That Winter You Came (Completed)

Episode 14

Since Salim and I were the only couple in class all our classmates joked around and put us in embarrassing situations.
Only few students of our old class were still with us . the majority were new to me. And since i had Salim by my right and Yassmine by my left no one bullied me again.
Except for those embarrassing pranks .. That only made my laugh.
We had gym class at that day.
And like usual Salim and I were put in the middle to separate the row of boys from girls.
When the teacher called my name .. Some boy shamelessly interrupted:
_" eey Salim , why do you let your wife speak with a strange man .. You should announce her presence your self!"
The young teacher blew his whistle and firmly shouted:
_"Raida .. 15 puch ups!"
As the class counted the 15 push ups for him laughing, Salim leaned close to my ear and hushed:
_" how do you feel about being my wife Mrs Darroze?"
Smiling joyfully i turned to look at his sky eyes and hushed:
_" if feels good mr Darroze"
Gym class was the only time for our class to feel ordinary. Because for some health reasons Rayan was exempt from it.
Somehow Rayan was like the "special" student that we all had to give extra attention to. And who made us feel like we're parents and responsible for him.
So when he finally wasn't around.. We could act like the children we were.
After doing stretches and running. The boys finally started playing a handball game while the girls waited for them to finish playing to take the field.
I was cheering for Salim in the game when yassmine sitting beside me suddenly asked:
_" how about Rayan?"
That question was wide yet precised.
I looked at Salim who just scored a goal and was running towards me waving and smiled.
_" Salim was so lazy in gym the last year. He almost walked when he was supposed to run and he only stepped when he was supposed to jump but look at him now"
Yassmine looked at me confused having no idea why i was bringing Salim's athletic capacities out of the blue.
I took a deep breathe and said:
_" now he's running like a cheetah and jumping like a monkey just to impress me and he's really good in them. Me too i'm doing my best this year.. I'm smiling more talking more and i'm bringing the best of me for him. I don't love him but i'm happy with him and that's all i need. The kind of feelings i have for Rayan are the ones i'll take with me to my grave. But i do not want to be with him. I'm happier without him"
_" then i shouldn't worry about you anymore?" She asked.
So i nodded.
And i meant it..
When we were playing our game i gave my all . i ran and scored and i looked so much like the me from middle school.
Now that students passed me the ball and considered me as part of the team my star shined.
When we finished playing  the game  Yassmine said:
_" i'm glad i finally got to meet the girl Bardo talked about "
When the class finished Salim and I were assigned to collect the mats and balls and bring them to the storing room.
Once we reached the small room we both stared at each other with a red face.
Of course i wasn't going to inter a small dark room alone with the boy who stared at me all time and said he loved me.
Who knows what kind of thoughts he would have!
So i stood like a statue and ordered:
_" you take the mats first.. And then come out again to take the balls"
He nodded and obeyed.
I didn't know that such a silly order would end up with a disaster.
Only moments after Salim walked in the room i heard the sound of hard material falling to the ground. And then Salim yelled so loud.
I let the balls go right away and run inside the room only to find Salim on the ground and some big metal equipment fell on his hand.
He kept yelling of pain when i walked in.
So panicked i shouted:
_" i'll lift it up ! Don't move!"
Once i did that he screamed even harder than before.
I felt so terrified i almost dropped the heavy metal again.
After i made sure i stabilized it i kneeled to check on Salim again.
There was a wound on his forearm that bled Awfully .. And his arm looked in a weird position.
Salim was in so much pain that he only kept screaming and breathing hard.
It was up to me to get hold of the situation.
I still get goosebumps when i remember that day. But extremely proud of me.
The first thing i did was to take off my blouse and fastened it tight around his arm to stop the bleeding.
My action hurt him even more so he yelled:
_" don't touch! Don't touch! Call someone please!"
_" trust me!" I shouted. " everything is going to be ok.. I'm going now . i'll be right back!"
