That Winter You Came (Completed)

season 2 : Episode 3

_" why couldn't you trust me?" Nadia suddenly shouted when i was walking back to college.
Her question fell like a stone in my throat.
I took a deep breath .. And then i yelled:
_"because i loved you, Even when i know you loved someone else i still loved you.. You always loved Salim, didn't you? ..Keep waiting for me, i'll come back and prove to you that i can love you enough for both of us"
She didn't look very pleased with my answer though.
The guilt on her face said so.
So i chose to leave before i look more pathetic in front of her.
I took a bus to my college. And then i took the test i had.
After i handed the test paper .. A female classmate was handing us some papers. When she reached me.. She stood in front of me and said:
_" you were absent this morning . were you in the hospital?"
Although i found her question very bothersome, i still politely answered:
_"indeed.. I was there"
_" so my friend saw it right, you went to meet a girl there"
I sighed in discomfort. And then i gave that girl an impatient look.
Looking at her .. She was the type who thought she could play all boys around her fingers.
She sure had a hot body and a beautiful face, but she wasn't tempting to me at all.
_"who are you again?" I asked.
She punched some paper to my chest and then went her way.
I held the paper and red the big tittle on it:
" stress-free college"
Walid patted on my shoulder and then explained:
_" the girls thinking that it was you who committed suicide got pretty concerned and overly excited. They ended up holding this campaign for you"
_" for me my ass!" I said bothered as i threw that paper in the trash.
_" i don't get it man" Walid added. " all girls nearly kiss the floor you're walking on for you but you still running after just one. She sure is hell of a hotty!"
_" don't call her that" i protested displeased.
_" fine.. She's a 'very good' girl. But she can't even compare to the beauty you just turned off!"
I looked at that female classmate who handed me the flier .. And however i looked at her .. She looked just.. A stranger.
_" no girl feels like home.. But she does".
Nadia always felt like home, she used to bring me lunch everyday .. And she would lecture me about eating healthy stuff and sleeping well.
She brought only one container everyday and we had to split the food half. But she never eaten more that tenth of what she brought.
And with a smile she explained:
_"you just eat everything! i'll eat later.. I know you'll go to work and forget about dinner!"
Sometimes she would let me eat alone, she stood in front of the window and looked at the rain outside the classroom.
_" i should have brought an extra umbrella for you" she would comment. But then smile and shamelessly say: " but then we wouldn't have a chance to share one umbrella together"
I miss her so freaking much.
She was always around although she didn't even love me.
She stayed by my side because she knew i loved her, when she thought i didn't love her anymore she simply left .. Leaving me homeless.
Such a rotten girl.
Walid gave me a funny look.
I patted his shoulder .. And then with a smile i said:
_" you better run away before a girl makes you feel like home"
And that was maybe the most useful advice i could ever give him.
We walked outside the classroom. A bunch of other girls threw their selves on me.
Still asking about the suicide thing.
I didn't know whether i should feel sorry for my self getting stuck in such chaos or feel sorry for Mehdi whose serious attempt to suicide turned into a lame reason for girls to talk to me.
I figured out that if i stayed one more minute in the campus i would lose my sanity. So i held my phone .. Dialed Badro's number . and once he picked up i asked:
_"where can i find you?"
        _______________________________
Badro was leaning on a garage's iron door smoking heavily.
Once his eyes fell on me he took a long inhale .. And then stepped on the stump before walking my direction.
_"wach kho?" ( what bro? : i know it's weird .. But it's a sort of "hello") He said shaking my hand.
I looked at all the stamps underneath his feet and commented:
_"looks like we need a coffee"
He nodded his head, and uttered:
_" you'll pay though"
We walked to the closest coffee shop next.
I'm not such an observant person, but every time i met Badro his finances looked like hitting the ground hard.
He's a man with such a big dignity .. So i tried hard to spell some words out of him. But i failed every time.
We were making a turn at some street when two boys walked by us.
Just one look at them And Badro suddenly lost his temper and started giving punches and kicks all over.
I just pushed him away letting the two terrified high schoolers run away.. I shook his shoulders in anger and shouted:
_"what's wrong with you man! You want to get your self jailed?!"
He smirked bitterly at my face and mumbled:
_"what's bad about being jailed?"
I just closed my eyes and exhaled for so long.
_" what happened?" I asked.
_" nothing.. Nothing ever happens in this $@%&$ country"
I pushed him away, and i just decided to walk to that freaking coffee shop and get us coffee.
Nadia was always better in handling such things. One look at a person and she would know exactly what to say..
The 4 of us needed her more than she ever thought.
Me.. Imad, Badro .. And Yassmine too.
We all had serious issues .. And the only person we could convey to was her.
When i first met Badro i wanted to spit on his face.
He took my girlfriend from me like i was a no man.
And then i started to notice him coming for visits to Nadia too.
I always thought he had second thoughts about going out with Yassmine because he had a thing for Nadia. Of course that idea sounded like a heaven's sweet revenge.
But then when i asked him and Imad about their involvement with Nadia their answer was a shocking.
_" she's like a mother" Badro said.
At that time it sounded like the most perverted and sick way to describe a girl for me.
But spending more time with them .. I finally understood.
Away from the girl who always saw the good in them they all looked like lost poppets . even me.
_" you know you can speak to me about anything man . right?" I finally said after my nerves calmed down.
He kept walking behind me silent for sometime .. And then he asked:
_" why did you ask to see me so quick. You must have something to say"
_" i found her"
With that being said, i stopped walking .. And then i turned to look at him.
_"i found Nadia again"
He smirked . and then said:
_" she wasn't lost or something. She works at the D hospital"
I bet they didn't tell me where she was on purpose.
They wanted me to move on.
I didn't want to nag on that, so i said instead:
_"since you know where she is.. Why don't you pay her a visit and tell her about your smoking issues. I bet Yassmine has no idea how shit like is your state now, but you don't have to worry about a thing if you tell Nadia instead"
_" Nadia is dealing with enough issues already, i don't want to be an extra burden"
When i was younger, i wanted to grow up fast so as i will be stronger than my father and then he'll stop beating me.. That was my only problem.
But when i grew up the size of my problems grew up even bigger than me.
We all grew up the same, i bet we all were drowning in our own mud.
And he's right .. It's high time we stopped expecting  Nadia to come to our rescue.. Because she has a lot to deal with too.
_" then talk to me" i suggested.
_"I'm thinking about what comes after graduation .. I can't find a job." he finally admitted.
I walked back to him .. I palmed the back of his head. And gave him little pats.
_"you just get your diploma first and we'll see what we'll do next"
_" What if Yassmine gave up on me and found Imad better" he asked with serious concern in his face.
I smirked.. And then i answered:
_" that girl needs another 100 years to get over your charm on her. Just trust her man and stop ruining your self"
_" speaking about trust, why can't you do the same with Nadia?"
I looked at him turning my words on me.
The mocking in his eyes was clear .. How can a dirt bag like me talk about trust.
I pushed him away again.
And then i explained:
_"because i'm not like you .. I still need another 100 years just to work my charm on my girl.. You don't have the right to compare us".