Bittersweet Love Part 18

Dedicated to Salooma for making my day with her comment :)

(KHALED'S POINT OF VIEW)

I've never pictured my future. I've never set plans for my love life. I've never imagined myself laying down on a couch in my living room with my wife and kids laughing at something on TV.

But now...

Now i see it. I see my future. Lujain. I love her more today than i did yesterday. I will love her more in 10 years than I do today. I can see us hanging out at home with our kids laughing. I can see it all and to say the least its scaring me. I'm going to settle down. One woman. One. Just one, for the rest of my life.

After receiving a bbm from Lujain with their house number, i took a moment to take all this reality in. Once i walk down those stairs and hand my mom a piece of paper with my her mom's number, and as soon as she calls, there is NO turning back.

As i wrote down her number on a post-it, all i could think about is whether or not i really wanted this. Most of the time, the answer was yes. But when i doubted myself, i couldn't decide if they were just cold feet or if i really did not want this.

I made my way down the long line of stairs and finally reached the couch where my mother was sitting sipping her tea, watching TV and peeling away at a small bowl of 7ab shamsy. I clenched the paper with my right hand, it seemed like it was glued and my mouth was glued shut as well. I sat there watching the dramatic TV show still drowning in my thoughts until i was able to blurt out...

Y-Yuma?

mom: hallaa khaloodi

me: yuma hach ilraqam

mom: ay raqam?

me: raqam bait Al-Flani, abe Lujain *i said it without hesitation, it must mean i want it*

mom: ee eee, khalas bas e2athen ilmagharb adeg... bas mama abeek troo7 7ag ubook ib makteba ta7at abeek tkalma gabel la adeg 3an ilmawthoo3. ana kalamta gabel shwaya bas yaby e7acheek..

me: inshallah min 3yoony ya aghla um bil 3alam.

I got up and kissed her forehead then walked away. I went down to our basement where my dad has an office near a very laid back living room.

I knocked the door...

Dad: tfathaal!

Me: ahlan ahlan bil walid! *me and my dad were very cool together*

dad: hehhe halla feek! ta3al eg3ad..

me: inshallah...

dad: shloun iljam3a? mita ilimti7anat inshallah?

me: wallah zainaa, inshallah abdy awal emte7an a week from today, kint babdy dirasa ilyoum

dad: 3afyaaa 3alamtek 3adel ;) edriss gabelha ib wagt oo rayi7 balek..

me: ee i only learn from the best ;)

dad: shift shlouun.. inzain khalna min hal small talk, abe akalmek 3an mawthoo3 bint AlFlani...

me: ee umi galatly..

dad: min 9ijik inta?

me: wallah yuba ee, min9ijy. *i did it again, no hesitation*

dad: bas tadre ina mako zawaj ela 3ugub ma tetkharaj 9a7?

me: adre yuba, bas maby akoon min hal shabab eli akalem bint oo agoolaha ena bi9eer shay bainaa oo akher shay 7ata khi6ba mat9eer. yuba ana kibart 3ala hal suwalif. abe jidam ilnas a7afeth 3ala ilbint, maby akharebha. ilrayal may3eeba shay, bas ilbint.. ilbint yuba jawhara... maby akharebha.

dad: uff wildy kibar..

me: yuba late6anaz 3alaay tikfa, min9ijy. a7ibha.

dad: min9ijik inta? Khalid ilbnya kubrek! ahalha byerthoun ib khi6ba?

me: ee laish mayrthoun? nage9na shay a7na?

dad: la il7imidelah, bas ilmawthoo3 mu 3an itha nage9na shay wela la2. yuba ilmawthoo3 3an itha intaw tawkom sghar 3ala ilzawaj wela la2...

me: winta oo umi? ha yuba? madre mino kha6ab umi lama kanat 18 wuhwa kan 20.. mu nafs ilqisa? Lujain 19, akbar min umi ba3ad wagt'ha...

dad: gabel ghair.

me: il7ub yithghayar?

dad: ee yafreg...

me: shloun yuba?

dad: gabel kan ghair khalid, ilnas ghair, ma7ad kan 3inda suwalif...

me: wana abe akh6uibha la2ani ma abe suwalif. yuba ebtakh6eblyaha? wela shloun?

dad: hehhe khalood roo7 gool 7ag umik itdeg 3ala bait'hom 3ugub 9alat ilmaghreb..

me: ya3ni ee?

dad: akeed.

I ran to the other side of the desk and kissed my father's balding forehead. I proceeded to the door with a huge grin on my face. I closed the door to his office shut and did my little happy dance. If Lujain saw me do that, i don't think we'd get married.. HAH! who am i kidding? were in love...