"MINO INTAY!?" he hissed at her. She began to shiver but stayed completely quiet. His hands added more pressure on her cheeks hurting her, and finally, she managed to speak-
"3abdallah*, ur killing me"
--
His heart thumped at the name that came out of her mouth. He hated that name. He hated what that name did to Fajer. He wanted to strangle her for saying it. The beeping of the machines got louder and louder-
"Call Dr.Mohammed! Sister! Pull this with me!" a nurse yelled
Fahad woke up in shock when the nurses barged in like a herd of animals running towards his father, Fahad got up clueless and began to panic-
"Whats happening!??? EXCUSE ME!" they all ignored his presence, tugging on wires, pushing buttons and injecting fluids into his father's system "SISTER PLEASE!!!- TALK TO ME!! TELL ME WHATS HAPPENING!!" they pushed his father's bed out of the room, and Fahad ran after them begging for an explanation. Dashaw il 3enaya il murakaza o Fahad galba y6ig..
Rabi as2alak an ta7mi walidy (x8) La elaaha illa allaaah, la elaha ila allaah, la elaha ila allaaaaah!
Fahad recited the mu3awathat and a few verses from the Quran, knowing that God was the only one who held the next decision of his father's situation. He panted like a track-and-field runner, and tried to catch his breath as he sat down on a row of plastic chairs against the ceramic hospital wall, 2 hours later he fell asleep.
--
The next morning, Lulu got a call from Fajer's parents.. They were coming back from their trip in 2 days and wanted to check on their daughter since her phone was off and they couldnt reach her. 6ab3an Lulu twahegat o galat 7ag ahalha ina Fajer is perfectly fine and she's sleeping beside her. T6aminow so they closed the phone quickly.
"Fajoooor" she nudged her slowly, "Fajoora gomay...omich daggat!..wain ur phone??"
Fajer ignored her because she was very tierd.
"Fajooooooor...!! gomaay!"
"haa haa haaaaa?"
"omich dagat.. wahagteeni!!"
"hmm? mita??"
"tawa! i told her u were asleep.."
"zain tsaween, mabeeha tadri 3an ily 9ar, ok Lulu?"
"...ok"
Lulu went to the bank to pay for Fajer's admission at the hospital, she was like her sister- nothing was ever awkward between them. When she got back, she found Fajer walking with the help of a nurse. She was getting better! "Al7amdillah" she thought to herself.
"Fajer is waaaaalking!!"
"Lulutiiii i feel great! Haha!"
"Yagaaalbiii 7adi far7ana" she said fluttering her eyelashes, they both laughed.
--
Shaikha slept over at Rahaf's, and as soon as they woke up she called Mariam.
"We'r picking you up for lunch"
"Wain?"
"Nino"
"Ok pick me up at 2"
They got up and showered, Shaikha straightened her hair, and Rahaf curled it, they always went as opposites- it was like their thing.
Mariam ra7at il 9alon for "7iffing her jungle" as she often put it (even though there wasnt much hair to be referred to as a "jungle") she wore a light green summer dress and tied her voluptious hair into a messy ponytail- she always fixed it that way when she wasn't in the mood, but it looked hot! She got into her black turbo and headed to her aunt's salon bil surra.
10 minutes later her msg tone rang- it was a very familliar number- a number she longed for seeing- a number she was addicted to punching into her phone in the past:
'Mariam?'
She replied "mino?" even though she knew exactly who it was
A few minutes later the number calls. Her heart jumped, backflipped, pounded, swell-up, you name it! Her finger trembled to push the green button, but she excused herself from Shanti and went out to the balcony to answer the phone..
"Ya3goob?"
There was a silence
"Aloo?....Ya3goob aloo?...."
No reply
"Ya3goob please, gool shay.....aloo? 7ayati please, anything?"
There was still no answer except for someone's heavy breathing that increased after every word Mariam said
"Ya3goob im so sorry about what happened...bs please gool shay...aloo?...please talk to me!"
"Intay Mariam?" a voice slowly said, it wasn't Ya3goob's. This voice was familiar, almost too familiar- it replayed just ONE specific incident in Mariam's mind:
"hey hey mino intay?"
How could she forget anyway? This woman's voice peirced into Mariam's ears like snipers the day before. She was in complete shock at the moment.
Why would this bitch be calling me? And from Ya3goob's phone!? What the fuck does she want?
"Ee na3am, intay mino?"
"Ana zojat Ya3goob, sima3tay? ZOJ-TAH .. a3eed?"
SLUT-BAG was all i heard bitch.
"Shba'3aitay?"
"Intay ily shba'3aitay! Ma tsti7een 3ala wayhich? Jidam kil il nas o jidamy yaya tzifeen rayli?"
"Low sma7tay...intay mat3arfeeni o mat3arfeen Ya3goob shino bl nisba li--"
"Sim3eeeni! An--"
"LA2 INTAY ily sim3eeny! Ya3goob 3ebara 3an 7ayati klha, oo mat3arfeen ana shino momkin asawi 3ashan ma yi'6ee3 min eedi. Sam3a?"
There was a long silence, then the line was disconnected- Mariam took a deep breath before her eyes swelled up and spit tears down her cheeks.. she brushed them off with her palm and went back into the salon to finish off..
--


