Someone's knocking at the door, I try to check time on the clock that is hanging over Ayat's bed, though my eyes are bearly opening. I sleep on the floor if that's what you're wondering, its still early, Seven am in the morning, the birds are yapping and for a normal kid this would be a waking hour for you know to Attend school but we have no such thing as normal in our life's dictionary.
My head is yet pounding from all the headache we went through yesterday.
I can't seem to remember what happend after we took the train back to town?
"Oh Come on, it'll be fun, besides we can really use some." Ecos of Sam taking me to a- to a-? Tuesday extended night club!
All I remember is-
Alcohol- partying- Sobbing-
Sam fought with someone there-
"Sam stop drinking " I snatched a shot from him.
I threw up- and Sam helped me walk.
What time did we reached home?
Oh bloody hell-
I don't want to wake up, I groan and scratched my pillow from underneath my head and place it on my face to block any sound. Just let me sleep please! My head hurts, I'm never tasting alcohol ever again.
as soon as I fell asleep again.
Somone starts banging on our door.
I flinch.
"Can't you hear someone's at the door?
am I supposed to do everything in this house! you're being fed for free and this is how you replay us!" muffled yelling of my Aunt, how can anyone forget her voice of course, ugh I lazy walk my way through the door.
"How many times have I told you not to lock the door from the inside?" She's still yelling and even threw her sandal at Ayat to wake her up, "ouch Aunt"
We're used to it now. Happens every morning. "Go do the dishes!" here comes the ordering. If I was incharge I would've pushed her out of the window but at the same time, it's true they do feed us, no right to justify their behaviour but what can I say, that's just how law works here, I believe we should have space for forgiveness and change. I wouldn't say I'm a coward, or maybe I am, I've grown to become one I guess. I flinch every time someone raises their voice, even if it's not at me. The minute I hear something break I run straight to Ayat, to make sure she's okay, I don't think I would ever recour from this, I won't be able to live with myself if anything ever happens to her because of me. I try my best to act responsible but the truth is my whole body starts to shiver as soon as my uncle shows up infront of me, my hands starts shaking and my head starts banging, I get a blockage in my lungs and breathing that should be everyone's right becomes hard for me, and its just a matter of time when I feel like fainting. I'm not put together like Sam or brave like Ayat. I'm just me. I walk down the stairs, uncle's not here maybe passed out somwhere in the town? who gives a shit anyways.
I look through the little horizontal window that is right beside the main door to see who is being so impatient..
and oh my! WHAT THE- three! no WAIT- four black cars!! A 4-door passenger car with a trunk that is separate from the passengers with a three-box body, the engine, the area for passengers, and the trunk. A classic sedan, Not only is this car luxurious and sophisticated, it also has an air of mystery and power. I'm pretty good at catching cars, But that's not important right now, The thing is what are THEY doing here!? I don't open the door just yet. instead I run upstairs to wake Sam up.
"aaa Sam Sam Sam!" I trip and fall over, my ankle sprained but I with the help of stair railings get myself up, I slam open the rooftop door, waking Sam up. He looks at me from the corner of his eyes.
"Why are you so out of breath?" his voice is deep and drowsy, I pause to catch my breath for a moment. God my kidney hurts.
"I- they- the, here!!" My words came out all wobbly and unclear.
"What!?"
"No no trust me they're here!!" I make myself clear, it's still not understood.
"Who?" He's concerned now.
"Spit it up" He yells.
"Look down" I don't have words to explain so I just told him to look for himself, smart.
He jumps up from his bed and looks down, "What in the world?" He runs away, why is he so Afraid? "I know right" I match his energy. "What do we do now?" I ask. We're both panicking.
"Let them in of course." We run downstairs shoving each other aside, bear feet in our trousers.
"You open the door!" Sam pushes me.
"no no what-? you do it" I push him back to the door. He refuses to and bashes the back of my head. "Hey!- I won't do it, you do it!" I repeat again.
