaat Saad," I said.

She sat up straight and looked at me eager to hear the story, "goolay golaayy."

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I was home alone sitting in the dark living room watching Cinderella. (Don’t judge me)

My weekend finally started so I decided I'd treat myself to some Japanese food and just have the night to myself.

"Su2aal, entay akeed 3umrich 22??" he asked as he turned on the lights.

"Bismilaaa enta min waain 6ala3t?" I asked.

"Shfeech khtara3tay chinich shayfa yiny!! ana blbait 6ool elwagt," Saad said.

"Haw chiny khabratkum 6al3een,"I said.

"Haha en7arajtay 6ayi7 3alaich etshofeen babay?" he asked.

"Bl3aaks a9laan 3ady o a7ib cinderella fa kaifyy," I said.

"Ok ok ana e9ara7a aby akalmich eb mawthooo3 bs lati6anizaain," he said as he sat next to me. He grabbed the extra chopsticks and started eating.

"Ok gool elly bitgoola bs I dont share food!!!" I said trying to grab the chopsticks from his hand.

"Ya3aamyy zaaain khaleeny akil walla yoo3aan tawny rad min el jam3aa o mu makil shayy," he looked at me with those puppy eyes. Kisar kha6ry, o shd3wa y3ny byismaa3 kalamyy etha gtla la takil.

"Okk -.-," I said.

"Enzain btsm3een salfityy?" he asked.

"Ee yalla gool bs etha suwalif rab3ik tara maly khilg," I said.

"Tadreen shlon entay mu kafu a7ad esolif ma3ach ana bamshyy!" he stood up holding the "essa maki" plate and turned around. "3ad walla esalfaa qaweya 7adha."

AKLYY :')

"Ok ok khalas baasmaa3 bs yeeb elly bedik," I said.

He grinned and sat down again, "Sim3ay y3ny e9ara7a madryy min wain abdyy.y3ny tadreen entay ekhty elwa7eeda o ma3indy a7ad yfhamny kithrichh."

"3shtaaaw shakilha esalfa feeha bnaya," I said with one eyebrow raised.

"E9ara7a eee," he said as his cheeks flushed.

"Yumaaa miniiik gool shsalfitik???" I asked.

"E9ara7a hathy wa7da ma3aay 3ajbatny minzimaan o 7adhaa san3a o akhlaq o qasaman billa magdaar asheelha min balyy!!" he said.

"Etshaawiiig," I said while pinching his cheeks.

"Haaaa 3glay ya bint," he said.

"Ok kaamilll," I said.

"Elmuhim fa 7awalt akalimha ma3a6atny wayyh yakhyy 7araatny madryy shasawyy o mabeeha troo7 min eedy!!" he said.

"Saad khalas etha elbint ma3a6itik wayh lat2atheha ymkin mitzawja wila makh6obaa," I said.

"Laa yuba wain makh6ooba shofayy ehya marat t7asisnyy enha t7bnyy o marat a7is kilish machinha t3arifny yakhy walla entaw el banat madry shlon 9ayreen," he said.

"Hahaha wala entaw elly madry shlon 9ayreen al7een ehya lo 3a6itik wayh chan gitl 3anha khafeefa," I said.

"La wallaa ehy bas khal tiltifit 3alayy! Tukfa goleely shasawy!!" he said.

"Enzain etha 3ala goltik t7is ena ehya t7ibik akeed shes playing hard to get laish matroo7 takh6ibha? ya3ny hathy akher sina lik o atleast bs ekh6ibha al7een," I asked.

"Walla madry elmushkila magdar o9al 7ag ahalha man3arifhum," he said.

"Shisimha??" I asked.

"Lulu AlX," he said.

Hmm, esimha mo ghareeb!

"Walla madryy kalimha Saad golaha ana aby akh6ibich 3a6eeny raqam umichh aw ubooch!!" I said.

"7awalt walla ya Monya bs maradtly khabar!" he said.

"Ok 3ayal khalnyy afakirlik eb 7aal wagoolik," I said.

"Okk mashkoooraa!" he kissed my forehead as he stood up. "Ana baroo7 eduwaneya tamreeny 3ala shay?"

"Salamtikk," I said.

