Different But Still The Same

4: Kamalla: Bittersweet Arrival

To say my heart is beating would be an understatement.

I've been sitting, waiting with Dad for over an hour now for Farok's arrival.  I haven't talked much to him at all.  I am too terrified to see whatever is left of Farok... It is too much to bear.

My heart is acting like an earthquake that won't cease.  I'm surprised I haven't had a heart attack yet.

My palms are so sweaty, if I wrung them out, I'd have a nice swig of water to drink.  And speaking of water- my mouth is so dry that a desert is more moist.

"D-Dad," I say, trying to bring myself out of my miserable trance.

"Yes," he says with dream-like hesitation.  He's nervous too.

"Could you get me some water?"

"Sure, I can get a water bottle for you and Fatima." He smirks, trying to look happy.

"Okay..."  Dad is talking about my daughter, Fatima.  She's going to college in Depoint Jurky.  She's been there for only about a year.  He called her about an hour ago to let her know that Dad's coming home.  She already knew that he is not...well and the plan's that Dad has for him, but she still had burst into tears over the wi-com.  She doesn't try to hide her pain like me.

"When did she say she was going to get here again?"  I ask, relishing in this change of subject.

"Well, she had to finish up the class she was currently in before she could leave.  I always forget when each of her classes ends, so who knows when she left.  She thought it would take her about fifteen minutes to get here after her class ended."  He says, looking at me intently.  "Do you just want to come with me to get the water?"

"Sure," I reply.  Anything to keep me mind away from veering to Farok.

We soon find the pop machine, and take a few waters which get deducted automatically from Dad's credit.  I take a sip of the water from one of the bottles with delight.

While we're walking back to the waiting area, Dad stops due to a call from his wi-com.

"Yes, this is Sissk."  He says.  After a brief pause he says, "alright, we'll be there in a minute."  He hangs up.

"So, who was that?"

"Fatima, she, 'doesn't want to try to find us in a sea of people'."  He states, moving his fingers in a quoting motion to signify what she had said.

I giggle at what Fatima had said.  She can be so funny sometimes.  "So where is she, then?"

"Waiting at the front desk," he says with a crooked smile.

After a few minutes of getting through the forming crowd of people waiting for the ship to arrive, I see her standing by the front desk, tapping her foot.

"Oh, there you guys are!  I was wondering if you'd ever get here!"  She emphasized the word 'ever' as if we took half an hour to get to her.

"Of course we came right away!  Come here."  I say, outstretching my arms.

"Oh, mom," she replies, but still comes over to give me a hug.  I haven't seen her in a good few months, mostly because of the complication life threw at us, which is obvious: Farok's accident.  She hasn't complained about it, though, because she's more than happy to have us out of her life.  She is that age.

"Hey Fatima, how has school been going?"  Dad asks as he pulls her in for a hug.

"Oh, school, why do we even have to talk about it?  School itself is such a snooze fest.  But it's been going good with my friends."  Her voice begins in a way that says, 'why do you even have to ask', and ends in a high-note.  That's Fatima for you.