Contrasting Realities 8

“Haya…tra….”

“Haya...yala…”

“Haya…we’re here already”

“Mabyyy…bs banam”

Silence.

“Haya, we’re here”

“Mabyyyy bs banam” I said, as I made my head comfortable in its position. I sunk into my pillow a bit more.

Silence.

“Haya we need to go”

“Mabyyyyy”

“Ya7lailech etwanseen!”


Wait a minute…who said that?


I opened my eyes slowly, trying to adjust to the bright lights. The first thing I saw was the rain stained window infront of me and the white building through that.

Still not fully awake, I stretched my neck and spine, feeling a little crack as I did. But the crack sounded a bit muffled, not as loud as I usually hear it. Like I was resting against something soft, not a seat full of air.

I looked up, and that’s when I was speechless.

My head was perfectly fitted in the groove between his arm and shoulder. The piercing blue eyes were staring down at me.

I could swear I saw a smile - the happy type that is. I dismissed the thought just as quickly as it came. This is M7ammad. He doesn’t do happy smiles. He does sly, mysterious smiles.

“Noum el3awafy”

I blushed, pulling away from my position awkwardly. How the hell did I end up sleeping on his shoulder?! Where did the arm rest go?

“Allah e3afeek…I can’t believe I slept through the whole flight. I never do that.”

“You nearly woke up at some point. You were turning and your hand hit the arm rest so hard that the sound actually woke me up from my sleep, so I removed it 3shan you sleep more comfortably”

“9ij? Kilish ma 7assait eb shay…but that explains why it hurts hehe”

His smile was widening.

“Shfeek teth7aaaak?”

“You sound so adorable when you’re sleepy...awal mara asma3 this tone of voice mennich….9ayra 7addich dalooo3a”


Oh, crap…

I remembered 3abdallah commented about my sleepy voice several times before. After waking me up from sleep once, he just couldn’t get over how soft and baby-like my voice is when I’ve just woken up. He always told me that it would put angels to shame.

I tried to clear my throat and speak properly. The incomplete wakefulness state I was in only managed to worsen things.

“M7amaaaad….la teth7aaaak…bs 3aaaad”

He smiled again. I thought I saw a twinkle in his eye, but again, I dismissed the thought just as quickly as it came. I needed coffee. I was seeing things.

“Zain yala yal dalooo3a we’re here” he said as he got up, offering me his hand. He helped me up and I let out a little cry of pain as he did.

“Sorry Haya, wallah I completely forgot about your hand. I think I know how to fix it. Do you mind?”

erm…mind what bethabt? I thought with my hand still in his.

“Sure”

He massaged my palm to and fro, applying more pressure at the joints. It hurt for a few seconds, then suddenly the pain went away. He then stopped massaging my hands, but he didn’t let go of it.

“Better?”

“Ee wayed…how did you do that?”

“It’s this little trick I know…I tend to move a lot when I sleep too”

We started moving out of the plane and into the airport. As we walked in the long corridor connecting the terminal to passport control, I looked out through the glass. It was a sunny day, but there were big white clouds that looked like thick cotton candy. The rain was very mild, but I knew that it was heavy earlier when I saw the glistening green fields. It was yet another beautiful day in London, and all I wanted to do was spend it walking around Hyde Park, enjoying the weather and reading a good book.

The cab ride to the hotel was quiet. I was so absorbed by my surroundings that I forgot why I was here, with who I was here and what I left behind. I saw the pedestrians waiting by the traffic lights. I saw the men in suits walking down the streets. I saw the squirrels jumping around the trees. I saw the two story buses. I saw the old couple sipping their coffee.

And I saw Big Ben!


We arrived at the hotel at around 3pm. It was the closest hotel to the university’s campus that Rana could find since all the hotels were fully booked because of the course. We were told there were delegates from more than 100 different countries from around the globe were attending.

I took out the printed hotel vouchers from Rana’s email attachment and walked towards the reception. After taking our passports and necessary documentation, she handed us one key.

“You’ll be in Suite 506 on the fifth floor. We wish you a pleasant stay with us”

“I’m sorry, did you say suite?

“Yes. Is there a problem?” she said in a condescending tone.

“There kind of is. We booked a double room and a triple room, not a suite”

She punches in something in the computer, mumbling underneath her breath.

“Your reservation says that you’ve asked for a suite for five people”

“I think I know what I asked for”. I was slowly running out of patience.

She punches some more things in the computer.

“But this reservation wasn’t made by you in the first place”

I looked at her dead in the eye for a few moments.

And that’s when it clicked.


That bitch Rana!!


I think M7ammad saw the anger slowly creeping up on me, so he tried to resolve the situation.

“Is there any way you can change the suite to a double and a triple? Or even singles?”

“I’m sorry sir, but we’re fully booked because of the holidays as well as a few other things happening around town. There’s also the University of –“

“I’m here for the freaking course; I know its freaking busy!! But you can’t expect me to deal with this setting!!” I said, my voice full of anger.

The cold bitch looked at me and said, not even flinching “That’s the best we’ve got. Feel free to move to another hotel, but I can tell you, you won’t find any better deals”

“Could you just give us a few moments?” M7ammad said, pulling me away from the gaze I was holding with cold british bitch.

He took me to a sofa in the corner of the hotel’s lobby and sat me down.

“What the hell?? What the hell?? Hathy Rana mn 9ijha ya3ny? What the hell is her problem? Madree ana madree bs a7ad efahemny what the hell is her problem??”

“Haya relax shway ehdy please. 3abdallah mo hnee yhadeech oo 9ara7a ana a5tere3 lman ashoofich m3a9ba”

I got up from my seat.

“Shino ya3ny ehdy?! Shino tabeeny asawy ‘3air eny a3a9eb?! Ent gooly shino elnormal reaction in a situation like this?! I’m sorry ana mo barda nafsk oo kil shay 3ndy bhdo2, especially lman akoon metwahga b maw8ef chithy…hathy l 7mara shino agool 7g 3abdallah al7en?! Kint ga3da m3 elreyayel for 10 days makla sharba nayma ma3ahom!! Tell me shagoola!!”

I was screaming now. A tremendous amount of heat was radiating from my face. I could feel every artery in my face pulsating. I started getting short of breath. My hands started shaking. Then the shaking went through my whole body.


I felt the world go white.

Whiter.

Whiter.


Then there was black.