Masqué Chapter 21

Shlounkom shakhbarkom?:D I always tend to write chapters late at night or when I'm super tired, it's strange but that's when my ideas kick in. I'm posting this today so no post tomorrow, Fridays are family outings and I only post when I receive the best ideas so I can offer the best chapter I can write up for you guys. Thanks for being patient! :D

3bdulmajeed inspired me.

Questions?
ask.fm/vieblogue.

+ Your comments make my day. <3


-

"Saif." I whispered, my voice barely audible. Saif's eyes were on the ground, he turned around giving me his back and slowly walked out of the living room, his hands holding onto his crutches. Fawaz's head was bent down, the emotions of sadness washing over his face.

What could I do? Fawaz fell for the wrong girl and Saif misunderstood the situation. I wanted to hurry after Saif to explain but the others who were seated around us were starting to stare at us awkwardly. Fawaz's face was breaking my heart as well, I hadn't seen him so depressed before.

I couldn't believe how I'd have affected both of them.

"Yalla 3asha!" I heard Mom call out with a grin on her face. Everyone followed Mom into the dining room filled with scrumptious food except Fawaz, he stood in the empty living room and I stood far away from him, unable to look at him.

"Et7beena Amal? Et7been Saif?" Fawaz murmured, his voice shaky.

"Fawaz.." I started, taking a step towards him but he put his hands up in defence, stopping me in my step.

"Jawbay." Fawaz urged.

"Fawaz walla you're like a brother to me." I clenched my hands into fists, trying to calm my nerves but I noticed a look of hurt pass over Fawaz's face.

"Ouch." Fawaz laughed sarcastically. "Kanet ghel6ity, I misunderstood everything."

"Asfa.." I couldn't utter another word, I didn't know what to say.

"Saif is a very lucky man." Fawaz looked up to meet my eyes, a sad smile stretching over his lips. "Enshallah I'll be there for you whenever you need me, as a brother." Fawaz flinched slightly when he said the word "brother".

"Enshallah, ma3arif shagoul Fawaz.." I looked down and stared at the ceramic floor.

"Mu lazem etgouleen shay, yalla khanrou7 nakil." Fawaz turned around to walk to the dining room, not waiting for me to follow him or say another word.

I had lost my appetite after that shocking event, I kept replaying the conversation with Fawaz back in my head. I should've said more, I should have apologized again, I should have..

Amal, it happened and now, Saif is gone.

Saif.

I hurried the the dining room. The long glass table held about more than 20 people that were staring deliciously at their plates that were filled with kabab, white rice and other Arabian food. My eyes raced over the numerous faces but I couldn't find Saif's.

"Amal yalla g3day." I heard my Mom hiss in an embarrassed tone. I glanced to my left and found Mom sitting by one of the chairs that was closest to where I was standing.

"Uhm, barou7 el 7amam awal." I lied and practically raced out of the room before Mom or anyone else forced me to sit at the table.

I grabbed a black wool shawl to wrap around my dress, replacing my heels with flip flops before running to the entrance of our house. I forced the gold knob to twist and pulled the door open, my eyes staring out into the dark, trying to find Saif.

Saif couldn't drive, his leg was covered with a cast and Nawaf was in the dining room. He couldn't have gone far. I searched through our wide garden, passing the rose buds and ignoring the sweet scent that it gave off.

I had a feeling I knew where Saif was. I went further into the garden to where our swing set was. It was the swing set Saif and I used to always play with when we were younger, when Saif visited us with his parents and older brother Nawaf.

I peeked at the darkly lit garden. I heard a few squeaks that the swings made. The rustling of the trees surrounded me and the faint breeze brushed against my skin, the swooshing of the wind filling my ears. My eyes finally adjusted to the dark and I could see Saif.

Saif was sitting on one of the swing sets, his eyes on me. He had been watching me, watching me search for him and he stayed silent, not forming a word.

"Saif?" I murmured, scared to take another step closer to him. I was frightened of losing him, not when it was hard enough to stay close to him for all these weeks.

Saif heaved a sigh, his eyes still staring into mine.

"Saif rid 3lay." I whispered, my voice cracking. I took the risk and took the steps closer to him.

"Gi3day." Saif pulled the swing next to him forward so I could sit on it. I listened and placed my bottom over the plastic swing, waiting till it wasn't moving so much before I could turn sideways to face Saif. My flip flops dug into the wet grass and I could smell the rusting of the swing's metal chains.

"Abe khedma." Saif kept his voice low.

