The Size of our hearts

26

"Dad I need my phone back"

"Madam, didn't you hear me?" "My answer is no" He said as he rubbed his temples.

"Dad, the news gets out today and I need to make sure everyone is safe, I survived a week in another country without you, you should trust me enough to have my phone" I argued

"It's on my counter" He sighed.

I ran up the stairs and grabbed my phone from his room.

I powered it on and paced up and down my room as I waited for it to come on. I was sweating, I was so scared, the only reason Dad is so calm is because he doesn't know mom is in a prison cell.

I clicked on my call log, I had 17 missed calls, they were all from Kiyana. I called her and she picked on the third ring.

"Neveah I've been so worried about you, are you ok? I never heard from you again since that evening, I thought you were..."

"Dead!?"

"Yeah I thought I was gonna die too after you got me into that mess in the first place"

She went silent.

"Look Kiyana, I don't want any silly apologies and quite frankly I have no interest in being your friend, you used me as a pawn in your little game and that's not okay."

"If you don't want an apology, why did you call?" She said quietly

"Meet me at the cyber cafe by 11, we need to talk" I said quickly

"ok" she responded quickly.

I quickly took a shower and grabbed my jeans off the drawer, a paper fell out of my back pocket, I bent down to pick it up, It was Jafaar's number, the one Hamid gave me a few weeks ago. I figured it would be safer to talk to him after I left the house. 

I walked over to my Dad's room and knocked. "Come in" He said cheerfully. 

"Dad I'm going down to the library, I'm really behind in school so I wanted to get some textbooks so I can get a head start" I said quickly as I rocked back and forth on my heels. 

"Oh ok do you need a lift?" 

"No I wanna walk, the weather's nice" I smiled 

"Alright bye" He said casually as I closed the door.

I ran down the staircase and dialed Jafaar's number the second I was outside the gate. 

No answer.

I walked down to the café, Kiyana wasn't there yet. I dialled Jafaar's number again.

No answer. I was getting more anxious by the minute.

The door to the cafe opened and Kiyana strolled in. I looked up at her and she stared back at me with shame in her eyes.

I gestured to the chair in front of me, she walked over and sat down.

"Tell me everything Rashida told you about the Saud" I said impatiently.

"I'm sorry I can't Neveah, I've already endangered my life and Davis's by helping Rashida" She replied anxiously.

"They have my mom" I said equally as anxious.

"What? How did your mom get tangled up in this?"

I didn't say anything.

"Neveah I won't help you if you don't trust me" She said

"Trust you?"

She tightened her lips and crossed her arms as she leaned back and stared at the table between us.

"One of them raped her" I said silently.

She looked up at me in shock.

"They don't know that I know and when they find out which they will, I don't know what they'll do, I'm scared" I added quickly.

"What do you mean "which they will" Neveah?" She said worriedly.

The story is coming out today... Internationally " I said slowly.

"What!? Neveah are you crazy, they could kill her, they could kill you!" She said a little bit too loud.

"You don't think I know that,  that's why I'm telling you now to tell me everything you know about them" I said desperately.

"There's nothing to tell you that you don't already know."

"Come on Kiyana, I'm scared out of my mind"

"As you should be, look I can't even be seen with you right now, I'm in enough shit as it is so figure out yours alone" she said as she started packing up her stuff to leave.

"Kiyana, please"

"I'm sorry" she said as walked out of the cafe.

My phone rang. I grabbed it quickly but came to the sad realization that it was just my Dad.

"Dad? Hi" I said into the phone

"Neveah get back home now, I've packed everything you'll need"

"What do you mean?"

"Just get home"

"OK, ok I'm on my way" I said as I rushed out of the cafe.

••••

I got home and my Dad was standing outside the gate in front of a taxi.

"Dad what's going on?"

"Neveah apparently the Saud empire is more dangerous than you let on, did you know they imprisoned your mom?" He said angrily.

"Yeah Dad I did and I'll explain everything to you but where are we going?"

"Neveah you can't keep things like that, what is wrong with you? your mom is in danger"

"Yeah I know I'm sorry but Dad what is going on?"

"Well the USA is sending troops in before releasing the news so the empire won't have time to do anything about it, they offered to lodge us in a hotel, considering your mom is there"

"So we're going to Arabia right now, isn't that like dangerous?"

"We're going to be under 24 hour protection, just get in the car we can't miss our flight, they've gotten us on an emergency flight"

I took a deep breath and got into the car, my Dad slid in beside me and gave me a kiss on the forehead "I'm gonna need you to tell me everything right now" he said calmly.

"Ok" I said as I nodded.