Part 17 - Love Lost

We went and picked up Nawar to go see Abdullah's family.  When we pulled up we saw Aziz's car outside.  Apparently he was over, and so were here cousins.

Rania had been with her boyfriend Stefano for a while, but over the last few weeks she knew that it was coming to an end.  She knew it was over.  And she knew that he knew it too.  The spark was lost, conversations didn't last more than a few minutes, and they had talked about it a few days ago. They decided things had already ended a while ago and that this was the final moment of everything. She didn't really say anything to her friends because she didn't want to make a big deal out of it to anyone.  But now being back in Kuwait the last few days solidified that thought, and she had told her girls. Seeing the car's parked outside sent a feeling from her head to her stomach as if she was on a roller coaster.

"7abibti, did you..umm..did you see..?"

"Yep. He's here."

"We don't have to go inside, we can come back later!"

"No. Yalla let's go! It'll be fine. I'm good I promise."

"Haha, if you say so. But tell me the word and we'll leave."

They jumped out of the car and started to walk up the pathway to the house.

"This boy is crazy...look, it's still there. It's really not that hard to go get it removed. You know what? I'll do it now!"

"Omg you psycho! You can't take that off. He'll know it was you!"

"I don't care. Okay fine fine, maybe that's not the best way to see each other after a year."

"Wow I never would have guessed" Jawa said rolling her eyes.

They walked into the house and said hello to everyone.  Nawar's house wasn't the typical Kuwaiti type of house, it was 3ady for all the men and women to sit together. Rania kept looking around for him...his piercing look, his laugh that made you happy without even knowing why, the way he smelled, it was hard to miss.  Where was he?

Rania felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around.

"Wassim..." It came out as whisper. The roller coaster feeling was back.

"7imdillah Alsalama."

"Allah ya salmik"  ..still a whisper.  It was too hard to form proper words.

"How are you? I haven't seen you in..well..a while."

"It's been a long time. I'm good. How have you been? How is the firm going? Architecture and all..."

"It's really good 7imdillah.  I've been getting a lot of calls and people wanting to hire me for projects.  We actually got a really big one the other day and.." The huge smile that had grown on his face was quickly disappearing just as fast as it had come "You don't need to listen to me go on about this. It's good thank you."

Rania's heart was breaking all over again. Wassim and Rania had been together off and on since they were quite young.  Even when they weren't together, they were.  There were times when one or the other would begin to talk to someone else, but the love between them was too strong for them to ever move on from each other.  That was, until the day Rania left for Italy..and met Stefano.  Wassim had been busy in school studying architecture and had told Rania that they needed to take time apart.  His schooling was too important and talking to her was too much of a distraction.  Rania did everything she could to make it work with him. But at the end of the day, not knowing how long she'd have to wait for him to be over this, it was too hard.  When she met Stefano, she hadn't heard back from Wassim for weeks and had realized it was time to move on. As hard as it was. Stefano came to really love her and as much as she cared about him, her feelings towards him were never like her's for Wassim.

"It's nice to see that you're doing well.  I'm happy for you.  You got what you wanted."

"I am. Thank you."

They froze for a moment and looked around.  They had not expected to see almost everyone staring at them, waiting to see what happened.  Everyone had known about them and Wassim's family, which was Nawar's family as well, loved Rania.  The hope that one day they would get back together was one the entire family shared.  However, they were making it a little too obvious.

"Can we help you..?" asked Wassim giving them one of his fake upset looks.

"Wassiiiim leave them alone!" Rania half whispered to him giggling.  It was too easy to fall back to their old playful ways. They just looked at each other realizing that as easy it was to get back to that, they weren't.  It was like being torn apart all over again.  But they kept up the act and acted civil with each other, making sure they were on good terms.

Eventually Jawa got a call from Fawaz saying it was time to go to see Abdullah's family. She got up and said bye to everyone, telling Nawar, Aziz and Rania it was time to go.  Aziz said he was going to stay and hang out with her cousins, he had gone to see Abdullah's family quite a bit and would go back later. Nawar and Rania got their stuff and headed out.  On their way out Wassim's best friend Yousef pushed him to get up and talk to Rania.  Wassim got up and walked them out.

