Twenty-Three.

A Walk Down Memory Lane..23

"Beda y7ibiichh," Dr. Manar said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

I just blushed.

"Enzain 3ad sh9aar 3ugub?" she asked.

---------

I spent the rest of the night thinking about him, ahhh, I was mostly trying to get him out of my mind.

I dont know what happened or how it happened, but suddenly everytime I remember Msa3ad, I smile!!

Then, like a wall of bricks hit me, I remembered Zaid and felt like I was some how betraying him. Its not like he promised to marry me or something!!

I really have to stop thinking about Zaid. He asked for my help to become a better person and I did my part, now he's in Mecca and he has to do his part.

Msa3ad, on the other hand, is the new problem I'm currently facing. I need to get his beautiful smile out of my head.

After a while of thinking about Zaid and Msa3ad and trying to think about something else, Msa3ad called.

"Aloo," I said.

"Halaa Monya shlonich?" he asked.

Haw tawny 6al3a min el maktab.

"Uh bkhaiir," I said.

"3asaa, bs kint bagoolich enna ya36eech el3afya 3ala el shighil elyoom wayed anjazna," he said.

"Shda3wa masawait shayy," I said.

"Laa bl3aks wayed sa3adteeny," he said.

"Enta ba3ad mashkor o magasart," I said.

"Masawait ella elwajib," he said.

A moment of silence....

"Ee magilteely r7tay el6abeeeb?" he asked.

"Laa bacher enshalah aroo7," I said.

"Ee tara etha 7asaitay enich matgdreen edawmeen agdar ashtghl broo7y lat'thgh6een 3ala 3umrich," he said.

"Enshalla matga9er!"

"Ee o shlon 9ali7?" he asked.

Ahh y3ny btsolif?

"Bkhair el7mdla, umm Msa3ad lazim aroo7," I said.

"Ee ee asiff, yalla t9b7een 3ala khair," he said.

"Winta min ahala," i said before I hung up.

The next day was friday, so it was the usual long afternoon and then a gathering at my grandpas house at night.

I arrived early and started chatting with my grandpa. Then my aunts started coming in greeting, also surprised to see me.

After a while of chatting I overheard a conversation between one of my aunts (Zaids mother) and papa.

"Ee wagolik elyoom Zaid raye7 ma3a rab3a Asbanya eb ya7throon mbarat," she said.

"Ee galyy thak elyoom bero7 mbarat Madrid," grandpa said.

"Ee walla hal shabab allah y7afith'hum kil ma tamaw 6agaw 3umerhum o saferaaw," she said.

I didn't hear the rest of the conversation because my heartbeats were too loud that I couldnt hear anything but the thudding in my head.

Zaid went to SPAIN?

This is not real. No way.

He told me he's going to Mecca.

He told me he CHANGED.

"Uhh khalty Zaid mu raye7 el3umra?" I heard myself say.

She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "haaw laa wala yaab 6ary el3umra, wela chaan zaain eroo7 bs mayismaa3!!"

"Ahh ok," I said.

"Laish uho gayilich?" she asked.

"Laa ana ymkin mtkharbe6a," I lied. "Yala ana bamshy 3ayal."

I quickly got up and left the place. Im not even angry with him, the only person im angry with is myself for believing his load of crap.

You know what? Im not even going to think about that jerk because he's already stolen so much of my time.

And like I was speaking of the devil, he sent me a message.

"Hala Monya, tawny mkhalis 3umrity el7imdla sahalat, shlonich?"

Jerk.

----------

"Walla hal Zaid mu 3ajibny min elbedaya, blees rakib eb rasa staghferallah," Dr. Manar said.

"Ee bs echathiib," I said.

"Hathaila elly yinkhaaf minhum, tlageena uhwa mayadry shnu yabyy! ychathib 3ala flan o 3ilaan o enaqith 3umra wala yoo9al 7ag nateeja!" she said.

"Eeee allah yhadahuum!! bs elmuskila ellyy 7arnyy enna ana mu msaweetla shayy 3ashan eswyy hal swat!! Ma 3umry tharraita!!" I said.

"Ee uhu shafich sama7tyy awal marra gaal ba3eed nafs elqiisa o bastighilha bs eb6areeqa thanya, hatha el mafrooth ennich etsakreen el bab o matkameena abad!!" she said.

