Nineteen.

A Walk Down Memory Lane..19

"Ooohh oh 6ala3 lilsaaan," Dr. Manar said.

 
"Ee walla yannany y3ny bs lawa3 chabdyy kil ma7asait enna byitghayyar rad arda min awal!" I said.

 

"Khanat 7ailyy!" she said.

 

 

"Ee 3ad ana bkaify khathaitly ejaza sbo3 madawamt haha," I said.

 

 

"Haha walla Monya fe reyayel matinfa3 ma3ahum ella el 3an el 7amra!!" she said.

 

 

"Hahaha ee walllaaa," I said.

 

 

"3ad goleely 3asa nfa3at ma3a flan?" she asked with a wink.

 

 

I smiled as I remembered.

 

 

-----------

 

 

 

I was shaking before I knocked on Dr. Ahmad’s office (my boss). I spent two days thinking about this, o 9alait estekhara and all the signs say that I should quit my job. Magdar at7amal Msa3ad!!!

Kalamt oboy o khwany bs ham kilhum ygolon ta7amilay mara7 tgdreen tlgain watheefa thanya bs'hoola o min hal kalam. Bs 9ar feeny laish as2alhum o ana agdar astkheer o el 7mdla yany sho3oor qawy enny lazim awady steqalty o etha allah sahlha fa hathy ehya elkheera 7agy.
 

 

I opened the door to find the room dark and empty. Hmm, wainaaaaaa!

 

 

I asked the secretary, ghareeba mghayreenha..

 

 

"Where is Dr. Ahmad?" I asked.

 

 

"This is not his office anymore," she said.

 

 

"Haw, then where is his office? I asked.

 

 

"He's now in the other sector Mr. Msaad is here now," she said.

 

 

My eyes almost popped out of their sockets. I dont attend work for one week and all this happens. :0

 

 

"Whaaaaat? Y3ny Dr. Msa3ad runs this sector now??" I asked out of breath.

 

 

"Yes," she said in confusion.

 

 

"Since when??" I asked through clenched teeth.

 

 

"Last week," she said.

 

 

"Ok thank you," I said before I turned around and stormed to my office.

 

 

Mashallah ana makint mit7amla Msa3ad gabil al7een 9ar my boss y3ny uhwa ely lazim ywafiq 3ala steqalty. Allahuma 6awilich ya roooo7!!:(

 

 

I entered my office and threw myself on the chair next to the door. I held my head between my hands and started massaging my forehead.

 

 

"Shda3wa matsalmeen," I heard.

 

 

I looked up quickly, freaking out, to see Msa3ad seated on the couch next to my desk.

 

 

"Zaiin qarartay edaawmeen, makhthaa ejaza --"

 

 

Jaad malyy khlgaa!! I shot up and headed to the door.

 

 

"La7thaa la7thaa!" he ordered as he quickly stood between me and the door.

 

 

He looked at me for a second before my tears betrayed me and fell. I dont know why I’m crying and I cant stop myself!!

 

 

"Kh-khala9 Monya allah yhadach ga3id atghashmar," he said. Ashkara mitwahig.

 

 

I took a step back and wiped my tears. I grabbed a paper from my purse and handed it to Msa3ad.

 

 

"Shnu hatha?" he said as he slowly inspected it.

 

 

"Waqi3ha law sama7t," I whispered.

 

 

"Hathy wregat esteqaltich?" he asked as he widened his eyes.

 

 

"Ee," I said as I played with my hands.

 

 

He looked at me for a second then ripped the paper.

 

 

"L-laishh?" I asked.

 

 

"Entay elly laish??" he asked waving whats left of the paper in front of my face.

 

 

"Bas," I said.

 

 

Enta adraa, I wanted to say.

 

 

"Ulla lehadaraja ana mta3bich hny?" he asked.

 

 

I just nodded and again the tears flooded my face.

 

 

He stayed quiet for a couple of minutes. He gave me some tissues to wipe my tears.

 

“7agich 3alayy mis7eeha eb wayhy bs tukfa latabcheen,” he whispered.

 

For some reason this made me cry even more.

 

“Monya walla asif makint adry enny ga3ed a2atheech chithy, ana etha 3a9abt mashof jidamy bs ham hatha mu 3ther,” he said.

 

“Uum ok baktib wriga thanya o please waqi3ha,” I said before I turned around.

 

He grabbed my wrist, and turned me around.