"Shnu?" I looked at his face in the dark, noticing his features were hidden at night. I couldn't notice the details of his face anymore, so I couldn't read his emotions.

"3a6eene telephonich digeega." Saif extended his hand, waiting for me to give him my iPhone. I dug my iPhone out of the pocket of my dress and landed it over the palm of his hand, our fingers brushing against each other for a few seconds before Saif pulled his hand away, breaking the warm skin contact.

I watched Saif go into my app store on my iPhone home screen and download a new application.

"Abeech tir3i9een play on this radio at midnight, okay?" Saif handed my iPhone back. I looked at the time and it was 10:34pm.

"Midnight?" I grunted.

"You're so impatient." Saif chuckled to himself. It was the first time I heard him laugh since the Fawaz incident.

"6al3a 3leik." I stuck my tongue out playfully at him, hoping to make him laugh again.

It worked. I heard the beautiful sound of Saif's laugh once again.

"Midnight, okay?" Saif turned serious again, his eyebrows arching slightly in the dark.

"Okay. Saif.." I began my speech about Fawaz and how Saif had misunderstood me but Saif stopped me from speaking by pressing his thumb against my lips. It shocked me, the sudden action he pulled out. I was speechless.

I stared at Saif in disbelief. My heart was stammering in my chest. Saif dropped his thumb away, turning his head to the other direction.

"Midnight." Saif repeated in a gentle voice before standing up and walking off into the night, leaving me stranded in the dimly light garden, the only thing surrounding me were the rose buds that began doze off at the sight of Saif leaving.

-


"Amal, sa3deena shway." Mom bickered, her freshly manicured hands collecting the plates from the dining table to clean up after the dinner party. Everyone was gone now, it was just Mom and I in the living room.

Turki and Bibi hurried off to their bedrooms to avoid helping. The housekeepers were fast asleep, too exhausted from the dinner party to stay around. I tore my eyes off of my iPhone, I was staring at the time, waiting for midnight.

11:00pm. 

One more hour Amal.

I obeyed and helped Mom clean up. After the long dreadful minutes of cleaning every part of the house, our arms were aching and our backs longed for the comfortable sheets of our bed.


11:44pm.


Minutes left Amal.

Mom was already in bed with Dad, no one was awake in the house. I was in my Abercrombie neon shorts and loose one shoulder shirt, my legs stretched over the cool glass coffee table of the living room. I could still smell the faint scent of the kebabs that were served for dinner today. My stomach growled hungrily in response to the smell, I hadn't had dinner yet.

I decided to fix myself a cheese sandwich as I waited for midnight to strike. By the time I finished my snack, it was 11:59 pm.

Score! 

I ran to the living room, grabbing my iPhone and clicking on the MarinaFM app that Saif downloaded onto my iPhone a few hours ago. I pressed my finger against the iPhone screen and waited for Marina FM to load. (Marina FM is a Kuwaiti radio, very famous for putting on hit songs + having a cool spokesman to listen to every weekend, and it's 88.8 in the radio station.)

12:00 am.

I listened intently to the radio station, my earphones were dug deep into my earlobes and I was hugging my bare knees against my chest, my chin resting over one of my knees.

"Aloo Saif! Shlounik, shakhbarik?!" I heard the spokesman named Ali cheer into the radio.

"Tamam el7amdellah, 3li, dageit 3shan kent abe et7i6ly eghneya gabel ma ti6la3 men el studio." Saif's familiar voice caused my heart to quicken.

"Akeed! Ey ghneya tabe?" Ali kindly replied on the radio station. Saif had apparently called the radio station and I was curious on why he wanted me to listen to the conversation.

"Y7lamoun." Saif's voice was deep but I sensed emotions behind his voice that I couldn't explain.

"3bdulmajeed? Allaaah!" I heard the grin in Ali, the spokesman's voice.

"Ehda2 7ag ely ga3d yisma3 el radio al7een." Saif's voice barely whispered.

