Friends?

"And who is the fussiest? " I asked in the hearty conversation with Mrs. Salma.

"Oh, Al-Shizad.  The most patient is Al-Hassan" she said.

"really? " I asked.  Nothing can be set about the brother, they are much different than they appear to be.

Now I've had been around all of them, talked to them, I know them.  Or at least I think I do.

I ambled across the house in the night. It was after dinner, my father was leaving again.

"bring me a Lego superhero on your way back" Fateh demanded.

"okay. Anything for you Mama?" dad asked grandma.

"no no, just get this girl married somewhere " she exclaimed.

"That is not in our hands Ma"

"dad I need new clothes," I said.

He did not answer. He went away.

My heart sank.

"I'll get you new clothes soon as I grow up" Fateh consoled Me.

I smiled.

Now Fateh was in bed and grandma was snoring.  I couldn't sleep.  When I am sad I am not even scared.  I roamed the house.

Finally, in the largest balcony of Dar-Al-Maqamah, I sat on the vacant chair beside Al-Wais.

"don't tell me to go" I sat stubbornly.

"I wasn't going to ask you to leave anyway." he smiled.

They smile when they want, growl when they want to.  They have greater mood swings than the wild air of Africa.

"there was this one man from the western Antarctica who had a son who eloped. It was after seven years that the son realized that he had wronged by running away and he returned and when he did return, he found the whole family Dead " he said.

"what's the point? " I asked.

"Nothing," he said.

I laughed.  "Randomness"

"you've been to Irish lands? " he questioned.

"no"

"oh, they are breathtaking. Cliff of Moher; the edge of that cliff has some wildness about it, you can smell the scent of madness.  The ocean below your feet, at such height you feel closer to death yet full of life.  I jumped in. The most amazing feeling of letting go" he stated.

"where else have you been? "

"Sofia in Bulgaria, beautiful city.  Ottoman culture.  The golden heights; favorite. The Salinas Grandes, Argentina. The mass white sand washed pure and clean under powder blue sky.  John Ring in Cambodia, you must see that place, they have no roads there, a twenty bungalows maybe. Earth at it's finest.

Closer to my heart is York, united kingdom.  Cathedrals, an old traditional inevitable charming city with best tea"

"I wish...I wish to travel across all these places. You have traveled a great deal"

"I have. I am grateful. My Uncle Reverend Charles Salamander was my guide when I was a teen. Then from college, I took hands in solo trips but then I landed home and thence I fell in love with the walls here. Here I find every single quality of Every place I've seen and of once I could not"

"you never know what you're missing until you meet it"

He laughed.

"Fortunately for me, I do not think like you. إصلاح الموجود خير من انتظار المفقود

(It's better to fix what you have than wait to get what you don't have)"

"I don't understand Arabic "

"what do you understand then? "

"English.  Only English"

"And hearts?"

I laughed "I did Ph.D. in the language of hearts"

"Oh really?" he cross smiled.

"but... But I failed" I said laughing.

He laughed with me.

"I should leave, it's past midnight " I stood up.

"Goodnight Falaq-Naaz "

He said not losing the shine.

"goodnight Al-Wais "

*-*-*-*-*-*

"why not?"

"because Al-Wildan, I feel uncomfortable" I stated.

He wants me to accompany him in the living room, they all sit there for hours and bore themselves.

"Oh come on.  Let's open the gifts that father bought us"

"okay"

I sat in the living room, all their eyes on me.  Welcome the awkwardness.

Al-Wildan has been gifted a signature Exclusive to Paris perfume in a bottle with his initials.

I have been gifted a black hijab.

I would see the sarcasm laughing at me.

I don't tie around the cloth over my head to suffocate me but it is here, a scarf loosely resting on my head but it seemed like Mr. Elahim would like me tightened it around my head and neck. Thank you but no.

Al-Wildan felt bad about it.  Al-Shizad laughed.  Al-Souffian narrated the night event and they all laughed at me.

Perfect. Isn't it!