I grabbed my phone and texted Rawan,

"T3arfeen wa7da esimha Lulu AlX?"

I know I heard her name before bs mathker wain o shlon! Im sure Rawan knows her.

Waay eshawiig Saad my baby brother all grown up and in love!

My phone vibrated, "Ee a3arefha! Rfeejat Maha (our cousin) 7aiil."

"Eee ok wana agool shloon a3arefha!"

I remembered marra kina 6al3een ana o my cousin’s o Lulu yat ma3a Maha.

Hmm I just have to find a way to talk to her.

-

The next morning I woke up from my loud ringtone. I checked to see that Nawal was calling.

"Alo," I said in my sleepy voice.

"Alooo 9aba7 elkhaiir!" she chirped.

"Tara mga3datny min enoom," I said, annoyed.

"Ee bagoolich gomayy baye atrayag 3ndikum!! khanig3ad eb 7adeeqatkum," she said.

bathba7haa!

"Gayleenlicch ena 7a6een buffet ryog eb 7adeqatna?" I said.

"Hmm someone’s cranky! Ana bayeeb ma3ay sandwiches yalla lat9ereen di3laa," she said.

"Ok agoluhum ezahbon el 6awla!" I said before I hung up.

I dragged myself out of bed and went to the bathroom. I quickly changed and told the nanny to set up the table outside, make some eggs, and brew some coffee and milk

I waited for Nawal in our garden. Its huge and we have this small building with glass walls 7ad'ha shar7aa.

"Hii," Nawal said as she walked in.

"Ahlaan," I said as I kissed both her cheeks. "abaih sorry tawny astaw3ib khalaitich tyeben el akil afashel."

"Haww 3ady shda3wa mabaaina!!" She said.

I saw my father pass us by akeed bero7 elmasyad since its Friday, he saw us then stopped.

"Esalamu 3alaikum," he said.

"Wa3alaikum esalam," we both replied.

"Shlonich yuba?," he asked Nawal.

"El7imdla bkhaiir," she said.

"Monya ga3daay 9ali7 7ag e9alat yanany mo rathy egom!" he said before he left.

"Digeega baroo7 aga3da," I told Nawal.

"Ok," she said.

I went to 9ali7's room and turned on the lights.

"Yalllaaa goooom!!" I shouted.

"6l3aayy barra," he said in an angry sleepy voice.

"Abaih tara bi6ofik el9alat," I said.

"MONYA," He groaned.

"Kaifiik bs mu tgool b3daiin laish maga3adtoony!" I said as I left his room.

I went back to the garden.

"Ha ga3ad?" she asked.

"La mu rathy ygoom," I said.

"Haw 7awlay feeh," she said.

"7awalt y3ny uhwa ga3id bs lail7een blfrash akeed egom ba3ad shwayy," I said.

We started eating and talking, she started opening up to me and tell me secrets it made me feel happy that I have a new best friend.

I don’t really have a lot of friends other than Rawan and some of my cousins. All the other people are just people I know from jam3a or work. So when Nawal told me these secrets it made me feel loved and accepted. Ok you might think I'm a pathetic loser but its true.

Maybe half the blame falls on me because I don’t normally open up to random people or accept them in my life which is weird!

Anyway, as we chatted 9ali7 came,

"Esalam shlonkum?" he asked.

"El7mdla bkhaiir, enta shakhbarik," Nawal said as she fidgeted in her seat.

"Bkhaiir el7imdlaa,"he said.

"Bismilaa khale9at e9alat?" I asked as I looked at my watch.

"Ashkara ma7asawytaw bilwagt ma3a esuwalif," 9ali7 said.

"Hahah eee," Nawal said.

"Ka fee seyayeed hny," I said as I pointed at a pink basket next to the couch.

"7ayyak mataby titrayag?" Nawal offered.

"La walla al7een baroo7 eshalaih o nitghada hnaak," He said.

"Ee allah y7afthk- kum," she stuttered.

"Umm ameen yalla ma3a esalama," he said as he got into his car to leave.

I looked at Nawal to see her face red as a tomato.

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"Waay way hal baze3 bs nagi9 etgoola a7ibik tizawajnyy!!" Dr. Manar said.

