The difference she made!

A wordless farewell

Muhsen said weakly; "You shouldn't have, sweetheart. You must be tired after your long stay in the hospital."

"Nonsense. It's my pleasure to take care of you."

She smiled and propped him up with pillows, tucking a napkin around his neck. The steam from the soup rose, filling the air with a comforting aroma. She dipped the spoon into the bowl and carefully brought it to her father's lips; "Now, come on, open up."

Muhsen opened his mouth, allowing the warm liquid to trickle in; "Mmm, that's good. You always make the best soup."

Fajr smiled; "I learned from the best."

They shared a playful smile. Muhsen ate slowly, savoring each bite; "Daughter, do you really think being treated in London would make a difference?" He asked between the bites, his voice husky.

"Dad, I want to try every possible way." She squeezed his hand, "Please, let me do that!"

He didn't want to kill the hope that was shining bright in her eyes. He couldn't tell her that he had already accepted his fate and had no more energy to fight.

He nodded, giving grudging approval to her plan, "as you like." He murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

When he finished the last of the soup, Fajr noticed her father's eyelids drooping. She helped him back to bed, tucking him in with a quilt that smelled of lavender.

"Sleep well, Dad," she whispered, kissing his forehead.

"I will," he mumbled, his eyes already closed.

She tiptoed out of the room to head for the kitchen.

When she left the kitchen, she found herself drawn to the study door, its wood surface cool against her trembling hand. She hesitated, the silence on the other side a chasm she feared to cross. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. She could hear Khalid's pen making a scratching noise as it moved across the paper in a quick move.

He stopped and let the pen hanging in the air as he felt her eyes on him. He glanced up at her, wishing that she might have changed her mind. Fajr slowly took a few steps forward, tried to speak, to form some semblance of a coherent sentence. But the words wouldn't come. She wrung her hands together and hesitantly spoke, "Do you want to have your dinner here?"

Suddenly anger rose to a level that made Khalid feel like his head was about to explode. He bent to pull open a drawer; "No, I have eaten in the office." 

Then an awkward silence fell over the room.

The bottom drawer was full of files, Khalid took out a stock of papers and closed the drawer. The silence was broken again by the soft thud of the travel documents landing on the desk.

"here, all the necessary papers regarding Uncle Muhsen's illness, your passports and airline tickets. Flight confirmed, everything is ready." He spoke, his voice hoarse, rough like sandpaper against her heart. His eyes avoiding hers.

Fajr bit her lower lip to keep herself from crying. She took the documents, her hands tightly clenched the papers to control their trembling. "Th...Thank you." She swallowed hard.

He nodded, then took the pen, pretending to resume his work.

*********

Wasn't that what she wanted? Then why had a dull ache settled in her chest. It was her wish to go and he'd granted her what she asked for. There was no reason for this pain. No reason at all. She shook it off and headed to the bedroom.

Khalid watched her go, the echo of her footsteps fading down the hallway, leaving him alone with the remnants of his paperwork and a heart full of unspoken words. He threw the pen on the desk and sighed long and loud.

Fajr closed the door of their bedroom softly and locked it. She leaned against the door and rummaged through the jumble of papers and boarding passes, her brow furrowed in concentration. She read the details of their flight schedule.

Saudia Airlines SV109 departing JED at 08:45 and arriving at LHR at 16:15.

The flight time is approximately 6 hours and 30 minutes.

"The day after tomorrow!" She'd just uttered out loud.

Given that she'd been holding in all of these emotions and pretending to be just fine, she started crying. Her hand against her mouth to mute her sobs. Once, she'd calmed down, she pulled her bags out and started packing them.

***************

On the scheduled day of travel, the early morning sun cast long shadows across the driveway as Khalid loaded the last of the suitcases into the trunk of his car. Fajr approached, the air still held the chill of night, a refreshing kiss on her cheeks.  Her father was already seated in the front passenger seat. She opened the back door and settled into the back seat. 

Khalid slid behind the wheel, turned the key and the engine purred.

All three were engrossed in their own thoughts.

Muhsen was staring out the window, as if to imprint the smallest detail of his city, not so sure if he could be there again.

Khalid, on the other hand, was in a battle to keep his emotions under control. 

And Fajr was torn between her heart and her mind. Her heart kept questioning her decision. She stared out at the passing trees and houses now and then. An awkward moment ensued in which Fajr looked at Khalid while he completely ignored her. It squeezed her heart painfully as if the old Khalid was back.

Khalid, to distract himself, switched on the radio and one of those early morning programs came over the air. It became a topic of the conversation between Khalid and Muhsen who spoke in almost hushed tones. Fajr listened, and followed their conversation, her lips trembling occasionally.

They pulled up in front of the airport, and Khalid was the first to get out. He helped Muhsen out of the car and put him in his wheelchair.  Muhsen's hands gripping the armrests of the wheelchair. While Fajr pushed the wheelchair, Khalid moved the luggage cart all the way up, from the sidewalk to the entrance.  After they had checked in, they settled in the departure lounge with coffee, waiting for the flight to board.

********

When the final boarding announcement echoed, a flock of passengers surged towards the gate. They reached the security gate, a brutal dividing line between those leaving and those staying. With a final kiss on Muhsen's forehead and a squeeze of his hand, Khalid wished them a safe trip.

Fajr finally met Khalid's gaze. He looked at her and whispered; "have a safe trip." Then turned and walked away before he'd heard her response. Her eyes welling up as she navigated the throng of travelers. The wheels scraped against the floor as she guided her father towards the gate, leaving Khalid behind.

He stopped midway and looked back to see them, particularly her, before they disappeared. He watched them go, his heart a clenched fist.

********

Hi readers, 

I published the new chapter though I feel it might need more touches. Let me read your comments for it's you who inspire me to write more 

Thank you for being here