Chapter 26

*LOL I got a lot of DMs from people wanting the chapter now, so here it is. =)) I hope you enjoy it! :D xx



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"What is it?" Reem asked impatiently, standing up and walking over to us while she had a hand over her baby bump, as if she was shielding the baby from hearing any bad news about his/her future grandfather. My father's eyes were closed, he looked asleep but from experience, I knew he was just trying to shut out the world.

"The results say.., well hemdella." Her Arabic would have made me laugh if I wasn't so nervous, she continued;"Your husband/father, has come in the perfect time to get checked up. The scope procedure we did on him showed that there's an infection in his stomach, his lungs are affected by the smoking but it's nothing serious right now. However... if he continues on smoking, for his age, his breathing will get worse. For the infection, it hasn't infected greatly so no need for a surgery, we can assign him pills to take regularly. The infection can come back pretty fast if he stops taking his pills or stops eating again, so once it does, you have to come back as soon as you get those stomach pains again. We found some infection in his liver too, we'll assign other pills for that. I hope he recovers well but Mr Al-X, I advise you to stop smoking or else your lungs will worsen even more."

I heard my mother sigh in relief, I bet all she heard was "Hemdellah" and "No surgery needed". Reem and I still looked worried. I knew my father's been smoking for more than ten years and I've seen him cough like crazy all the time, I've begged him to stop smoking but all he used to do was push me off in a playful way and change the subject. I looked back at my father and his eyes were still closed, probably avoiding the doctor's advice on quitting on smoking.

"Miss Al-X, can I speak to you outside for a bit?" The doctor looked at me then back at my mother, indicating that she didn't want to say whatever she needed to say in front of me. I was fuming, I had a right to know what other things were wrong with my father too! My mom took Reem with her since she was her translator as I stayed in the room alone with my father.

"Yuba? Nayim?" I was starting to believe that he actually was asleep, I took a step forward and stared at his eyelids. I was trying to see if there was any movement of his pupils under his eyelids, I saw a few movements and knew that he was awake. I laughed quietly.

"Yuba, tara ma tigder etchathib 3lay." I stated. My dad's eyelids swiftly slid up and his chocolate eyes met mine, he smiled faintly behind the kamam. He reached for my hand and with his other hand, he pushed the kamam off so he could place my hand over his lips, kissing it softly.

"Men al7een bakhish your cigarettes," I gave him my most stubborn and strongest expression. He snickered weakly before ending up in coughs. My mother walked in right at that minute with Reem, she was holding Reem's hand and I could see that my mother's knuckles had turned white, indicating that she was holding onto Reem's hand as tight as she could. Something was wrong.

"Shoug, yalla mama, rou7ay el bait. Warach medrisa bacher." Mom smiled at me, it looked like a forceful smile.

"Laish arid el bait? Khale9t my homeworks, w shgalet el doctora?" I challenged her to answer me, my eyes stared into hers, I waited her to speak up but Reem did instead.

"Shoug, khala9 sim3ay kalam omy. Mu wakta al7een, riday el bait." Reem's voice was stern. If my Dad wasn't laying on his hospital bed right next to mine, I would have argued further with Reem.

"Ffffh, okay!" I huffed out, I turned back around to give Dad a kiss on his cheek before walking out of the hospital room. I wasn't going to wait for Lisa-Anne and Hussain in that room, not when they wanted to kick me out so bad. And at that moment, I suddenly felt like I wasn't even a part of the family. This saddened me to the core.  

What did I do? I'm not that young child anymore, I can handle bad news!

 I called up Lisa-Anne so she could pick me up, I hung out downstairs around the cafe in front of the pharmacy store. I pulled my blackberry out and stared at the number of bbm chats I had yet to open.  

Shoug, you have to stop avoiding encounters with people. They'll start thinking you're ignoring them for a different reason. People won't be there for you forever, you can't lose them now..


I always had my conscience in the back of my head and for the first time, I'm about to listen to it. I typed in my blackberry password and unlocked my phone, I scrolled down over the hordes of messages I've received.

Loura:*:
SHOUG. WEINICH?!:@

Lulu Al-X:
Shoug, hows your dad? I hope he's okay, allah yeshfeeh. :/ <3

Fajer Al-X:
Shoug, laish el dnd for 2 days?:( I miss you!

Basoumaaa<3:
Shoug, I need help w/History. Aloo???

Hanan Al-X:
Hiiiiii;p , you there?

S3oud Al-X:
Shoug? Weinich..? Waleht 3leich..

Deemah Al-X:
Hey Shoug:D how are you?;*

Nada Al-X:
Hello, was there any Literature homework? :)

Narjis Al-X:
Sis? You okay? Seme3t 3an obouy.. I'm gonna try to travel to Kuwait bs my college mu ra'9een ya36ouni a 3 day absence authorization! Hope ur ok. :* Pay attention 2 ur finals!!

