Kho,This TN Isn't Big Enough For The Two Of Us

E'rmel Jamais Yeghmel

The sun died as they entered Annaba, Frankie drove by shore slowly, looking for lights, signals, anything that may hint to the beginning of his new life, until he noticed some flash lights, no it was a torch, dimly trying to put in place bags and people in a small wooden boat that floated violently with the harsh waves, Frankie's heart beat faster and faster, that was it, he was just two steps closer to a bright future, driving faster and faster to even drive into the sand, he patted carefully Gee's arm to wake him up into a nightmare, getting out of the car, he followed him, helped him carry his bags that were quite heavy for his little body, they then started to walk hesitantly slowly, to Gee's rhyme, everyone ashore and on the boat kept looking at them curiously, the torch to blind them, "Yak hna l'port bech nrohou l'talian?" Frankie had finally the guts to ask after a little awkward eyebrow forcing.
"Enti Frankie Taliani li hder m3aya be3d?" said the man with the torch
"Ih ana howa..." he answered in a relieved sigh
"W chkounou li m3ak?" he turned the torch to Gee's face, and he froze
"Sa7bi yro7 m3aya."
"Tfahemna ghir 3lik." Gee could die at this very moment, if he did not go with Frankie, he'd be stuck here, in the middle of nowhere. Frankie looked at his frightened face, he was on the verge of crying and Frankie would rather be fed to the sharks than let that happen, the torch-man, played with the torch, checking out Gee's body, Frankie has to think of something before he makes sexual, or even, organ traffic allusions, Gee held Frankie's clothes tightly as everyone waited for a response.
"Edi 'tomobile..." he said finally, surprisingly, the torch-man agreed, since there was no place left in the current boat for the both of them, they would have to wait for another free one, which was perfect for the both of them, until, approximately, two in the morning, like the torch-man has stated.
"Frankie..." Gee was dead scared, his life could run before his eyes at anytime.
"Matkhafch kho." Frankie put his hand around Gee's back to comfort him, he responded with a bitter smile. "Rahi l3achra... tchou nrohou nt3achaw?"
"W loukan nhawdo l'dar..." Gee suggested his ultimate desire faintly.
"Fel l'mnan! De toutes facons rani khelesst koulech..."
"Ghadi net9assou!"
"Ey!" Frankie held Gee's face between his hands, tears blurred Gee's vision, Frankie tried to hide his fears, he, too, was dead scared, this wasn't an easy choice, but he wanted to be happy with Gee, to have a better life for the both of them. "Madam rani hna, ri7 may9issekch. Fhemtni? Matkhafch, l'wa7ed chbab kima nta lazemlou avenir chbab, yak?" he said wiping his tears with his trembling thumbs as Gee slowly nodded in approval.
"Loukan ten9ass nta. Ana cha ndir?!"
"Mara7ch nmoutou! Noss sa3a w 7na rana f talian!" Frankie smiled at him. Gee was too scared to smile back, so he kissed his cheek. "Ra7 nfrouha kho!"
A restaurant was about to close, Frankie hurried to it and explained the situation, the cook was kind enough to make them a pizza, they ate it in a deadly silence, Gee wondered if Italian pizza is this tasty. "Sema hadou swaye3 lekhrin f Dzaïr..." he smiled at Frankie bitterly.
"Hmmm nweloulha nchaleh..."
They wandered in Annaba's empty roads until two in the morning, when they got back to the shore, a boat was prepared for them. The boat, rope free, floated and ran along the current of the waves, it was gloomy and Gee's heart would get out of his cage in anytime, he jumped when the waves would hit the boat and held Frankie's hand as firmly as possible. Frankie was as scared as him, but he was hopeful, he did this for the best and he couldn't show any negative emotion in front of Gee, he should appear as strong, that he knows what he's doing, even though he's way too lost, "Rak tban 3ayan, er9od ki tnod nkounou wsselna..." He said barely seeing Gee's features in the dark, the moonlight did not help, and he feared to use up the torch's battery for nothing. Gee let go of his hand, closing his eyes, he laid by his left, then his right, laid by his back again, then his stomach, until he gave up with hopeless groans. "Chbik?" asked Frankie
"Ma9ditch!" he almost screamed
"Rwa7 f'7ajri..." Frankie thought that the discomfort came from the harsh wooden boat, but it was the depth of the ocean. Gee laid in between Frankie's legs, he closed his eyes as Frankie began caressing his hair softly, slowly, in silence they heard the waves. He was way too exhausted to complain again and it helped him sleep. Million thoughts crossed Frankie's head seeing Gee's peacefully asleep; he wiped a tear as he saw the sun coming up from the horizon. The sunrays were strong enough to let Gee moan painfully waking up. "L7e9na?" was the first thing he asked, not even looking at Frankie.
"9rib..." that was a lie, Frankie didn't know if they were almost to destination, or even if they were in the right direction.
"Rget?" he finally turned to him.
"Chwiya..." he didn't even close his eyes, like a soldier, he protected Gee's sleep, if anything happened
"Rak sûr noss sa3a w nele7gou?" Frankie nodded to the false information.

