Tahani had only her mother's gentle embrace left to turn to whenever life became unbearable. But as the years passed, her mother’s heart grew weak. Fearing for her mother’s health, Tahani held back from complaining about her sisters, choosing instead to endure in silence. However, the accumulation of problems and shocks took its toll, and she eventually broke down, with no one left to confide in. She remembered how Abdullah once seemed like an angel, different from others, and this realization shattered her, leaving her with no trust in herself, her family, or people in general.
After all the hardships she endured, she resigned to her fate and imposed a self-isolation, confining herself within the walls of her room to escape the constant struggles.
Ten years passed, and in that time, the prime of her youth faded away, spent between the four walls of isolation.
The film came to an end, and Tahani was shaken from her memories by the sound of the airplane captain announcing their arrival at Cairo International Airport.
Tahani disembarked from the plane alongside her brother, Omar, and their mother.
ــــــــــ
Omar opened the door to their apartment, and they were surprised by its cleanliness and tidiness, despite it having been unoccupied for years. Omar quickly realized that it was likely the neighbors who had cleaned it, as they had been given the key before handing it to the doorman. He walked over to the window, opened it, and took a deep breath, looking down at their street from above.
Omar, in his local accent, remarked, "The neighbors are kind. They must have cleaned the place when they heard from our relatives abroad that we were coming, and prepared it for us before handing over the key!"
Tahani’s mother responded, "How wonderful! It’s such a relief to meet neighbors as kind as them, even though I haven’t met them yet!"
Tahani, still jaded by past betrayals, responded with dismay, "Let’s hope their kindness lasts, at least until we return home safely. For now, let’s rest from the journey. Tomorrow, we’ll see the doctor and start Mom’s treatment, God willing."
Tahani and her mother went to the room they would share, while Omar took the second room.
Exhausted from their travels, they all soon fell asleep.
ــــــــــ
YOU ARE READING
I Fell In Love With My Beautiful One
ChickLitAt the height of thousands of feet in the sky, between the roar of engines and the whispers of passengers, Tahani tied the seat belt with tension. She felt that the plane not only carried her to a faraway destination, but to a journey deep into her...