"Oh for the love of God Ifan just open the goddamn door!" He throws his hands.
"Why don't you do it?" I back up, he grabs my arm and is forcing me to open the door, I pull myself away.
The door starts ringing aggressively scaring us both. "See you made them mad!" I whisper to Sam.
"Me? You did! Oh I swear Ifan I'll throw out all of your favourite car posters!" Sam threatens me. "ah!" I gasp loud "You did not just say that!" I say placing my hand to my heart, not my posters, now I'm heartbroken.
"They're getting mad Sam just do it!"
I insist. "agh you wrack!" Sam cusses at me and then opens the door.
"Yes? How may I help you?" A complete dramatic actor! His tone switched from quivering to being calm real quick. He leans against the door and puts his hand on top of the door frame, styling his hair with his free hand, acting Nonchalant.
"Mr Fasial send us to-"
"We're not interested anymore."
What in the bloody hell-? Sam cuts the man mid sentence.
"Do you have a death wish kid?" I whisper urgently, biting back my frustration. He's giving us a death stare!
I panic. The man grabs Sam by his shirt and pulls him up to his face, Sam's feets are bearly touching the floor.
"You listen when I talk, you little shit. next Friday! Six aclock at Mr Faisals." The man throws Sam down after finishing his sentence.
Sam's on the ground clasping his hand for grip, to be able to breathe, and I'm looking down at him.
What a piece of fate the universe planned with us. I'm shocked. They literally kicked us out a few days back, and now they want us? What are the odds.
Is the universe finally on our side now?
Or did it just thought maybe we should stop torturing these kids now. I laugh at my own joke that I play in my mind. That's brilliant!
"You heard what they said Sam!?" The joy I feel makes me want to start dancing and running around. Even though I'm not quite sure why I'm happy? I don't even know what they meant. I don't even know what Mr Faisal will do to us. And I don't even know what we will do for him. If we're becoming criminals eventually, might as well dance now! I start dancing, tapping my feet back and front.
"Finally this nightmare is going to end, right Sam?" I ask him with doe eyes.
"I'm not quite sure, let's hope for it" He stands up brushing dust off of his clothes. "How did the ground taste?" I tease, winking at him.
"Better than ever" oh how I hate when he acts cool.
"You should taste it more often" I start laughing at my own joke again because I'm hilarious. "You're so funny Ifan" He's looking around to make sure no one is listening to us.
"What a jackpot we hit. Is it really fate!?" His eyes widens. "Someone pinch me!" He says. Okay, I pinch his arm. "Ow? The heck? I didn't mean literally."
"I heard literally." I smile.
"Hey now that we know they might help us, we should tell Ayat everything we've been hiding from her."
But isn't it odd how all of a sudden, they want us again?
Who cares!
"Yes! let's go tell Ayat!" I'm so hyped! I pause for a second "But tell Ayat what exactly?" That we're hired?
"Ifan you can't be serious." Sam rolls his eyes at me.
"For real though, what are we going to say to her?"
"We're going to tell her-"
"Tell her what?" Aunt's standing behind me scaring us to death. Has she been hearing us? Earsdropping is bad. Why is she always hidding somewhere to keep her ears on us.
"That- uhm I-" I can't talk! crap here comes my Stuttering, my tongue folds whenever I'm in an invert situation.
"That we want to eat chicken tonight" Sam changes the topic.
"You? You can't even talk to her, nonmehram shit."
As usual Aunt tells him he's not mehram, we've heard that way many times before.
"I'm not, Ifan will." He rolls his eyes and leaves shouldering her.
"You ungrateful boy, you can not show this much disrespect!" Aunt's losing her cool again, I let along also ignore her and went straight in the kitchen where Ayat is. I slide my feet slipping into one of the cabinets hitting my my head.
"Gosh Ifan you scared me!" Ayat side eyes me.