I ran out of the room right away to find the gym teacher. I ran so fast i felt that my legs were going to be torn and lungs going to be out of my mouth.
with my peripheral sight i caught the teacher standing at the end of the field with the class students so i did a sharp turn to get to them
I didn't calculate my speed cleverly.. Because once i turned i found my self flying to the side and falling hard on the ground.
Once the teacher's eyes fell on me he ran towards me to check on me. But without waiting for one second i shouted:
_" Salim injured his arm badly in the storing room! Call an ambulance right away!"
The teacher's face turned pale right away. All the students who followed him were stunned too.
Maybe because they saw the blood on my sport's uniform. Maybe because i looked scaring awful.
Or the fact that even after i fell that hard on the ground.. I still reported Salim's injury first thing. So it had to be that bad.
The teacher without waiting ran to the room so i followed him. Once his eyes fell on Salim he checked the garrot i did. He checked Salim's pulse and then he held his phone immediately called for help.
Salim looked awful .. In the few seconds i left him he turned so pale and weak and sweat covered his face.
I bent closer to him and reassured:
_" just stay calm .. Help will be just here"
_" it's so bad" he hushed crying and terrified.
Along my life i would see so much of these hard situations.
I would see people burned badly and stabbed with knifes. And with every experience my heart got stronger.
But that was the first time i was put in such situation and i really didn't know what to do.
I only fought to stop my hands from trembling and bit my lips to give them some color.
I tried not to look like a ghost in front of him so as my look wouldn't terrify him even more.
And i calmly hushed:
_" it's going to be ok"
I wiped his forehead with the back of my hand since my palm was hurt from the fall and then i hushed again:
_" you'll be just fine .. The ambulance is in the way"
I don't remember what exactly i said next nor what he replied.
Whenever i tried to recall that day i seem to forget our waiting in the room although it seemed like we waited for hours.
At the end help came and they took care of him.
No matter how hard i begged they didn't accept to take me to the hospital with him. So i only walked Salim to the vehicle and promised to visit him later.
The whole school was watching us by then.
Our class surrounded us like shields and once the ambulance took off yassmine took my hand and dragged me from the crowd.
Taking me to our class.
When we walked inside our class only Rayan was there leaning on his seat. When we walked in he lifted his head from the desk and Looked lazily at us.
I must looked really awful.. Because the careless silent Rayan shouted:
_" what happened with you? Are you ok?"
I was so out of shape that i considered him not having any idea about what happened a crime.
How come i've been through hell and there he was sleeping carelessly.
I looked at him as if he was the responsible of the global warming and shouted:
_" how can you not know what happened! What if Salim died ? Would you still come to the class and pretend like you're the victim of the world! We all are going through a lot but that doesn't give us the right to ignore the whole world! Salim was so worried about you.. How can you not know when his life is endangered!"
As i spoke my hands trembled.. My voice trembled.
And my tears blurred my vision.
I saw Rayan standing in front of me not saying a word. And then i saw him running out of the class.
Yassmine standing beside me only squeezed my shoulder and hushed:
_" it's ok .. Salim is going to be just fine .. I promise"
I was trembling like a leaf from emotions . so yassmine made me sit on the chair and once some girl walked in the class she shouted:
_" let us alone!"
I had no idea about injuries at that time.
In a professional way now i would assume it's a broken arm and about half a litter of hemorrhage.
And it's all can be fixed with rare complications.
But the 16 years old me considered even the possibility of amputating his arm. Considered even the possibility of death.
So i was terrified and numb.
_" calm down.. He's alright!" Yassmine tried to calm me.
But i was so consumed with my worries that i only kept staring at Salim's blood in my uniform and cried.
I kept staring blankly for only god knows how until suddenly the door slammed open and Rayan appeared from it again.
He ran towards us and came to a stop in front of me.
He pushed the desk away and then he kneeled on the ground beside me.
He was breathing hard.. And looking at me with concern.
