Home

Prologe

- "Then close your eyes and speak from the vision of your imagination, as we agreed before."

Sally closed her eyes, furrowing her brows as if she were engaging in a mental process, then began to convey the image as her imagination had painted it:

- "It's as if I recklessly threw myself from the deck of a ship plowing through the tumultuous sea, with crowds of people pointing in astonishment at this mad girl who throws herself among the high, churning waves."

She stopped suddenly, then sighed and continued her imagination:

- "I don't know if the inevitable fate is to drown, or if I will be able to face the waves on my own and find safe harbor."

Her cheeks were flushed with embarrassment, for she had never spoken with such depth and rhetoric before, so she received another question:

- "Are your feelings generally positive or negative?" She opened her eyes shyly and said:

- "I don't know, but do you understand the feeling of straying from the herd? I don't know how to explain this, but an old feeling that I haven't felt for a long time has started to haunt me, as if a deep calm has settled inside me after a loud battle that lasted long. I remember feeling this beautiful feeling when I was a child."

She hesitated a little, feeling her mood change, then said sadly, clutching the hot cup of tea between her hands:

- "But despite that, it all ends when I approach the bed. Some drop their sadness and fear in front of the bed, but for me, my peace ends as soon as I reach it. The insomnia continues; if I sleep for an hour or two, I wake up and find it difficult to go back to sleep. I sleep with fear and anxiety beside me, binding me. I am still afraid, afraid of loneliness and darkness. I feel they seep into my soul from time to time, and this hurts me."

She felt as if the pain of the burning from the heat of the glass in her hands did not compare to the flame inside her, so the psychiatrist asked:

- "Why does it hurt?"

- "Because this is not me, I have never been this dark, fearful, and confused person. I have never been someone who suffers from insomnia. Now, insomnia has become a companion every night."

- "Didn't the curtain move a little?"

A cloud of darkness covered Sally's features, and she sighed, saying:

- "It's still drawn; I don't see the world behind it except as a shadow."

- "Didn't at least a breeze move it?"

- "No."

The response was decisive, shocking her and not the woman who had spoken:

- "Perhaps this will happen soon, especially after this pivotal change in your life. Maybe the scales will tip."

The woman changed the course of the conversation and asked her:

- "Well, tell me, how did your mother handle this decision?"

- "Upset."

- "And your sister?"

- "She was skeptical at first, but then she understood. She said it's better if I feel comfortable. As for my superiors at the hospital and the administration, they tried to prevent me from making this decision, especially Dr. Noufal."

She smiled a half-smile, with a hint of mischief and fun, and continued:

- "I think I've sparked a little revolution."

Her therapist sighed and stated while scrutinizing her papers:

- "A step like this won't just pass unnoticed."

Then she steered the conversation in a new direction with another question:

- "And now, tell me, what are your plans for the future?"

She adjusted her glasses while contemplating Sally and changed her question:

- "Or more precisely, what is it that you've longed for but haven't achieved?"

She asked the question and picked up her pen again, ready to take notes about the future of the young woman five years her junior. Sally moved the tea cup between her hands, contemplating as she felt the warmth seeping from her palms:

- "I'll read more and practice playing the Oud, and teach music to young children. It will be a good source of income at first, since I'm in a transitional phase."

- "That's good, what else?"

Sally thought for a moment, took a deep breath, and spoke shyly:

- "I'll engage in activities I've never done before, like sports, cooking, learning languages."

Sally suddenly fell silent as if she remembered something, then said with lingering shyness:

- "I've always wished to go to Wadi Al-Hitan, to lie on the ground and relax, and look up at the sky to contemplate the meteors and stars."

The woman asked with interest:

- "Are you passionate about space sciences?"

Sally's eyes sparkled with happiness as she reminisced:

- "To some extent, as a child, one of my many dreams was to become an astronaut. I watched some documentaries and did a bit of reading, the last being 'A Brief History of Time' by Stephen Hawking."

- "You never told me this before. Tell me, which planet do you love in the solar system?"

Sally answered quickly and without thought:

- "Saturn."

She found no response from the silent woman, which made her feel embarrassed and her body heat up. She had never delved into such conversations before, or rather, this was the first time someone had listened to this folly and discussed it with her. Yet, she continued:

- "I love its rings; they resemble a king crowned among the other planets."

The woman fixed her with a piercing gaze:

- "I recently read in a scientific journal that it has begun to lose its rings."

Displeasure appeared on Sally's features:

- "That's bad, it's like a king losing his crown."

- "That's one of the fates of kings."

Sally declared earnestly:

- "I will remain a fan of it, regardless."

The woman regarded her with penetrating looks:

- "Sally, tell me about your letters? Are you still writing them?"

- "..."

Hi,

My name is Alaa, author of this novel "HOME", which has been translated into English with some help of artificial intelligence "AI". So, please overlook any unintended errors. I have put great effort into writing, translating, and reviewing the translation.

I hope you enjoy the story of the house.

Thank you.