My name is Nouf (11)

A couple of days later I picked up sheikha at Bahrain international airport with opened arms and a huge smile. " Shayooooooookh over here!!" she turned around when she heard my voice, almost ran and jumped up to hug me.

"Missed you" I said while hugging her back.



" chub!" she said and I giggled.

" I have so much to tell! Eshrayich engi6 your luggage el hotel b3dain we go somewhere for coffee?" I suggested.

" allah wil luggage!" she looked down at her small Samsonite bag." but yeah, sure!" she said excitedly.


After making sure her small baggage was safely delivered in my hotel room, we headed straight to café Lilou.



I ordered two skimmed cappuccino s and a MILO MILO to share.



" so tell me, how are you, really?" she said while sipping her cappuccino.

I sighed. " okay, I guess"


She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. " eshsawaitii broo7ich for the last few days?"


" I met this person…" I said.


" what? What person?!" she said a little too loud.



I stuck my fork into the sinful MILO MILO , scooped up a bite and shoved it in my mouth. I told her about Sagir, from the very first day until the day we exchanged our numbers and he left to Kuwait. She kept nodding and listening carefully to every word.



" his name is Sagir al Fulani" I said while having another bite.

she gasped and almost choked on her bite. " 7ilfaaay? Sagir el Fulani maghairaa??"



I nodded. " he gave me his business card, bes madri wain 7a6ait'ha"

" mashallah, tadreen hatha mino??" she asked, still in complete astonishment.

" Nope, never met him before" I said with all honesty.
" chathaba mat3arfeena! hatha wild flan el Fulani, mashallah he's 28 bes 3inda khair, he's like the youngest billionare! he made his own wealth, o egoloon he's hot! sij?? ana sam3a feh wayid bes wela marra shifta! o hathi sharikat oboh bes he runs it, lat6awfeen el fursa! Khosh mokan tara!" she said quickly, going breathless mid sentence.
" I told him I'll think about it" I scatched my head, still trying to swallow everything she just had told me.

" you'll text him now, saying you'll take the job." She said firmly. "now!"


" enshalla, enshallah! I will text him but not now, I need more time to think" I bit my lower lip.


" to think of what? you desperately need a job Nouf"
" oh lord, I do" I already had my fair share of  vacations and time off and I thought it was time I started doing something other than being on a vacation.


" great, yalla jiddami text him" she ordered.


" I'll do it tonight, I promise" I promised her while marvelling at the beauty of the chocolate cake that was staring back at me and waiting to be finished.


We talked some more and then it was time to leave the café , I was already feeling tired but I refused to go back to the hotel until bed time,we needed to enjoy our day before leaving tomorrow to face reality.
We then went to quick shopping at Al-A'ali mall, bought a couple of pretty shoes for work, some skirts and lots of formal shirts.


By the time we went back to the hotel, it was already past eight pm and I thought it was time I sent the message that will change things, a lot of things.



I put on my night gown, brushed my teeth and sprayed bodycology cocoa body mist. Sheikha on the other hand changed into a fresh blouse, reapplied her mascara and lip gloss and put her hair up into a high bun. " Er, shayookh… since when you dress up for bed?"



" min gallich we will sleep? It's too early and boring for that" she said while throwing her small bag over her shoulder.



I giggled. " wain binroo7?"

" dinner, I'm starving" she ran her fingers over her flat tummy.
" mali khilg abaadil!" I whined.
" 3adi ta3ali eb your pajama I don’t mind" She shrugged.
I put on last night's wrinkled sweater and a pair of jeans, didn’t bother put any make up on, put my hair into a neat ponytail and was ready to go out.


Sheikha wanted sushi for dinner and I didn’t mind so we had our sushi at Nu Asia. It was a very slow and delicious dinner and I enjoyed every bit of it. Ever since Sheikha came here and I had been feeling alive. I ate, laughed and  stopped wishing to be somewhere else. I liked here, I liked this moment very much.
"Nouf…" said Sheikha with an unusually serious tone in her voice.


I looked up at her.


"What really happened with Faris?" she asked.


My mind flashed unwanted, very painful pictures in front of my eyes and I shook my head to clear the ugly thoughts away. I sighed heavily; I kind of expected that question. "It's over"


"Are you okay?" she asked me for the second time today.


I was quiet for a moment but then I felt a stabbing pain at my chest and I felt hot, fresh tears sliding from my lids.



"oh god! I'm such a bitch!" She said in dismay.
"No, its okay…I can't keep it forever" my voice quivered.



"I'm so sorry" She extended her hand to wipe my tears away.

It was very hard for me to pretend when it came to Sheikha, she was the sister I'd never had and being open and honest to her all came naturally.



"Time will heal all wounds, time will heal you whether you liked it or not." she said soothingly while squeezing my hand. I wanted to believe her but my broken heart didn't allow me to.


When it was finally time to go to bed, I sent the message saying that I'd start working as soon as possible and that I was very excited to work for such a prestigious company and I thanked him again for the offer. My phone beeped twenty minutes later announcing a message. I picked it up, opened the message and read the three words slowly "good luck Sunday"



My heart did a back flip and I couldn’t stop the feeling of combined excitement and fear that had crept into me.

I collapsed into a deep coma of exhaustion, warm and hopeful with my phone in my hand.

kuwait

I woke up to the sound of the nagging alarm clock ringing in my ear. I rubbed my eyes and glanced at the clock, it was 5:55 AM. I rose quickly and headed straight to the bathroom. After washing up and straightening my hair I slipped my SEE BY CHLOE black leather and suede dress over my head, I knew I could never go wrong with black and my lethal armani hollywood red lipstick which I was about to apply.

I put on a pair of green suede pumps, stuffed my essentials in my tan leather bag and rushed down the stairs and out the door to my car. I started the engine and  checked my reflection in the rear view mirror while waiting for my car to warm up. After five minutes I put the gear on D and drove to work while listening to U2's it's a beautiful day. I was more than ready to start my very first day at work.


to be continued...