"Ee walla 9a7 kalamichh!" I said.

"Enzain 3ad shsawaitayy kalamteeh??" she asked.

------

I hated myself for being so naive. I decided I will never ever forgive him for lying, because he sure didnt deserve my second chance.

The days passed by repeating themselves. I'd go to work, Msa3ad would be his usual weird self, and then I'd return home and sleep.

At times he makes me feel special, yet at other times I just feel like any other girl. Sometimes he keeps on chatting with me wanting to know every detail, and at other times he couldnt care less.

Zaid on the other hand, kept calling and texting me but I ignored of course, he doesnt deserve my time.

One day Lulu told me she wanted to visit. Ya7lailha bsr3a 6ayi7at el meyana. I thought since we're alone, Ill tell her about Saad.

So she came on the same afternoon, we sat in the living room since the house was empty.

After a while of talking and sipping tea, my dad and 9ali7 came in.

Shloooon nesait enna uboy berid elyom:/

"El7mdlaa 3al salamaaa," I got up and kissed both his cheeks.

"Allah ysalmichh 7abeebty, shlonkum?" he asked.

"Bkhair el7imdla, shlom amreca??" I asked.

"Walla ma baghaaiy arid, ba3ad mayi7tayy agolich 3an amreka," he said.

"Wayy mara thanyaa lazim takhitny ma3aak," I said.

"Ee enshallahh meta ma 3a6ooch ejazq awadeech," he said before he left to his room.

"Waay mashallah entaw wayed etsafroon?" Lulu asked.

"Haha y3ny min fatra laih fatraa laish?" I asked.

"Laa bs ana uboy maysafirna kilish madry laish!! y3ny akher mara safart min cham sina!" she said.

"Wee, ymkin may7ib esaafir," I said.

"Um ee may7ib, entay uboch shakla mayig3ad bldeera," she said.

"Haha mashallah la 3ad shda3wa," I said

"Oo hatha ukhooch elly kan ma3a?" she asked.

"Ee 9ali7," I said.

"Akbar minich? 3ad mayshabhich et9adgeen," she said.

"Ee, 9ij 3ad kilmen egool ena yshbahny!" I said.

"La madry ma7asaait! Enzain uhwa mtzawij?" She asked.

Haw bedaina blta7qeeq??

"Laa lail7een," I said. Maby ayeeb 6ary Nawal since masar shay 3ala hal mawthoo3.

"Wee ghareeba lail7en ga3d y3ny 3nda khair o floos o san3 mafroth minziman mtzawij, ma dawartoola?"she asked.

"Umm ee 7a6a eb baly cham wa7da," I said. Wayed jaree2a.

"Haha ana minhum 3aad," she said as she wiggled her eyebrows.

"Ahaha laa kbeer 3alaiich!" I said  y3ny shloon arid 3alaiha?!

"Haw laish? I'm 20 kubaart!!" she said.

"Ee ok bs madryy, y3ny entay 3ady ttzawijain etha a7ad taqadamlich al7een?" I asked.

"Ee etha kan wild floos o mayinraad nafs 9ali7," she said.

I widened my eyes at her, sh'hal jur2a!!

she burst out laughing, "Hahaha atghashmar shfeeech."

Ghashmartich baykha, y3ny 3aib tgol chthy 7ata lo ghashmara.

"ahaha," I faked a laugh.

"Enzain etha tabeen adawer ma3ach tara ana zahba," she said.

"Mashkoora," I said.

"Oo shsma ubooch wain yshtghl?" she asked.

"3nda sharika," I said.

"Mhmm," she said china o 3ajibha. "Enzain 3ndch khwan thaneen aw khawat?"

"Ma3ndy khawat, bs 3ndy twins sbayan kubrich."

"Ahh ya7lailhum," she said.

"Entay cham tfathleen ekon farg el3omir bainich o bain raylich?" I asked.

"4 years aw akbaar, mo kubry!!" she said.

Wee ra7at 3alaik ya Saad.

"Ahh ok," I said.

"O entay ghareeba lail7een mankh6abtay?" she asked.

"Haha ana glt lama ashtghl eseer khair," I said.

And she kept asking about 9ali7 and my father. I tried to change the subject a couple of times but failed miserably. She's starting to scare me...