"Kach ma ta7kilna kho?" he asked trying to change the subject.
"Wla t9ssna, lah yrhem, wila tn9sst wa7dek wlh ma nssma7lek!"
"Mazalek 7abna nmoutou... yaw khlas 9rib nele79o!" The thoughts of dying in every possible way gave Gee a neausea, the ride and the salty smell didn't help, he puked his worries out of the boat, to the ocean. Frankie grabbed him so he wouldn't fall off boat, he gave him a banana out of his bag to fill his now empty stomach "Saha."
"Sema t7eb drari?" he asked, Gee nodded in approval. "Wesh t7eb fihoum?"
"Kima t7eb nssa..." Frankie forced his eyebrows. "Jamais ma 7abit tofla?!"
"Jamais..."
"Meme ana..."
"Meme nta?" that was obvious to Frankie "w deja khrejt m3a kach wa7ed?"
"Wah... bs7 kan ytmesskher biya berk, mabghanich..."
"Ow, mal wesh kountou dirou?"
"7chouma 3lik!"
"Lala issema la makanch y7ebek 3leh khrejtou?"
"Kan ghir howa kifi y7eb drari..." Gee said looked down, remembering the past.
"Chghoul makanch 3andek choix? W nta 7abitou?"
"Wah..."
"Mli7... 9ssdi..."
"Nichan..." The silence bored Frankie to death, he finally could sleep, leaving Gee to his thoughts, until he opens his eyes again, to Gee staring at him. "Mziya nodt. Ghadi nhbel!"
"Sme7li..."
"Dertlek sandwich 9bila." Gee said landing him it.

"Manich ji3an..."
"3andek hakak youmin- La noss sa3a maklitch..."
"Rak t7arech biya?"
"7acha..." Frankie grabbed the sandwich and slowly ate it.
"Yoh! Chouf l7out!"
"Te3 Talian hada, sema rana 9rib nele79ou kho!"
"La sema rah kayen requin hna ghadi y9issna!"
"Gee!"
"Chawala!"
"7abesselna had lhadra, 9oltlek douk nele79o sik douk nele79o!"
An awkward silence emerged again and so Frankie started singing. "Y'al Geelali dawi 7ali ah ya delali..."
"Kan ghir jit na3ref ndawi l7wal, marana hna!" Frankie forced his eyebrows, and stared at him enough for Gee to hold the same confused expression.
"Nebghik rbk!" He said violently.
"Cha-" Frankie cut him off with a hug.
"Nebghik! N7ebek nmout 3lik! No9tel ro7i 3la jalek! N7ebek!" Frankie's screamed his lungs out letting his words echo in the empty ocean, he cried his eyes out too and squeezed his Gee. Gee, surprisingly confused didn't know what to do, so he just comforted him by caressing his head.
"Frankie..." he said softly lost.
"N7ebek..." Frankie whispered one last time, his sobs enabling him to breathe.
"A-ana tan..." Gee didn't really know if he loved him or not, he sure liked him, but was he in love?
Frankie laughed nervously throughout his cries and hugged Gee even tighter.
"N7ebek bezaf omri..."
"Nebghik Frankie..." Frankie kissed Gee's neck softly.
"Mal... uh... rak 3labalek... ih wela lala?"
"Mafhamtch."
"Tokhrej m3aya?"
"Wah...?" Gee still held a confused tone.
"7obi!" Frankie kissed Gee's cheek one last time. Before wiping his tears as they both shyly giggled, watching the sun die in a warm cuddle. Gee woke up to Frankie kissing his cheeks until he quickly kissed his lips. "Sre9tlek boussa..." both blushed.
"Lazem trje3ha 3omri..."
"Wela wesh?"
"Nssre9lek wa7da tan..."
"Siyi zahrek!" Frankie gave him a daring look, but before Gee could return the kiss, land caught his eye.

"Frankie? Jabli rebi l7a9na..."
"Mazalek tet9a3ed biya?"
"La sa7!" Frankie looked to his direction and smiled.
"9otlek!"
"Wah goutli..."
They both smiled at the Italian flag on the shore.