"HAHAHA"

"Wallaa min9ijyy mo chthyy yitrazizoon allah yhadaha," she said.

"Haha maskeena matadry shtsawyy!" I said.

"Eee walla 7abeebtyy chan sa3adteeha entay gawamtay soog'ha 3ind 9ali7," she said.

"Haha latkhafeen 3alaiiha," I said.

"Hahah enzaiin ba3ad kamlaayy," she said.

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Zaid kept texting me from time to time. I seriously don’t know if I should hate him or feel sorry for him. But there’s one thing that kept me replying to his texts and calls is that there is a big chance I can help him change to the better.

"Enzain laish matyoon eshalaih?" he asked me that night.

"Laish nro7?" I asked.

"Bs ya3ny mawalahtay 3al ba7ar o ajwa2 ilshalaih?" he asked.

"Hmm la e9ara7a karaht eshalaihat 3gub ... you know," I said.

"Ee walla asif 7ady 7maar, bs abashrichh 9arlyy sbo3 mu sharib shay o ga3ed a7awel aroo7 el masyad 7ag kil 9alat," he said.

"Ashwaa allah ytamim 3alaik yarab," I said. It honestly made me genuinely happy.

"Ameen! Enzain btro7een zwara bacher?" he asked.

"Madryy," since my mother died I didn’t go to a single zwara all I did was visit my grandfather on weekdays.

"Ta3alay khanshoofich o khalaty ys2loon 3anichh!" He said.

"Enshallah ashoof," I said.

"Enzain Monya bas2ilich su2al bs lat3a9been 3ashany," he said.

"Hmm shnu?" I asked.

"Ya3ny entay al7eenn ya3ny mirtab6a y3ny fe a7ad eb 7ayatich?" he asked nervously.

"Haw sh'halsu2aaal!! 6ab3an laa!" I said.

"Tara 3adyy u can tell me anything!" he said.

"Zaiid bedaina bl 7arakat el ma9kha gitlik laa ya3ny bagi9 3alaik?" I said, frustrated.

"Laa bs as2al khalas asif," he said.

"Yalla bye lazim aroo7," I said before I hung up.

After a while he sent me a message,

"3ashany lat3a9been o ensay eny sa2altich hal su2al."

I read and ignored.

Saturday was really boring; all I did was make plans with Maha o 7awalt adakhil Lulu bl mawthoo3.

"Ee yom el athnain ana o Rawan bn6la3 ta3alay minziman 3anich!" I said.

"Ee wallaa walaht 3alaikuum, enshallah taam!" Maha said.

"Khooshh o golay 7ag Lulu tyee khanit3araf 3alaiha akthar haha," I said.

"Hahah enshallahh agolahaa!!" She said.

6ab3an Rawan matadry enna ebni6laa3 o bkaify qarart haha. :)

On Sunday it was a typical boring day of work. I spent some time at Nawal's office drinking coffee and chatting until she received a call.

"Hala estath Msa3ad," she said gulping nervously. "Umm ee ehya 3ndy ... okk bye."

She closed the phone and stared at me,

"Msa3aad yabeechhh,"

"Shyaby?" I said eb kil burod, 3ugub yom elkhamees I wasn’t afraid of him anymore.

"Madryy bs ro7eela "its urgent"," she quoted.

"Okk!" I said.

Hatha kilshay 3nda urgent iff!

I went into his office,

"Esalam," I said as I entered.

"Hala," he said as he looked through some papers on his desk.

I waited for him to say something.

Anything.

"Entay 3ndich maktab 9a7?" he asked still not looking at me.

"Umm ee.." I said.

"7luu, dam 3indich maktaab shaku 6al3aa minaa o ga3da eb makatib enas?" he asked finally looking at me.

"Uhh.."

"Tara entayy mo ga3da eb cafe 3ashan tsolfeen ma3a rab3ich, entay yaya tshtaghlaain!" he said in an angry tone.

"Ok al7een barid el maktab," I said.

"Yalla o maby ashoofich t7oosen wayed blsharikaa!" he ordered.

I gave him one long look before I left.

I guess some people never change. :)

****Hello people tara I might not post in a while lana basafer. Bs I will try to post whenever I have the time, I don't promise though. 

Anyway, 3eedkum mbarak muqadamann;**