_" what are you doing?" Yassmine asked absently.
But he didn't answer.
Instead he grabbed my left hand forcefully and held it closer to him. He looked at it ..and then he let it go.
He grabbed my right hand .. He looked at it and immediately spotted my cuts.
When i tried to fight him and release my hand.. He tightened his hold on me.
_" if you don't clean it now .. It will hurt more later and gets infected" he suddenly hushed.
Stupifying both of us.
He then brought out a bottle of water and dropped it over the wounds in my palm .. And then he rose it carefully to his eyes to see if there was stones in there.
_" i thought this was your blood. Thank god it's not your blood"

I gave him an impatient look and didn't even comment on that.
The last thing i wanted him to remind me of was Salim's blood in my sleeves.
Rayan took a deep breath .. And then explained:
_" Salim is fine .. The teachers said his arm must be broken but that's about it .. They'll fix it in hospital"
I trusted Rayan's words.
I always trusted him ..
If he said it's blue then it's blue. If he said it's red then it's red.
I always thought that he knew so much about life that i didn't .. So speaking of experience his words must be right.
And that's why once he said Salim would be fine i believed him and i sighed in relief.
_"are you satisfied now? .. I checked on him and then i came back fast to check on you"
The tone in which he said that was awkwardly serious. Going through blood and bones for the last couple of minutes made it hard for my brain to analyse such conversation So in complete disregard i said:
_" i'm satisfied"
Taking my answer to heart. The boy kneeling beside me nodded his head and continued cleaning my hand until he killed all the bacteria and started killing my own cells.
After he was finally content about his work he stood up and left to his seat.
Yassmine standing all this time beside us looked at me stupefied and shook her shoulders in complete confusion.
I was utterly surprised too.
The boy who said no word in about a month and barely did an action was suddenly so moved by my scolding that he turned into a doctor, a news reporter and an obedient wife all together !
He went through his bag for sometime .. And then he came back with a fold of tissues
He squeezed one of them in my palm and asked:
_" are your legs injured?"
I shook my head.
So he nodded his head again.
And that's when he said the words that made the blood cut from my brain and made Yassmine sit down.
_" after i did all of this for you. Do you still hate me?"
In that time .. I didn't understand the way he thinks.
In such situations .. I didn't care that the boy i loved was actually holding my hand. I didn't feel the hurt in my palm. And the fact that the whole school was staring at the three of us through the windows glass didn't bother me. Because all what kept my mind was Salim.
But for him, even if the whole planet was set on fire. Even if a star was going to hit the earth in minutes and destroy it, He would still think about a trivial thing like our last fight and the last words i said to him and blame me for them.
At the age of 16 i had no idea about that.. So dumbfounded i said:
_" why do you bring that in such a situation?"
_" do you still hate me?" He asked again.
I almost laughed in despair and said:
_" i don't hate you nor love you. I don't have a single emotion for you"
Guess what he did.
He sighed in relief and smiled as he went back to his seat again!!
Yassmine looked at him angry and shouted:
_" this is the very reason why i broke up with you! .. I have never seen someone so selfish like you!"
He didn't pay the least attention to her and just laid down on his desk again.
Yassmine then held my hand and shouted:
_" don't care about him ok? .. Let's pray Salim would be safe"
She was so angry i was afraid her prayers would cause Salim more harm instead.
Some student popped her head from the door and asked:
_" can we go inside the class now?"
_"can't you see we're praying!!?" Yassmine shouted terrifying the poor student.
I looked at yassmine .. I looked at Rayan. And somehow i felt so peaceful.
_" Salim is going to be fine. He'll come back to school before we even know it" i reassured her.
Sometimes I hated Rayan for having such a selfish character too. Sometimes i found it very funny.
I needed a long time to understand that this was his only weapon amidst his hard life.
He needed to remind himself continuously of the most important thing for him no matter how hard were conditions for him.
This way of thinking saved him and me.