67

fahad:



" i quit" i said on the phone.

the line was eerily quiet and ahmed was staring at me in silent horror from across the room.

he started jumping up and down. " what the hell are you doing?" he mouthed frantically.

we were in our hotel room in new york and ahmed wasn't on board with my decision.

but then the voice on the line replied.

" na3am?" he asked with a quiet voice that didn't faze me the least.

i knew my father would be mad. just how mad? i didn't know. but it was time. it was time i grew out of this. and i hadn't talked to him since i found out about my siblings.

" sima3tny. I'm done being bribed by you. I'm done with your lies.... and I'm done being your son" i said quietly.

ahmet was at the point of pulling his own hair. he took out his own phone and ran to the bathroom. i knew he'd be calling faisal though. those two were as thick as thieves, and after all they were cousins.

i inwardly rolled my eyes. if faisal were here he would've flipped out even though he himself wasn't on the best terms with his own father.

i heard a laugh on the line.

" you can't quit being my son fhaiid. now what is this all about? why the sudden call o int mo m7acheeny min ilmostashfa?" he asked in his lazy yet angry voice.

" yimkin la2anik chathabt 3alaina o 5ashait 5wany minny?" i asked and i gave him a hysteric laugh of my own.

he wasn't amused.

" ma chathabt.--" he started to say but i cut him off.

" int ma kint wathi7 ma3ay ma3ana i did everything you told me to. every time you ask me or faisal to jump we say how high. every time you be a jerk to me i stay quiet. bas hal 7araka illy int sawaitha? this was the last straw for me yuba. 5ala9 la3at chaby-" i said but i heard him give a warning sound. as if i was going to go too far with what i was about to say.

" isma3ny fahad, sid iltelephone o ihda gabil ma thnaynatna ingool shay.... dont defy me fahad. i have done everything in my power to make you happy" he said.

i sat down on my big white king sized bed and pinched the bridge of my nose. i scrunched my eyes shut.

" your just like layan...." he said " so.... what do you think about her?" he asked and my eyes flew open.

" she's amazing." i said quietly.

he grunted in agreement.

" and neither of you will ever forgive me." he said quietly.

" shda3wa never" i mutter.

" maybe you will, but will either of you ever see me the same?" he asked

and it struck me. the realisation that my dad could feel guilt. that he thought we would hate him. resent him even, for what he had done. i sighed.

this isn't what i had wanted. i didn't want us all to be separated and hate each other like this.

" I'm sorry too." i said.

" its ok." he replied.
and just like that we had become just a little bit closer than we had ever been.

and after a few minutes of talking about our daily lives me and my dad had closed the phone. with laughter in the air and smiles on both our faces.