After dinner.  I sat again beside the king.

"Mind the chair" he cautioned me.

"do you sit here every day? "

"Yes "

"it's always cold here, my city is much warmer "

"I've been to your city......

I've been to your library. I've seen you when you were nearly nine years old"

"no way!  Why didn't you tell me earlier?  Did we talk? "

"you offered me your cookies"

"I don't remember even the slightest "

"that's because you have a poor memory"

"I wish that was true," I said gulping down.

"what troubles you Falaq-Naaz? "

"why do you know? " I shook a peal of laughter.

"because I want to fix it"

"but I am not broken.  I am lost"

"Sounds much like someone I know"

He stated and then sighed "Goodnight Falaq-Naaz "

He left.  I sighed.

I miss something but I do not know what.

*-*-*-*-*

I've been trying to make a pie.  A peach pie for my entire life now, it always tastes bland.

Now I'm frustrated, throwing away the flour on the flooring and the skins of the peach outside the window and how it always is, things about to go wrong with me have to turn worse. Falaq's signature style of life.

"why are you throwing trash on me!" Al-Hassan yells at me.  Then he comes to sign the kitchen glaring.

"I'm so sorry" I cried and sat on the floor covering my mouth.

"you're stupid Falaq-Naaz.  You're careless. Now get up"

I stood pursing my lips.

Took a tissue and cleaned his cap on my tiptoes.

He crosses smiled. I landed on my feet. Always finding something funny in me.

"what are you destroying today? L he asks.

"destroying?  It's like the first time"

"what's this? "

"secret recipe peach pie of  Grandma's cookbook that I cannot crack"

"umm... It's disgusting "

He stated after taking it.

"it's not baked"

"that won't help"

"why are they so cruel" I muttered to myself but he heard, no effect he grinned.

"I'll help. Add more cinnamon "

A magic trick, wow.

Didn't work.

"your hands can't produce a good pie alright" he argued.

I saw the same red envelope hanging from his side pocket.

"why don't you go in the gazebo and read your red letters" I exclaimed.

He went pale.  Then he slowly escaped.

Weird brothers.

Finally, with some alterations, the pie tasted a little better than bland. Because Al-Hassan had accused me of bad hands I had to go to him.

In the gazebo under the sunset with a natural light sitting on his highlights and him looking like a creature made with the best craftsmen of my lord, he sat with his head under the table reading his red letter.

"pie!" I shouted.

"have you sold your mind to the devil? " he made a face.

He hid the letters and ate a piece.

"okay per se. Nothing extraordinary like I said your hands cannot produce a good pie"

I made a face.

"who's letter are those?" I asked lazily.

"My own "

"I meant who sent these to you?"

"None of your business.  Keep our nose out of my --"

"Gazebo? "

"Yes"

There was silence and then we both burst into laughter.

"am I not your friend Al-Hassan? " I spoke lighting up the humor.

"that's a strong a statement.  No, you are not my friend" he answered instantly.

"how rude!  Why are you all so cruel? "

"you ain't my friend. You're my acquaintance"

"I've been with you until this house for seven months now... "

"so? "

I shook my head.

"I'll just confirm what I am with others," I said and found Al-Wildan proceeding to us with Al-Shizad.

"am I your friend yet Al-Wildan? " I asked.

"Of course.  You're my dearest " he smiled his radiant smile.

"and your Al-Shizad? "

"You're Ni'saaaa" he growls. "I don't make friends with your kind"

And an Al-Souffian attaches with Al-Wais can always be found.

"am I your friend Al-Souffian? " the older the man, the more awkward the question feels.

"I suppose not.  We're acquaintances "

He answered.

Al-Hassan's smile got wider.

I wasn't brave to ask the question to the mighty king.

"is she your friend brother Al-Wais? " Asked Fateh.

Insult.

"Only if she is your sister" he stated.

"Oh look, I got you one more friend" Fateh replied cutely.

I smiled.

Probably blushed.

Why am I blushing?  This is stupid.