An Echoing Race.

Chapter Fourteen.

#Chapter Fourteen#

“Baba, plea-,” He put up his hand and I clamped my mouth shut. I watched anxiously as he paced up and down the hospital room.

I glanced at Ziad, who was sitting off in the corner, brooding quietly. Every minute, he’d look up from the floor and send daggers my way. Even Sarah, who was perched on the arm of Ziad’s chair, was staring at me disappointedly. 

What was frustrating me the most was the fact that none of them were saying anything. It was quiet. Too quiet for my liking. And when I tried to speak for the second time now, I was shushed again by baba. 

The door opened and a guilty looking Salem strode in. “Salam,” he mumbled quietly. He shut the door softly and made his way to an empty chair without meeting the eyes of anyone in the room. 

When another five minutes passed without anyone saying anything, I just couldn’t take the tension anymore. “I can ex-,” I was cut off yet again, this time by baba’s warning look. It was the same look he used on us when we were children, the same one that could make us wee our pants in fear.

I exhaled loudly and dramatically, falling back against my pillow sheets in a huff. Ziad gave the me the ‘stop being a spoiled princess’ look and I just scowled at him. 

The door opened a second time and I was surprised to see Mira walk through the door. “Salam everyone,” she said with a timid smile. She came over to sit by my bed and I grasped her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. We had gotten the good news an hour ago that Houda made it through the surgery successfully, alhamdulillah, and needed a few days in the hospital to recover. However, Mira still looked awfully tired and stress and I knew it was a mixture of worry for her sister and frustration towards her parents. 

“Well then,” baba finally spoke up, looking at all of us in turn. “Now that we’re all here, I can finally begin.” He gave me a pointed look and I smiled sheepishly. “Let me start off by saying this; generally, I think I’m a pretty unbiased and rational man. I always look at both sides of the coin. I always question, ponder and analyse my words and actions. And so I’ve thought long and hard about everything I’ve learnt today and for the life of me, I just can’t understand why you guys did what you did.” 

Salem, Mira and I all glanced at floor, unable to meet baba’s eyes. 

“Now, I want each of you to give me one solid answer to that question. One legit reason. Maybe then, I will reconsider.” I internally groaned. I hated it when baba did this. He knew we were in the wrong, we knew we were in the wrong and it just made us look stupid in the end. “Salem?”

Salem cleared his throat. “I did what I did to protect Sameena and Mira.” 

Baba nodded his head. “Right. And do you think you could have protected them, say, in a safer and more well-thought method?” 

He shifted uncomfortably. “Yes.” 

“That’s all I need to know. Mira?” 

She twirled the ring on the finger for a few seconds before glancing up at baba and answering him. “My sister was in danger. I did what I thought was best at the current moment.”