An Echoing Race.

Chapter Twenty Seven.

#Chapter Twenty Seven#

"God, who knew ring shopping could be so exhausting?!" I exclaimed with a huff as I gratefully sat down on one of the plastic chairs. Well, it wasn't very comfortable and did nothing for my aching back, but at the very least it relieved my aching feet. 

"I did," Sarah voiced with a laugh. 

"Then why wouldn't you warn us woman?!" Mira took the seat across from me whilst Ziad and Tariq sat perpendicular to us. Salem and the other two guards resigned to standing around us in a small protective circle, watching our surroundings alertly. 

I don't know if it was just my imagination playing games on me, but recently, I felt like Salem had been more on guard around me, all of us in fact. He was wary all the time but now it was like he had a reason, a motive, to be super suspicious of anyone who was around us. 

Just yesterday, a man who was the parent of one of the kids I teach at the education centre, came a bit too close to me and Salem nearly broke his hand. The poor guy was just bending over to pick us his child's fallen toy.

"If you guys are finding it difficult, how do you think we feel?" Ziad questioned and Tariq nodded his head in agreement with him. 

"Well apparently I can't get married without a ring, so until I do find the perfect one, we all have to suck it up," I said with a sigh. I observed the bustling food court and pondered on what I should eat, when I suddenly remembered Mira and I's secret hideout on the rooftop. As if she was thinking the same thing, we both shared a knowing look but we both knew we couldn't very well go and leave everyone here. It was our hideout spot and we weren't willing to give it up. 

"We've been shopping for three hours already. Why don't we just try again tomorrow and pick up where we left off?" Tariq offered diplomatically and I hid the amused smile that was creeping its way to my lips. Tariq hated shopping and I knew this was complete torture to him. However, I had to have him by my side when getting the ring, it just didn't seem right to do it without him. 

"There's just one more jewellery store I want to visit and if there's no luck with that, then we'll go home." 

Everyone let out a breath and mumbled their 'alhamdulillahs'. 

"Just get the ring made," Mira said, crossing her arms over her chest, showcasing her bright purple ring and intricate henna. "All the designs I've seen so far are hideous and I know more than one jeweller who can whip you up a design so amazing, you'll be blown to Australia." 

I chuckled loudly at Mira's comment and shook my head at her. "Getting it made is my second option, you know that." 

"Fine," she grumbled. 

After everyone had decided on eating at a traditional thai restaurant, we ordered our food and waited - not so patiently - for it to arrive. Conversation flowed nicely as it always did. Even though I tried many times to get Salem and the guards to sit down and have something to eat, they wouldn't budge, insisting on remaining at their posts. After a few minutes of useless persuading, I gave up.