i hope you guys like it because you finally find out what truly happened. this is the chapter where all the puzzle pieces come together, and if any of you guessed that this would happen let me know cause i'm interested.
There's 3-4 chapters left of this book and I'm somewhat excited because i want to move onto other things.
love,
ruth
word count:1,362
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DALILEH REALISES THERE is hope in the glacial torrents of November.
She currently experiences it within the confines of her home in the arms of her mother while her dad sits on the couch beside them. The presence of all lasting three members of the family causes a distress and simultaneous tranquility; her memory can serve no justice as to when this last occurred. They are all attempting to be larger and better than the current versions of themselves hidden beneath layers of warmth-inducing clothes and dull sunkissed skin. But Dalileh deduces that maybe that's what they need; to be lightly pushed together in order to heal.
There's the crackling sound of a fire to the side and the occasional exaggerated commentary of an Egyptian talk-show host on the screen as he gossips about current political situations with his co-hosts. Dalileh finds it scripted except the speed in which they're speaking causes her to block out their voices and just close her eyes; this time there's only rainbow strings of color instead of Omar bleeding in the car. He had woken her up a number of times throughout the last night and she had sat each time having to calm her breathing down in order to abandon the exasperated breathes she stumbled awake with.
And it's for this reason that she allows her breathing to become more shallow as the sound of the television dies down gradually. Behind the surface of her now calm eyelids is the serene scene of the sun shining down within a garden of jasmine flowers. Her legs are spread straight on the ground while she sits, leaning on the trunk of a tree.
A boy's laugh reverberates throughout the atmosphere and she looks around to spot the source of that familiar chime. He appears around the corner waddling in vibrant blue and white striped clothes; bloodstain marks all around them. He reaches her with a smile bracing his glowing angelic face; the exuberance of happiness in his facial expressions livens everything.
It's this pure-hearted joy that causes Dalileh to momentarily forget the faded blood imprints and allows her to freely embrace him. "I've missed you," she says with relief, releasing the trapped tension that has outlined her body for months. When she lets go it's to take a closer look at his face; memorise even the minutest details that her mind might've forgotten. A breeze of fresh air passes by and she appreciates its presence as she giggles when Omar's hair is blown messily alongside her own.
