"Hi everyone." My grandparents say arriving. They hug us all one by one. They lived back home in Qatar most of the time and then travelled the rest. "Hey Baba." I say as my grandfather held my face in his hands.
"How are you?" He asks me. "Im all good." I say as my grandmother now holds my cheeks. She was a small little lady. "You miss me?" I ask smiling at her.
"I miss the days we spent summers in Dubai and you guys would follow me everywhere because I had chocolates in my pockets." She says and I laugh. "I love you." She tells me in arabic.
"Where is your pretty girlfriend?" She asks me.
"She doesnt feel the most welcome so I dont want her to be around." I say and my mom shoots me a look. "You making my grandson's girlfriend unhappy?" She asks my mom who just plastered a fake smile making me feel great inside.
"No I am not. Zara is always welcome." My mother says.
"She even has a beautiful arabic name." My grandmother says. She was a traditional woman, proud arab. "She isnt Arab grandma." I say. "Shes brazilian and white."
"Oh. Your kids will have just a little arab. Make sure you teach them arabic." She says and Roman laughs. "My arabic is immaculate, do not even try making jokes." I say to him in arabic.
"Okay okay. Mom, dad thanks for coming." My dad says smiling at his parents.
"All these years." My grandmother says. "Im so proud of you two, kept it together and raised these beautiful children. This one just scares me every game... my heart worried about if you will be okay on the ice." She says pointing at Roman who laughs. "Not a scratch on me." He says. We all knew ice hockey was a rough sport.
"But she watches every game." My grandad says. He puts his arm around me and I know where this is going. "You dont like hanging out with us very much? Always missing these board meetings and work stuff."
"Because I do not work there Baba." I say and he chuckles. "So stubborn just like your dad." He says and my dad just rolled his eyes lowkey.
"I try to get him there he just refuses. Roman's the easy one. Hes been showing up." My mom says smiling at Roman. The deal was he could play his sports professionally as long as he showed up to board meetings. He was better than me because I could care less.
My grandparents excuse themselves to greet other people and my parents had people coming up to them congratulating them as we posed as a happy loving family. I mean we were in some sense? I didnt hate them? I just didnt always like them very much. I felt like I always didnt do enough and being the oldest had too much pressure. My mom smiled bright and loved the compliments my dad gave her as he told everyone she was the foundation of their marriage and how much he loved her. I knew he did by how he looked at her, she always got her way which pissed me off about my dad. He knew she would be dead wrong sometimes and would still be backing her up.
My dad gives a big speech as I stand around with Julian and Rosie who have arrived. Rosie hugged Roman for like 10 minutes and Roman just sighed and held on. She was so dramatic and so was he. Julian nodded an I am okay nod at me and I gave him champagne he threw back.
"If I murder that girl I am pretty sure I could get away with it. I know the law and how they catch people well." He says to me and I roll my eyes. "Youre an idiot." I tell him.
Chapter 9
Beginne am Anfang