After a few seconds, I listened intently to the beautiful sounds of the piano and violin before 3bdulmajeed began to sing:

ياخذونك انت مني والله لو يتجنون

يا خذو قلبك مكاني
او ينسونك حناني
قل لهم هاذي اماني
ولا هم ما يقدرون

يحلمون .. يحلمون اللي فيك يفكرون
ياخذونك انت مني والله لو يتجنون

لو يغيرونك عليا
او تجاملهم شويا
خلي بالك انت ليا
غيرك انت يدورون

ما احد يقدر يحبك ولاياخذ مني حبك
لو يشوفوا شوي قلبك ايه اسمي يلمحون

يحلمون .. يحلمون اللي فيك يفكرون
ياخذونك انت مني والله لو يتجنون

يكتبونك يرسمونك ولاهم يتخيلونك
لا حشا ما يلمسونك
فيك لا لا يحاولون

لو يمدولك ايديهم ضحكتك راحت عليهم
وحتى لو انت تبيهم انت معهم يحلمون

My eyes teared up, I couldn't control the emotions I felt from hearing the song. I heard a little ding dong from my iPhone as I was listening to the song. I clicked on Whatsapp and read the following words:

Saif Al-X: Abeech tifhimeen shkither ana a7bich Amal..  Ma ra7 akhaly Fawaz yakhthich miny, aghar 3leich Amal, ma abe ashouf ey a7ad yemir yemich ow yijeesich. Adry enich khasheitay mini wayed ashya2.. etha et7been Fawaz gouleely al7een.

I've loved you for 18 long years and I'll love you for another 100 years if I live that long. I'll love you better if we end up in heaven together. I've been patient, I've watched you from far and I've acted like nothing happened between us when you didn't remember me but do you know how much it hurt me to act that way?

I didn't tell you this but.. everyone thinks I recovered my memory a few days ago, I didn't tell you because I wanted you to feel the way I felt when you had amnesia.

I know this is horrible but Amal, you won't ever understand how I feel until I make you feel how I felt. I'm so sorry for putting you through the pain, I'm so sorry for lying about Asmaa making me strawberry cake. That day, I was eating strawberry ice cream and thinking of you. I wasn't with Asmaa or with any other girl, Amal there's only one girl for me and that's you.

No one can ever take your place in my heart. If you'd see yourself in my eyes then you'd fall in love with yourself too. I love the way you sing in the shower when you think nobody's listening. I love how strong you are, even when you're in the toughest and worst situations. I love how your dimples show whenever you frown or move your lips. I love how your laugh is higher pitched when you're hyper but lower when you're shy. I love how protective you are of your friends and sister Bibi.

Amal, I can talk about you all day. Aktiblich ketab 3shan tifhimeen shkither ana a7bich, walla asaweeha Amoula.

My princess Amoula.. I don't have a sword but I do have a heart that loves you. And I hope you don't break that heart..

Saif Al-X: Amal? Laish sakta..?

Saif Al-X: Amal..

Da la ling ling!

Saif Al-X Calling, Accept/Decline?

I wiped the tears that were streaming down my cheeks off with the back of my arm as I clicked on "Accept".

"Galbe?" Saif whispered, his tone sounding scared.

"Mhm." I tried to hold back a sob.

"Et7been Fawaz.." Saif sad slowly, his voice trying to hide how hurt he was.

"La2 la2!" I nearly shouted through the phone.

"9ej?" I heard the smile behind Saif's cheerful voice.

"You stupid boy, why do you always get it wrong?" I laughed through my tears.

"Ga3da tabcheen? W ti'97ekeen? Ma 3arafnalich Amal." Saif laughed along.

"I'm happy." I sighed through the phone, my smile intact.

"Doum enshallah.. who made you happy?" Saif sounded a bit jealous.

Idiot, you made me happy, can't you see that?

"Wa7ed eyenen! Galba abya'9 and he always makes me smile." I gushed.

"Aha." Saif grunted.

"Esma Saif Al-X, et3arfa?" I bit my bottom lip, trying to hold back a laugh. I was doing the same trick he did to me back when he confessed to me, it felt like it was ages ago.

"Ohhh, hatha refeeji! That a**hole, how could he betray me?!" Saif acted along, sounding gobsmacked.

"Chub zain?" I laughed at Saif's acting, holding onto my phone with my fingers as tight as I could.

"Does that mean that you love me? And that Fawaz won't steal you away from me?" Saif teased, urging me to say the words.

"Yes, I love you Saif Al-X and only you, no one could ever steal me away from you." I surrendered and said the words, my heart galloped happily inside my chest, meaning every word that left my cupid bow shaped lips.

"Haaaaaaa? Ma sima3t, ma sima3t!" Saif laughed, his voice booming with happiness.

"Yal chathab!" I giggled whilst feeling my cheeks turn scarlet.

"Yalla 3ad, say it again." Saif teased once again.

"Maku." I teased back.

"Az3al?" Saif tried to sound sad.

 "Tigder tiz3al 3la Amal?" I said confidently.

"El9ara7a la2, it's impossible." Saif groaned in defeat but his voice was playful, it made me smile again.

"Amal?" My mother's suspicious voice startled me.