March 1st 2014 - Short Story

"Mabrouuuuuuuuuuk iltakharuuuuuuj Rashoud!!!! You made it!!"

"Allahybarek feech Maha wallah bedounech chan ma kamalt o khalast!!"

"Kela rafe3 rasy! menha lila3la enshallah welfal bil dawam wel promotions"

"Ajma3eeen"

"Ha yala jahez 7ag radait il Kuwait?"

"ufffff, 4 sneen wana adres wakrif eb Amreeka, mabaghait"

"yallah zaheb aghrathek 6ayartek bacher"

"Maha wallah ta3ban! Mafenii asawe jan6etii wala wala zahaaaaaagt"

"Rashoud yala 3ad bala kasal, goum goum sawha"

"Inshalla, bas waray cham shaghla, bayeeb hdoumi min il laundry o barou7 astilim aghrathe, ba3dain bared asawe jan6ety wanam"

"Ee 3afya 3alaik!"

"Yala 7abeebty, ana barou7 3ind rab3i al7een, itha taben ayshay degay 3alay"

"Inshala, deerbalek"

I closed the phone and smiled so hard. Akhh a7eba..

I whatsapped him an hour later "Rashed?" 

Checked my fone 3 hours later, no answer..  Okay yemken lahee..

Ne6art, 6 hours.. nothing, ma3qoula??

I kept looking at my phone every minute, hoping there's a message from him. 

I kept calling his phone, ma7ad ysheela

I was irritated, furious, worried, and scared.

Waina? It's 4 AM in the States.. I hate time difference.

Hours passed, nothing from him. 

A day passed.

Two days.

I kept calling continuously every hour hoping someone would answer Rashed's phone..

I couldn't sleep at night. I stayed up thinking about every situation possible.. I cried silently, my boyfriend of 3 years is missing. O fog hatha, I don't even know what the hell happened!

Every now and then I would go on whatsapp and read our last chat, i looked at his last seen.. all i wanted is him to be online or just a phone call. 

I felt my phone vibrate under my pillow, i quickly reached for it 

incoming call +1312***********

A number from his area was calling, i was worried..

"A-alo?"

"Ahh maha?" a man questioned me

"Ee na3am, mno ma3ay?"

"Wyach Faisal, Rashod's roommate"

"Wain Rashed? Is he ok? 9arli yomain ma adre 3aina, waina? Shfe? -"

He interrupted "Mafeeh shay, lat7ateen"

"Shnu? laish chethe ma7ad ga3ed yjawebne? 3a6ne Rashed abee akalma!!!" I started crying

"T3awethay min blees, al7een ta7san"

"Laish shfee? Tkalemaw allah ykhalekoum"

"Sawa 7adith" 

"7adith? Shnu wain?" My hand shivered, my body started heating..

"Kan bil saikal o d3emo wehwa yaylena gabel youmain"

"Uff.." Tears rolled dow my cheeks and my heart started pounding

"A7na makena nadre, kan bro7a rad o d3emo, wado ilmstashfa, re7nala o men youmha wa7na 3inda, 3a6ouni mobila o sheft 25 missed call minich, telefona 3ndna 6oul il wakt"

"..Inzain waina Rashed abee akalma"

"A7na al7en 3inda na6rena yg3ad, getla ilyoum inich daga o gale agoulich 3ashan mat7ateena"

"3a6ouneya"

"Mbanaj 3ogob il3amaleya, lama yg3ad ykalmech"

"3amaleyat shnu?"

"Eeda, sawolaha 3amaleya lana ilkaser chayed"

"..Ok, yizak allah khair, mashkor o 6amnouni 3alaih"

"Ma min shukur, lat7eena ra7 inkhale ikalmech eb agrab wakt momken"

"Ok"

...

4 hours later,  my phone rang

AAHHH IT'S RASHED!!!!

"Alooo? Rashed?!"

"Ahh-Aloo?"

"7abeeby!! Rashed!!" my ears started tearing

"Mahaaaa" he could hardly talk, 7abeeby..

"Salamaaaaat salamaaat!! Ana mu getlek deerbalek!?"

He started giggling, he could barely laugh.. "Maha walla dayer bale bas madree sh9ar"

"Khawaftni 3alaik.. wallah Rashed 9arli youmain khayfa 3alaik wallah khayfa 3alaik! Madre mayet 7ay madre madre!!" I started crying, i tried holding it in but i couldn't

"Maha maha allah ykhaleech, la tabcheen wala ga3d t3awreen galbe, mafeeni shay 7abeebty bas lat7ateen"

"Allah 7fethek... shlounek al7een?"

"A7san wala, kesart eedy el thentain, chatfee fee sharkh o cham zalgh eb jesmi.. mako ela el 3afya.."

"Allah setar.. allah ygawmek bisalama.. allah 7fethek.. shlounek 3gb il 3amaleya what happened bthab6?"