"You wanna know something crazy!" I'm trying to hype her up, she doesn't really have something to smile about lately.
"Yeah go ahead" She's washing the dishes so she doesn't quite fully look at me, she's not paying attention so I rotate her by her arms so that we're face to face.
"Let's go upstairs and I'll tell you all about it." I pet her head and take her with me to her room.
I close the door behind us.
"What is it Ifan?" Ayat sits on her bed, I turn to her. "Do you remember me telling you how everything's going to be fine? How I'm going to get you out of here?" I smile. "This is it Ayat! We're sending you to your dream university!" I sit next to her.
"What- wait a second" Ayat gets up. "You mean in the actual city?"
"Yes Ayat!"
"How- how is that even possible?" Ayat's walking around her room, biting her nails.
"Calm down, I'll tell you" I pull her to her seat again. "I can't calm down, this is about my life Ifan." She bites her nail even more.
"I know! The life you've dreamt about" I remind her.
"But- how did you manage all of that?" She asks.
"Mr Faisal called us in next Friday, we will convince him."
"He called you both himself?"
"Yes, his men came just about right now"
"He looked pretty convinced about not giving you guys a chance when we first went there, what changed?" She asks.
"I don't know, I guess we'll just to have to ask him ourselves, no?"
"I don't know, its concerning"
"Don't you care about us, kid! We'll manage, we will, I know, I'm sure we will."
"Still-"
"Aa nah nah sush, you focus on your studies, yes that's what you do." I cut her mid sentence.
"Oh God I'm not even prepared- how will I get into a university.. wait hold up" Ayat raises her finger like a 5th grade sassy teacher. "I haven't even passed 12th standard? I can't enter into a university without my past results and certificates?" She's fawning again.
"We sort that out, too. Sam made Chad create some fake passing results and certificates of Junior year and senior year, you can get into any university now. I'm sure you can, you're smart." After uncle and Aunt decided to not give her futher education, I brought her higher level books so that her education doesn't get effected. All this time we were training her for business University, let's say this plan of ours, the one of running away, was made long ago, I just can't believe its actually happening. I say all the responsible things to her, she's smart, she knows how to do everyday chores, she'll manage to live alone. At least that's what I wish. But she will, she absolutely will, no need to overthink.
"Do you really think I'll be able to pass the test?" She sighs.
"Of course, of course I do" I place my hand on her hand.
"So we're actually leaving.." She says "everything behind?"
"Isn't that what you wanted?" I ask.
"I mean yes, but it doesn't mean it'll become supposedly any easier, we were born here."
"Don't worry, after you achieve everything you desire for. We can visit this place from time to time, besides Sam and I might be working here as well." I say to cheer her up.
"Will you guys be visiting me?" She's looking down at her hands.
"Every twice a year." I smile to put her at ease.
"Ifan." She whispers.
"Everything will be fine, don't worry-"
"Why did you stopped painting?" Her interrupted question creates a silence between us. "I saw your art box this morning, so I thought maybe I'd ask." She stares at me. "Be ready, we'll tell you when we will leaving." I kiss her head. The words bearly came out properly, it's like a rock got stuck in my throat and I can't seem to gulp to breathe.
Our door knocks, we both turn to look, the door half way opens. All of sudden my head is throbbing. My paints... I clear my throat.
"Are you guys going to take a whole day or what? can I borrow Ifan please?" classic Sam. Ayat rolls her eyes at his comment.
I laugh at both of them and I get up. "Everything's going to be okay." I say gently. She smiles and I walk through our door shutting the door behind me. "Did you tell her everything" Sam asks.
"Yes I did."
"How did she react?"
"Quite shocked."
"Is she happy?"
"She will be, did you work on the plan?" I ask.
"Yeah baby I sure did." he's smirking.
"What is it?"
"okay here me out-"
"It better be good" I add.
"Let me finish though"
"Oh yes I'm sorry, continue please" I grin.
"So here's the plan.."