"How is Abdullahs dad doing?  We went to see him the other day and he didn't look very good.."

"Inshallah he gets better. That's all we can hope for," Rania said. She looked to her side to see what Nawar and Jawa had to say only to see that they had walked up ahead and were already at the car. Rania and Wassim had stopped by the back of Wassim's car. "Wassim, really?..You still have this..?" She tried to make a joke out of it, but she really wanted to know why it was still there.

"Shfeech? I like it. It's very me, you know."

Rania had one time jokingly threatened to put a pink glittery flower sticker on the back of his car if he didn't stop freaking out about school and take a break for himself.  Of course he didn't, he was too dedicated to his work.  So she went straight to the store and bought the pink glittery flower. The next time he came to her she didn't wait a second, she walked straight over to the car and stuck it on the bumper.  "There! Hah!" she had yelled at him, cracking up.  He stood there giving her his fake upset look and then started cracking up too. He told her that "as long as I love you, 7ayati, I'll leave it there. And I'll love you forever. It'll be a reminder of the fact I love a freak," he teased her.

"Yeah. Pink and glittery were always how I thought about you."

"Pink is manly."

"Never said it wasn't." She loved joking with him, he always made her smile. Even if they hadn't seen each other in almost a year.. "I should go.."

"You should. Yalla, it was nice to see you Rania."

"You too Wassim."

The car ride over to the hospital was full of jokes and gossipy news that Nawar had heard from her family.  They asked Rania how she felt after seeing Wassim and she said the same as always, like someone had punched her in the stomach, taken her favorite thing away from her and was dangling it in her face. It killed. But she knew thats how it had to be.  Jawa and Rania teased Nawar about how Aziz stays at her house now and she doesn't, how times had changed and how he was really going to be a part of the family soon.  The girls talked all about their boys giggling and telling stories.  The mood changed entirely when they pulled up to the hospital.  Silence fell over the girls and the weight of the situation hit them.  Their best friend's dad was maybe dying and there was nothing anyone could do to change it.  Jawa began to cry as she parked the car near Fawaz's.  Nawar and Rania got out and helped Jawa out of the car and into the hospital.

"You have to be strong for him! You are like a part of their family, you need to hold yourself together. No more crying okay? Pull it together Juju, it'll be okay."

They walked in and found the room where Abdullah's family was.  They heard laughter coming from the room, "must be a good sign" thought Jawa.  As she walked up they saw Fawaz outside with Abdullah, Abdullah looked like he had been crying but was trying to hide it.  Jawa ran to him and hugged him and began crying.  She was in so much pain over the pain of her friend.  Abdullah was more shocked than anything and began to laugh and try to calm down Jawa.

"He's going to be okay..for now at least.  He has to go to the states for heart surgery."

"7imdillah. 7imdillah." and the tears formed in Jawa's eyes all over again, except this time they were happy tears.  She looked up to see Abdullah tearing up to, trying to hide it. "Abdullah...7abibi.."

He smiled at her and said "Shhh..this will be our little secret" and let himself cry in front of the one person he trusted the most.  

Part 16 - Family Time

Sorry everyone! I've been so busy with classes these past few weeks. Heres the next post!
____________________________________________________________________________

"Ahlaaan! When did you get back, man?"

"Last night. 3aboods dad isn't doing to good, we came with him. How is everything with you?"

"Ohh, salamat. 7imdillah. Everythings good!  Work is going really well and the firm is still taking up every waking moment of my life.  I can't say Layan is too happy about that, but I'm just making sure I can get what I need to done."

"Haha congrats, man. I'm happy for you. It really sounds like you're happy. Tell Layan I will definitely be stopping by for one of her amazing home cooked meals!"

"Heeey! That's not funny! Do not encourage her cooking, I beg you.  Last time I had to eat chicken that was barely chewable and rice that was practically black from how burnt it was. I had the maids take it and hide it when she went to answer the phone. And you know who was calling the house? Me! I couldn't eat it, bro. I really tried."