 Mariam Al-X:
SHOUUUUUG, khane6la3. :D

Shaikha Al-X:
Heey, laish radeitay men el zwara bsr3a?:(


I kept reading the messages from outside the chats again and again (I didn't want them to see that I've read their messages and ignored it), my head was swirling with thoughts about my Dad. I couldn't handle faking a good conversation now and I'm not in the mood to talk about this. Whenever I'm in a bad situation, I try to shut out the world and I try to forget about it, by talking about it, I'll have to face pitying faces and answer dreadful questions all the time. How are you supposed to forget about something when people keep reminding you of it?

I switched to Twitter and read a new DM from a girl I haven't really talked to before. I didn't bother clicking on Jassim's DM, I still wasn't ready to talk.

Maha: Hey, I love your picture! Can I ask you what camera you used? :D

Shoug: Ahlaan, Nikon D5100. & Thank you. ;*

After a few minutes, she replied.

Maha: Mashallah, 3ajeeb. :D I'm trying to find a good camera, for beginners, ey wa7d akheth? Canon 500D, Nikon D5100 wla Nikon D7000?

We started chatting about photography, it put my mind at ease, having to talk about something else than my Dad. Lisa-Anne arrived in time and I followed her into the car. I kept staring at the my charm bracelet S3oud had given me, I brushed my fingertips over the tiny heart.

"...and a little heart to give you a little piece of me, now I'll be with you all along the way."

I had memorized the whole note in my head, it was hard not to. I kept repeating those words over and over again on my way home. Once we arrived back at home, I walked in the house and the house had looked enormous to me, ready to eat my puny body up.

"Shoug, no one is home. Your two brother go to hospital," Lisa-Anne told me, she went into the kitchen to talk to the other maids, Jeena and Ellen.

The staircase in front of me looked like the steps to hell, I looked up at the chandelier hanging on top of me, watching the crystals and pieces of glass surround it, it didn't look so beautiful anymore. It looked like sharp needles of ice, ready to stab me once I looked away.

There was a circular seating thing in the middle of the staircase that was made out of marble, I sat right on top of it and pulled out my blackberry. I decided to take action, now. I sent replies to everyone, replying to their questions, acting as chipper as I could be, adding as much smilies and everything. I replied to the homework questions, promised Basma I'd help her with History on Sunday, replied to the how are you's and assured Shaikha that I was okay. All was left was Lulu now, She understood my situation, she was strong and she had the capability of watching her father's weakness, she still showed up to school with a smile. So why couldn't I do the same?

Shoug Al-X:
Lulu, eeh 7mdellah he looks better. Thanks for asking!;*

I stared at S3ood's message. Should I tell him? I wasn't in the mood to get into the subject. Screw it.

Shoug Al-X:
I'm so sorry S3ood, obouy bil mistashfa w moody kan khayis..

 He replied quickly.

S3ood Al-X:
:/ .. Ma 3areft! Shoug, is he okay? :(

Shoug Al-X:
La t7aty, he's ok. I don't wanna talk about it. I'm okay now :D so how are you?

S3ood Al-X:
Call me, 9********

Shoug Al-X:
Ha? La2! Ma agder..

S3ood Al-X:
Laish? Omech mawjoda? Asif.

Shoug Al-X:
La2 brou7y..

S3ood Al-X:
I won't bite you, bs basma3 9outich. I need to be sure that you really are okay. I promise I won't be long.

I sighed out loud, I dialed his number and I heard the 6oo6 6oo6 6oo6. My heart began to race, I've never really spoken to a guy on the phone before. What was I supposed to say? Oh my-

"Aloooo," I heard S3ood call into the phone, interrupting my thoughts.

"Al-oo..?" I croaked out.

"Shfeech?" S3ood chuckled through the phone once he heard my shy voice, his laugh melted away my nerves.

"Ma feene shay," I giggled, feeling a bit giddy.

"I missed that laugh, so you're doing okay? Akeed?" I could hear the smile in his voice fade as he started to become worried. I couldn't lie through the phone, I could master lying through texting but when it came to confrontations, it was harder. Especially when it was with S3ood.

"No.. I'm kind of not," I sighed.

"I knew you were lying on bbm. Shoug, I'm your friend too y'know. You can tell me anything.." S3ood sounded so genuine, everything started to spill out of my mouth. I told him how I found out about my Dad, how my family had kept it away from me and have been keeping more things away. I expressed all of my worries and concerns, he kept quiet and listened to every word. My voice kept getting quieter as I went deep into the conversation, my emotions taking over me.

"Shoug.. allah yikhaleech la tebcheen. I can't stand hearing the one I love cry, please 3shani Shoug.." I was shocked once I heard his words, I quickly lifted a finger to find a few tears had escaped. I hadn't even noticed them.


And wait what?!

The one you love?

He loves me?