"Ana bilsaykal ga3d asoug chan eye wa7d yd3amne wi6ayerni min ilsaykal, wadounni il mstashfa 3ala6oul wntay 6oul il wakt 3ala bale wala knt m7atech akthar mn ma m7ate nafsi, gabel shway m6al3eeni men 3amaleya, eedy maksora o galole il kaser kan yabeela 3amaleya"

"Salamat 3asa feeni wela feek, allah ygawmek bsalama eb agrab wakt ya rab o ya7fethek.. allah ykhaleek deerbalek marthanya"

"Inshallah, Maha ma getlech.."

"Shnu Rashed..goulee"

"mane rad il Kuwait 7ag shahar, galee il diktor magdar arkab 6ayara"

"ma3alaih.. aham shay 9i7itik lat7atee il rada! La7eg la7eg.. mawjoden kilna"

"Kint mishta6 3al rada.. kint abee akalem omi 3anich, abe aqadem watheefa, abe atqadamlech, abeech 7agee, kelech lee"

"Rashoud ana ba3ad abeek lee o bas lee, lat7ateeni ana mawjuda marou7 mukan, kane.. aham shay 9e7etek o leman tgoum belsalama, iseer khair.. ok?"

"Inshallah Maha, wallah a7ibich fehmay"

"7abeebty enta.. a7ibik akthar wenta tadre male ghairek"

"W ham entay, tadreen" his voice was so tired it ached me

"Adree Rashed adree.. isa3a cham 3endek?"

"10:30 bilail"

"Erta7 nam, kalemni ib agrab wakt ana mawjoda"

"Bas meshtaglech..7esay"

"Meshtagatlek akthar o rabe eny thay3a bedounek.. bas abeek terta7, wallah lo tsma3 soutek galbek be3awrek, i know enek ta3ban wala i can feel it, fa erta7, o awal ma tg3ad kalemne 3ala 6oul, 7ata lo you wake up in the middle of the night o you wanted to talk.. deg 3alay"

"Inshalla, tabeen shay Maha?"

"Abe salamatek, o abeek terta7, o ideerbalek"

"Inshallah, Maha?"

"Hala 7abeeby, amerni"

"A7ibich"

"Ana akthar Rashoud, wallah"

"Ti9b7een 3ala khair"

"Wenta men ahla.."

I closed the phone and kept staring at the ceiling. I was worried about him, It sucks being in different places, knowing i can't be there for him when he needed me the most, it sucks..really.

Day by day, i checked up on up.

Day by day, i called him.

I texted him.

I made him feel I was always there for him.

I felt like a part of me is missing when he's not here, but I needed to be strong, so he can be strong.

Just like soul mates, we helped each other out. Just like best friends, we talked for hours. Just like lovers, we took care of eachother. I mean, I love him. What can I do? Day by day, he got better. 

One month passed, and he was back for good. I saw him a couple of times. I really did miss him.

Three months passed, and he got a job. 

I'm proud of the man he became, confident and successful. I supported him, and so did he. 

Exam week was here.. I didn't want to go through it. I kept studying, my head hurts!!! I was so pressured. 

Incoming Call - Rashed

"Aloo?" 

"Haa Maha, shloun elderasa?"

"Rashoud rase byenba6 bas mabe adres!!!"

"Hay haaaay! btadrseen, yala akher mara itjseen feeha kotob bekon hal sbou3, betakhrjain 3gb hal exam week sh3alaich"

"Abee atkharaj bas mabe adres"

"Dersay yalla kelha cham youm wala y3adun, entay gad'ha!!"

"Inshalla inshalla"

"Inzain Maha agdar ashofich ilyoum? Bakalmich tharouri"

"Enshallah"




Hours passed and  I met up with Rashed at the parking of the jam3eya. He got in my car and smiled..


"Walhan 3alaich"

"Ana akthar wallah" I smiled

"Shlounech?

"il7imdillah, ha rashoud shfeek? khara3tne"

"shnu shfeeeeny laish baklech anaa?"

"laa qasde getle tabe tkalemne eb mawthou3 fa - " he cut me off

"Maha bakh6ebeh" woah what? i looked at him blankly o wayhe 7amar "Shfeech i6al3eeni chethe? men9iji!"

"Enshallah" i laughed

"Shfeech teth7keen? Wallah men9iji nawe akalem umi wakh6ebech sbou3 el yay, shrayech?"




..

1 year later

 7 AM.


"Goum 7abeeby goum"

"Haa shnuu"

"Warak dawam yallah goum Rashoud" i gently tried waking him up

"ta3baan ta3ban male khulg!"

"Yalla 7abeeby basek noum, tabee asaweelek ryoug?"

"Gahwa bas"

"La shnu gahwa bas, ekel basaweelek club sandwich, goum ghasel 3ala ma asaweeha, mu tnam"

He looked at her and smiled, he was thankful for Maha. "Enshallah, enzain Maha?"

"Hala rashoud"

"A7ibech"



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(أَحبهُ)