"How about I give you two some space?" I asked, trying to get Adams's arm off me.
"No," they both said...
What have I gotten myself into?
"Stay," his brother said, "I haven't seen my brother in a while and just wanted to talk."
"No need for me then," I replied, trying to pull myself away, but each time, Adam tightened his grip.
It was all fun and games until Adam and I were standing at gunpoint.
Chapter 4
"Listen up, I don't know why I'm here, but if I knew I was going to be forced to my death, I wouldn't have come here."
"Be quiet," Adam said, pushing me to the bed.
A gentle shove. To remind me that I needed to stay in my lane. Or just an excellent way for him to say, 'Hey, shut up before we die.'
"Did Father send you?"
"Father's been missing for years."
"Mother?"
"You mean yours? "Probably dead; no one's heard from her in years."
Adam smiled as he walked towards the gun, now in contact with his flesh. He pulled it closer, looking into it.
"Test it out," he said.
"Are you…"
"Tariq, if I cared so much about my life, I would not do the things that I do.
"I don't value such a temporary life."
His brother drew the gun away and pulled him under his arm. Now all peace was restored …what a strange family, I wasn't surprised though, Adam was a peculiar man himself. I wonder what their parents are like.
I wonder what mine are like.
"His is my brother Tariq,
"Tariq, this Is Salama, my future wife."
"Wife?"Tariq and I both yelled.
"And its Ara by the way, and I'd be caught dead before I have to marry him,
"and you both leave now this is my room."
"Us," Adam said, taking the gun onto his hand, "told you that I`d take you by force if you did come with me on your own."
Tariq smiled and pulled me away from Adam, "You really think trapping and kidnapping and forcing her to do stuff is going to get her to marry you?"
He chuckled. "You know nothing about women, how do you get them to sleep with you?"
"Shut up," Adam said pulling me back, "and I know exactly what I'm doing.""
"DO YOU?" I asked, pulling myself away.
"The both of yous have been tossing me around like I'm some kind of toy. I'm not living with you and I don't want your hotel suit.
"What I do want, however, is for both of you to leave so I can have a nice bath and sleep cause working for this ghost of a CEO drives me nuts!"
Both watched silently before calling for security, who generously escorted me out of the hotel.
Man pulls out a a gun and I get escorted out?
What a crazy damn world.
I had no place to stay for the night, and all seemingly safe places were booked out.
Crazy.
I would have slept in my car, but there was a curfew here. By midnight, everyone had to be indoors because that's when the army made routes around each neighbourhood, and anyone found outside would be killed.
I called Adam. Asked him to fetch me.
I couldn't believe it. The dimwit had won.
"I'll live with you,
"but only until I find my own place."
He settled down beside me with a cup of coffee at hand, watching me throw a tantrum. No word was said, and no glacé was given, just a little nod, before he paid most, if not all, of his attention to his coffee. He really loved his coffee i had never seen him look at anyone of anything with so much admiration.
"My mothers favourite brew."
"Ethiopean?"
"Yes, i wish i could visit the place, she said the world outside of the island is different."
"Ive heard."
"They go to work without bodyguards, schools aren't filled with soldiers and neighbourhoods aren't bombed on a daily basis.
"They have enough foo for everyone, and can be at andy place and part of the continent at any given moment, i want that for us."
"We'll have that soon after the marriage treaty. Have you ever heard about it.
"People think it's a myth because the parents of the mafia heir and president himself are missing."
"You've heard about that?"
"Of course I have; I prayed for it to happen every day, I just want a normal life."
"Your life is far from normal, Salama...
"Everyone's life is far from normal."
"Perhaps it is, but I know it will happen soon. I can feel it."
"Me too.
"Well, this is your home for now. Feel free to do homely things," he said, poking my forehead.
I had never been in a house so big, full of gigantic glass windows. Who would want glass windows in such a war-torn country? The place was heavily guarded, though. Not a corner was left empty, both inside and outside the house.
I'm starting to think that there's more to this man. The entire mask and body guard situation is starting to look sketchy. And he speaks critically. What does he mean by saying that everyone's life is far from normal? Hasn't the bombs and death rate become our norm? Starvation, poverty, homelessness. This is our norm. This is the president's fault. I know very little about how the war started, but what i do know is that even if it did end, many of use will still live in terror.
"Have you decided, by the way?"
"On?"
"Whether you'll marry me or not?"
"This again?"
"Yes, this again.
"It's important.
"I can't marry anyone else…"
"What do you mean?"
He banged his emptied mug onto his coffee table, "I can't tell you yet, Salama, but whether you accept it now or later, we are getting married."
He stood and left the area. A few maids followed him and then a few can to clean up after him. I watched the remainder of the coffee trickle down the glass table before it disappeared. How do we always end up in such heated arguments.
Funny.
I never thought I'd see him that upset. At least not this soon.
*
"What do you mean marriage for peace?" Mafia leader asked.
"You know how they used to do it back when they combined two kingdoms?" the president replied.
"Our kids aren't of age yet, and I think it's a ridiculous idea.
"If you want peace, you must bow down to us!"
"We both know that will never happen.
"Even if it means destroying every last bit of our island."
"What this about destruction?" the mafia's wife asked as she wormed her way through the heavily guarded door. "Salama will marry Adam when he is of age.
"The war has given us enough pain, and if this is the small gesture it will take to end it, then why not?"
"She won't marry me… "
"Our truce won't come true. Besides, my father has been missing for years.
"You have to try it's our last game. I'll be out next week; I'll talk to her."
"Yes, General Cici."
"The only reason we let her live freely was for this day, she must obey."
"I have to leave now; I suppose we'll both make a way.
"I'm sure she'd be more willing once she hears it from you."
I left the private ward and met Aliyan outside.
"Thanks for informing me that she's awake."
"No worries, Salama will be visiting later. Will her grandmother reveal to her that she's awake?"
"That's up to her,
"For now, we need to figure out a way to make the girl want me somehow."
"Every living female wants you, including her deep down, don't rush it."
He opened the car door for me, parting with me after closing it.
General Cici was Salama's grandmother, my grandmother's best friend, before the war broke out.
Aliyan met me at the office, where he informed me that Salama and her grandmother had spoken.
"Ask her to bring me the international report I asked her to work on."
Ten minutes later, she arrived with the report.
"Have a seat, won't you," I said while taking the report. "I have a proposal for you."
"What is it now, Adam?
"I have a lot of work to catch up on."
"I won't be long," I slid a file towards her, "How about a contractual marriage? You benefit, and I do, too."
"Adam..."
"You don't have to answer me now, but this is better than what I offered you before."
"I'll consider it okay.
"You're starting to wear me down."
"I don't...
"What do you want for dinner tonight?"
"I'll be fine, let's just treat each other like roommates. There's no need for us to cook and eat together,
"If you want me to pay rent..."
"We both know that your salary won't cover half of the things in the house. It's on me.
"Its the least i could do since you lost your hotel room because of me."
"That's really nice of you," she replied, standing, "I guess I'll take this then."
I hope her grandmother gets to her soon.
"Salama, wait!'
"Yes, sir..."
"I really need you to think carefully, this could be the fate of our country."
"Sir, desperation doesn't look good on you."
"Desperate or not, if only you knew how serious this is."
She smiled, closing the door behind her. What a beautiful yet stubborn individual. I thought of very strange things whenever I saw her...like how soft her lips looked, to how easy this all would've been if her and her family didn't exist.