That Winter You Came (Completed)

season 3: Episode 11

Life is full of the unexpected. 
The autumn of 2016 was for sure the weirdest period of my life, and the time in which i believed that an elephant can indeed fit in a needle's hole..
The first surprising event occurred towards the beginning of October, i so happened to be taking a breakfast alone with Hidaya when i noticed her rather pale complex and the very little she was eating. My mother turned so sour around that time that in my head i thought the poor Hidaya sure had her share of my mother's ill character in my absence to the point of getting sick.
So concerned i asked: 
_" Hidaya you have little appetite for food lately?" 
Even being a nurse i was still my mother's daughter after all, and for my mother the well being of a person was always linked to his desire and ability of eating a lot and sleeping well. 
But my question sounded so off in Hidaya's already suspicious mind that she immediately blurted out: 
_" i think i might be pregnant" 
I was both surprised and excited that i didn't even finish having my breakfast, and i ordered her right away: 
_" you go put on your hijab right away! We're going to the hospital!" 
I didn't even inform my mother, when she asked us where we were heading together first thing in the morning i simply lied: 
_"going for shopping" 
_" your shift will start within 2 hours.. What time do you have to go idly shopping?" 
_" i can skip an hour or two, it's not like i'm the president of the nation or the leader of the national army" 
With a displeased look my mother dismissed her self .. And hidaya followed me guiltily out of the house.
I was excited to the extremes in the cab all along the way to the hospital, i wouldn't feel that excitement even if i was anticipating a child of my own! 
Still i concealed my emotions not to give Hidaya any false hope.
Needless to say it .. I was on the verge of eating my fingers waiting for the blood test results at the hospital, and when i finally received the paper from the lab and it came out positive i literally shrieked in happiness inside the hospital.
How many years they have waited for this? ..
I can't even recall.. 
The long waiting was laden with the pressure and the unnecessary words from the surrounding of the couple. 
In my life i never thought that there will come a day when my brother will care so much about anything, before he met his wife he was the kind who wouldn't care if he died at the age of 80 or at the age of 18. He neglected his life, chose all the wrong paths.. And was on the verge of loss.
But when Hidaya came .. He finally started to have something to fight for, and a desire to live..
Their love isn't the kind where they display affection in public or talk intimately about each other, in front of us they would act as if they've already lived an eternity together and so their relationship turned into something ordinary and plain habit. Still even after so many years .. They both would blush on the mention of the other .. And would fail to conceal the longing in their eyes whenever they were distant. 
After the blood test came out Hidaya was asked to go see the doctor for a check up again. It was at that time when i finally held my phone, called my brother and shouted: 
_" your wife is pregnant! You come meet us immediately at the hospital .. She's with the doctor now having a check up, she's pregnant! Come now!" 
I was never the best person to carry news to people.. But i would do a better job than Hidaya anyways who was so choked in her emotions that she lost the ability to talk.
When my brother somehow ended up finding us although i forgot to give him any info about where we exactly were. It seemed like he ran all the distance from his work to the hospital, he stood with heavy breathing and a red face at the entry of the department .. And when his eyes finally fell on his wife sitting beside me he quietly walked towards her, she stood up .. And as they finally met my brother asked: 
_" is it true?" 
she nodded 
_"your pregnant?" 
Another nod.
_" everything is fine?" 
She nodded again.
_"thank god" he uttered breathing out .. "Thank god" 
And that disappointedly was it for celebration. 
I often find their character quite strange, on our way home they were both silent as if nothing has happened!.. And i was treated like thin air!
My brother didn't display a single emotion of joy or even excitement. Nor his wife did since walking inside the examining room.
I would never in fact understand the need of some people to conceal their emotions, being someone who laughs when needed and cries when needed. 
Still i know someone who smiles and cries in hiding has no less emotions than i do.
They both were hugging and crying in joy together in the distance and silence i guess.
My mother on the contrary was bewildered by the news to the point where she totally forgot the fact that i lied to her and started hugging me laughing and yelling, as if i too carried a grandchild for her.
_"it must be a boy! It must carry the name of this family!" She yelled after some time.
_" whether a boy or a girl both all is good, may the baby just be born in a good health" my brother replied.
Neglecting his words completely my mother already started putting a list of what to do and what to avoid for her daughter-in-law in which i of course and with pleasure was assigned with all the house chores for the months to come.
When i informed Yassmine about the happy news, she soon suggested: 
_"we must celebrate this!" 
As for her suggestion for the celebration it was of course with no single relation to the news at all, she suggested that the five of us friends should meet. She only took the chance after all: 
_" you must force Imad and Rayan to come! You tell them that you shall not forgive them if they didn't join the celebration!" 
_"i will" 
Per the promise, the five of us met again at some restaurant, and rayan was forced to pay for the treat.
I looked at Imad with a burdened conscience and i hushed: 
_"did you take a leave from your work? There were no problems?" 
He nodded.. Although i wasn't sure if he really meant it.
Imad was more and more adopting a serious character, although he was already not much of a careless in his teens still he found the chance to joke from time to time, but the older him became much different.
Despite all that, my bound with him was stronger than anyone in our group, even greater than my bound with Rayan..
We somehow understood each other needless of much words or stirred emotions. And we were close.
_" i'm finally transferred to work in our district" he calmly informed me while Badro was loudly talking about a certain event that occurred that time and that i can't recall now.
_"congratulations .. I'm happy for you"
_"yes.. Thanks, i'm currently keeping money to start a project maybe or buy a house of my own" 
Imad always had the habit of telling me about his plans, something that never changed ever since our days in middle school. Reading after his words i asked:
_" your mother is giving you a hard time?" 
He nodded.. And added: 
_" she's looking for a girl for me to marry" 
_" you go tell her that you found a girl already" i pointed to my self and sneakily added " this girl" 
He laughed amused.. So i further carried on: 
_ "Rayan isn't a sure husband to be and i don't want to spend the rest of my life unwed and childless, therefore i give this honor to you.. You are the second in my list" 
_"you too are the second in my list .. The first candidate is already out of the competition, i guess i should just wait for you to give up on Rayan and then come marry you" 
_" i say you go find a third candidate already" Rayan suddenly interrupted us giving us a life's startle.
I didn't even notice he was following our calm discussion .. And the serious face he gave us sure meant he failed to notice the joke as well.
I was trying to ease the sudden tension when the second unexpected event of that autumn walked inside the restaurant.. It was my brother-in-law walking side by side and holding hands intimately with some strange woman.