Dried Ink

37

Karima

Uncle Khalifa arrived in time to have breakfast with us. Him and Captain couldn't stop discussing on everything and anything.

Ya Asa and I got tired and left the dining room for them, Khaleel betrayed us and stayed with them.

"I wonder how Khaleel is going to cope when Captain leaves. He's clinging to him like chewed gum" she smiled sadly.

"I think he'll be fine" I said.

"No he won't, he hasn't been away from his father for longer than a week" she said
"That darned navy, stupid, stupid choice of career" she choked out.

My mouth went wide. I can already tell this is not about Khaleel. But, I have never in my life heard Ya Asa use the word "darned" before, Lara would have a fit.

"Ya Asa it's going to be fine" I smiled at her.

"No it's not, Captain is leaving" she said exasperatedly.

"For three months, he'll come back before you know it" I said to her.

" Yeah, I mean I signed up for this right? Why am I complaining now? I'm not a hypocrite, am I?" She asked.

"No Ya Asa. You're fine" I said pulling her into a hug.
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It's been two weeks since I started seeing the shrink. I don't totally hate her but sometimes i felt as though she is pushing me too much.

"Doctor, I have let go of him, I know he has passed and I want him to be at peace" I explained for the umpteenth time.

"You have not let go of him, if you had, you wouldn't be sending him messages" she said calmly. I'm starting to regret actually opening up to her.

"I know that, I just need more time to......." I trailed off.

"To let go of him" she completed.
"I really want you to take your time. These things take time, what I don't need from you is trying to force yourself to be over him. I promise you one day, you'd be able to delete his number" she spoke.

I started crying.

"He said I shouldn't forget him, if I get rid of his phone number, there'd be nothing to remind me of what we shared" I cried.

"That's where you're wrong. Do you need a photo of him to remind you of how looked?" She asked.

I shook my head in negation.

" Do you need texts to remind you of his voice?" She asked and I gave her the same answer.

"Then why don't you understand that everything you shared will always be embedded in your heart?" She asked.

"Think about what I've told you. I'll see you next week" she smiled sweetly at me.

"Thank you for your time" I said standing up to leave, not before picking some tissues from her desk.

"Did you wait long?" I asked Mujahid, getting into his car.

He smiled at me. " Nope. How was it?" He asked.

"It was fine, thank you" she smiled back.

She brought out her phone and texted Uncle Khalifa not to bother about picking her up.

"Where are we off to?" I asked Mujahid.

He grinned.
"It's a surprise" he said.

It won't be more than getting ice cream. Mujahid has a really sweet tooth.

I've never been in his car before. I opened the glove compartment.
I came face to face with a lighter and five cigarette butts. Yes, I counted.
I quickly closed it back.