 

“Monya ensayy elesteqala o khalas mara7 a2atheech,” he said.

 

“La la waqi-“

 

“MONYA,” he said sternly. “Khalas yuba ensay mawthoo3 listeqala.”

 

“Laishh ansa el mawthoo3? 3ashan bacher etikarar nafs el mushkila?” I said.

 

“La Monya khalas gitlich baghayer mu3amalty ma3ach! Tabeen a36eech bonus, promotion ay shay entay bs amray!” he said.

 

I looked at him with narrowed eyes, y3ny eb hal kalam bekhaleeny artha? :)

 

“Mashkoor maby minik ella tawqee3ik,” I said.

 

He took a deep breath and looked at me. I quickly looked away, enshallah maykhiz chthy khalas!!

 

He quickly turned around and left with the ripped papera still in his clenched fist.

 

-----------

Dr. Manar was looking at me with one eyebrow raised.

"Haha shfeech?" I asked.

"Madryy y3ny ta2asaf ya7alaila," she said.

"Eeee ana khtara3t e9ara7a gilt akeed fe shay mo 3ala 6abee3ta," I said.

"Hahaha ee ghareeb hal Msa3ad, bs ana a7is enny fahamt ghmotha," she said.

"9ij? Shlon?" I asked.

"La entay kamlayy elqesa o ana agolich etha kan e7sasy bma7ala wela la 3ashan mana7rg'ha 3ala el readers," she said.

"Enzaaain kamlaayy sh9aar ba3aad," she looked at me in anticipation.

"Haha okk," I said as I went back in time.

-----------

I went home with a big question mark atop my head.

9ij Msa3ad ta2asaf wela ana 7almana?:0

I prayed el3a9er then slept. After an hour or so, I woke up from my loud ringtone.

Kint 3ady a7thif mobily min eldereesha.

I looked at the screen to see Zaid's name.

He has been calling me for the past two weeks, almost everyday. Dont get me wrong, we dont really chat that much. Y3ny ana maby asawy shay ghala6 ma3a bs kaser kha6ry 7ail o aby asa3da!!

Sometimes I feel the butterflies in my stomach flutter when he says my name, I find myself smile absentmindedly. However I remind myself that Im only doing this for a good cause.

"Zaid," I said.

"3yonah,"

"Tadry enik mga3dny min enoom," I said.

"Yabakhtich ana awal wa7d tsm3een 9otaa," he chuckled.

"3an elthiqa elzayda," I said.

"Waai3 3ad entay d3la awal matg3dden min enom!" He said.

"Ok 3ndik shay tgola wela asakra?" I asked.

"Haha shfeech 3a9abtay ga3d atghashmar ma3ach shda3wa," he said.

"Ma 3a9abt," I said. When in reality I was bubbling inside. Tkhayilaw lama tgomon 3ala el maghreb o etkonon eb qimat el 3asara la o ga3den min ranat elmobile, akeed et3a9bon. :)

"Enzain bagoolich, wedy aroo7 el3umra blweekend elyay shrayich?" he said.

"Eeee 7adiik rooo7," I said, suddenly I felt happy.

"Enzain ta3alay ma3ay jad ma3aref shay!!" he said.

"Haw shlon aye ma3ak! Egra kutub 3an el 3umra tara yfeedon!" I said.

"Wain algahum?" he asked.

"Hmm ana 3ndy cham wa7id ayeebhum ma3ay lizwara," I said.

"Khooosh, walla ya Monyaa madry shasawy bdoonich," he said.

"Shda3wa masawait shay," I said.

"Bl3aks walla matadreen shkither entay ga3da tsa3deeny!! Bdonich athee3," he said.

"Hehe Allah elly yahdy ana maly shighil," I said. I found myself smiling like an idiot.

"Ee akeed, bs y3ny tukfa latkhaleeny maly ghairich," he whispered.

"Enshallah," my heart sank.

"Monya," he said.

"Hala?" I asked.

"Uhh la khala9," he said.

"Haw gool sh3ndik?" I asked.

"La b3dain agolich blwagt el munasib," he said, I can feel his smile.

"Haha 3ala ra7tik," I said.

"Yala 3ayal ashofich 3ala khair yal ghalya," he said before he hung up.

Yal ghalya, yal ghalya, yal ghalya, these words kept repeating in my head while the phone was still glued to my ears. I was smilling like an idiot and my heart was fluttering, just like old times.