"Hahahahaha. It is pretty bad. Well I will stop by and we can order! I have to see her, the future mother of my next niece or nephew, before I go!"

"Inshallah. I know she'd love that. Oh, by the way...I know right now might not be the best time..I need you to come finish signing the last of the papers at the office today. Fawaz man, I know this has been really hard on you. And, well, I don't think I could have been as strong as you have.  But..yeah...just stop by whenever you're free and we'll finish it up.  It'll be like it never happened."

"....But it did...Yeah man, 5alas. I'll come by soon. Uhh, yalla. I'll see you later" ..click.


In the meantime...
"Jawa have you talked to your brother lately?"

"Which one Baba?"

"The oldest one who seems to have a new life of his own. We haven't heard from him in over a week."

"Ee, dad. He's busy. He's an adult now and exploring life. He probably has 3 kids and a dog and the mother of his children is older than you, but it's okay! He's still young enough to learn."

"I'm so happy I send you to America to learn and this is what I get in return. Hahah, my daughter is so bright. Mashallah. If only you could put that imagine to use with your studies, then maybe we could get somewhere."

"Yes, that is true. But at least I don't have 3 kids and a dog yet!"

"Hahaha, oh god...Jawa, 7abibti, is everything okay? Everytime you look at your phone you get a weird look on your face."

"I what? Oh..sorry. Yep, I'm fine!  I guess I'm just worried since I haven't heard much about Abdullah's father yet. I think I'm gonna go over there soon and see what's going on."

"That's a good idea. Tell them we send our regards. I'll go by soon."

"Inshallah, Baba."  ..And with that I got up and started up the stairs to my room.  As much as I truly am worried about 3boods dad, Fawaz has been acting really strange all of the sudden.  I don't know if I did something, or I said the wrong thing.  Just a few hours ago everything was so perfect and now he seems so..distant?  Oh well. I guess I'll keep acting normal and maybe he'll come around.

"Of course this is where I find you."

"Shhh...sleeping and watching gossip girl. Blair and Chuck...shhh..."

"Ughh Rania, Move over."

We spent the next two hours in and out of sleep while watching Blair and Chuck fall back and forth in and out of love with each other.  It feels so stupid to say but I guess I kind of understand that confusion.

"Yalla. Time to go over to Abdullahs and see la familia."

"Isn't that my family?"

"Is it? Madry, my spanish is shit. My Arabic has never been great and you think I can top if off with Spanish?"

"Ahh, true true."

We got dressed and hopped in my mom's car.  She let me borrow it for the day.  Since we're only here for a few days theres no point in renting a car for us to use.  We blasted the radio and sat without talking listening to iiO sing "Is It Love" while driving along Gulf Road. It felt so good to be back.  So many memories came rushing back and I wanted to cry and smile and laugh all at the same time. I looked over at Rania and could tell she felt the same.  It was that feeling of being home that really did something to you.

Of course this cute little moment of ours was interrupted by some asshole who thought it would be cool to cut us off and try to flirt.  Wow, I didn't miss this.  ..Okay, well maybe a little. It can be a little entertaining, you have to admit.  Just from time to time. However, this was getting annoying.  He wouldn't quit.  So we finally slammed on the brakes and he almost hit us.  I couldn't tell who it was because his windows we're so tinted. Who is this guy? He's going to ruin to my lovely drive!  I called Fawaz and mentioned it to him and within no time Fawaz was in the car and ready.  I can't believe this guy! He's following me even into the parking lot of Palms.  No one ever sticks with it that long! Fawaz was waiting but this guy acted like he didn't even notice.  He seems so creepy.  The look on Fawaz's face was priceless. He could have killed the guy. I couldn't help but laugh.  There was my guy, ready to protect me and kick this guys ass, and looking pretty damn hot while doing it too. I was so happy.

It worked out well since we were all going to see Abdullah's family anyways.  Once the asshole left we followed behind Fawaz and went on to 3bdood's house.  Apparently everyone was at the hospital and it was family only time for the next few hours, his aunt told us.  She said if went in an hour or two that it would be fine then.  So we decided to go pick up Nawar and get coffee before hand.  And we'd meet Fawaz later.