Heaven From Here

two

I sit and wait, does an angel contemplate my fate

Angels, Robbie Williams

Saif pressed the bell for the customary five seconds that it would take for the sound to register in Awad Sahab's mind. Releasing the button, he stepped back as he surveyed the area. He had been coming here almost twice a week the last couple of months to meet with Awad Sahab, and nothing has changed. Except today his eyes were drawn to the bushes by the sidewalk. So engrossed in his thoughts he was that he didn't hear the door open.

"Did the bushes do something offensive or do you just like to randomly glare at things?" a feminine voice said playfully from behind him, cutting through his thoughts.

Saif whipped his head towards the voice and all protest died on his lips. Standing in front of him, was the same green eyes that widened in recognition. He watched the angry flush spread across from her neck to her cheeks in wisps of pink and he quickly ducked his head, averting his gaze from her.

"Astaghfirullah, you stalkin' me now?" Saif heard her fume as she took a cautious step back into the house, he opened his mouth as he met her eyes to say something but all sense left him as flashes of red and purple played in his mind. Someone else filled the silence as he looked on dumbly into the house.

"Hanna," came Awad Sahab's voice sharply, from behind her. A clear warning in the tone of his voice. "Saif is here to visit with me."

"But Baba, you have no idea what happened. What he did-,"

"Hanna," Came the warning again as Awad Sahab stood by the door frame. Eyeing his daughter who had wrapped her hair up in a towel and was wearing what he thought of as pajamas, he shook his head wearily.

"Saif, come on in. It's freezing outside. Hanna, please get some tea and biscuits ready for us," he said imploringly to his daughter as she watched Saif with narrowed eyes, suspicion in her gaze. He wondered what that was about.

"Alright Baba," Hanna said reluctantly, her jaw clenched as she kept glaring at Saif as she made her way into the kitchen. She put on the water to boil and quickly popped into her room upstairs to put on a proper scarf.

As she skipped down the stairs, she froze when she heard deep masculine laughter in the living room. She was a hundred percent certain, that it wasn't her Baba. Hell, she could probably pinpoint her Baba's laughter in her sleep, she thought with a slight frown.

She tiptoed to the door of the living room, and paused as she let the sound of the laughter wash over her ears. There was a light flutter in the pit of her belly but she didn't have time to think much of it as the kettle started whistling in a high pitch for her attention.

Hanna prepared the mint tea, just like her father liked it; strong with a hint of bitterness. In the sugar bowl she filled in cubes of sugar and next to it she arranged the small tea glasses. Moving deftly around the kitchen she arranged the biscuits and some sweet cakes she picked up from the bakery earlier that day.

As soon as she walked into the living room, the laughter died down. Hanna stole a glance at Saif and found that he had once again averted his gaze. Weird, she thought but dismissed it as quickly as it entered her mind.

"Thank you, habibti," Awad Sahab said as he watched her kneel as she put down the tray on the coffee table.

"Shall I serve it, Baba?" she asked and proceeded to do so when her father nodded in approval. "How many sugars?" she asked Saif, her hand poised to scoop out the contents of the sugar bowl.

"None, habibti. Saif takes his tea like me; strong and a bit bitter," Awad Sahab, laughed.

"Urgh, that's horrible Baba," Hanna shuddered in pretend disgust, with a small smile playing on her lips. She paused and blinked when Saif stretched out to pick up his tea. He'd already had his sleeves rolled up a third of his arm, but as he stretched the sleeve rode up a bit; and she swore she saw hints of black ink.

"Are those-,"

"Hanna," came her father's warning tone again. He had seen his daughter's eyes pinned on Saif's arm as he moved, and he didn't want his daughter's childlike brashness to push Saif away. It had taken months of coaxing to have him relax to the point where Saif was comfortable enough to make house visits and have tea together.

Hanna scrunched up her eyes, "Sorry Baba. Well, as you don't need me anymore over here; I will be around somewhere." She stood up and walked out of the living room slowly. Once she was over the threshold, she turned to watch as Saif took a sip of the mint tea.

He was smiling at her Baba, which made her smile in turn. Cocking her head to the side, she watched the two men for a second before she walked out of the living room. As she rounded up the stairs, she heard the laugh again and once again felt those little flutters in the pit of her belly.

Shaking her head and the feeling off, Hanna continued up the stairs. It was time to binge watch some trashy tele before reality sets in and work placements starts. Urgh.

Awad Sahab watched his daughter from the corner of his eyes as she walked out of the living room. He knew she had noticed his arms but made sure to cut her off before she mentioned it. Saif was nothing if not private.

But the way she had looked at Saif as she left the room, studying him. Like he was something precious, gave birth to a new thought. A thought that was so deviously sweet, that Awad Sahab couldn't hold back his glee as he sipped his tea. His mind already busy conjuring the future.

***

Older reader's you may have noted that I have changed some names. Hanna's father is now Awad Hossaini. 

Awad means kindness in Arabic; and is the fundamental of who he is. A kind hearted man.

To the new readers, welcome! I hope you are enjoying the chapters so far. Please do vote and leave a comment. That will really help make my day! 

Lots of love, Farah