Too young for war

chapter 3

Part 2 (last)

Haider is hugging Aaron, which I know he doesn't like, but Haider always Insist on doing it anyway.

He kisses the air on either side of Aarons face, clamps his hands around his shoulders, and smiles at him.
"Hela habibi shlonak?" (It's so good to see you.)

He sees me then beside Aaron.

"oh my—Elena! laqad 'asbahat kbyran jdan!" (you have gotten so big!) He says.

he gives me a hug too.
"please, have a seat." Aaron says as he nods at the table.

"Sure, sure," he says, and looks around. "Wenha Nazeera . . . ?"
"Oh," Aaron say, surprised. "I thought you came alone."

"La, habibi," he says as he sits down. "Heeya shwaya mitakhira. But she
should be here any minute now. She was very excited to see you."

"I highly doubt that."

I on the other hand can't wait to see her, it's been so long since I last saw her.

"Um, I'm sorry, but am I the only one here who didn't know you speak
Arabic?" Kenji is staring at Aaron. wide-eyed.

Haider laughs, eyes bright as he analyzes Aarons face. "Your new friends know so little about you." And then, to Kenji, "Your Regent Warner speaks seven languages."

"You speak seven languages?" Juliette says touching Aaron's arm.

"wait, how many languages do you speak then—" kenji asks turning to me.

"5." I tell him.

He looks surprised.

It's a small group of us for dinner tonight; Juliette is sitting at the head of the table. Aaron is seated to her right; Kenji sits to the right of Aaron, I sit next to kenji and across from Aaron sits Haider Ibrahim.

But there is also an empty chair across from me.

"So," says Haider, clapping his hands together. "This is your new life? So much has changed since I saw you last."

Aaron pick up his fork. "What are you doing here, Haider?"
"Wallah," he says, clutching his chest, "I thought you'd be happy to see me.

Not going to lie, I saw this coming.

"I wanted to meet all your new friends. And of course, I had to meet your new supreme commander." He appraises Juliette out of the corner of his eye; the movement is so quick I almost miss it.

And then he picks up his napkin, cover it carefully across his lap, and says, very softly, "Heeya jidan helwa."

Aaron reacts in a way.

"And is that enough for you?" He leans forward suddenly, speaking so quietly only Aaron can hear him.

"If you've come here to fight," Aaron says, "please, let's not bother eating dinner."

Haider laughs out loud. Picks up his water glass. "Not yet, habibi." He takes a drink. Sits back. "There's always time for dinner."

"Where is your sister?" Aaron ask, turning away. "Why didn't you arrive together?"

"Why don't you ask her yourself?"
I look up, so does the others.

I can't help but smile.
Nazeera is standing by the door. She studies the room, her eyes lingering on Juliette's face just a second longer than everyone else's, and takes her seat without a word.

"Everyone, this is Nazeera," Haider says, jumping to his feet with a wide smile. He wraps an arm around her shoulder even as she ignores him.

"She'll be here for the duration of my stay. I hope you will welcome her as warmly as you've welcomed me."