Once Upon A Stranger "Islamic Story" #Wattys2016

Chapter 17: His World

-Ahun! And perhaps it's me who draws it, didn't you thought of that? I stated still managing to keep myself cool

-Yeah, but it's not your style, you can laugh as much as you want, but I'm sure of what I'm saying.

He took the drawing of my hand and just stared it for a while with an amused smile on his face, I could see that he's playing a game, trying to trick me or something, but there is nothing to trick me about, there has been no woman here, she wasn't here, never been.

I took back the drawing from his hand and hide it inside my desk drawer's

-Oh, don't worry, I am not going to take your lover gift.

I sighed , a very long one, wonder when he will give up on his game, then I just closed the drawer and sit on my chair behind the desk.

-Matt, you're being ridiculous, you know that ? The sketch you saw is a very old one, I found it yesterday when I was looking in my old files.

He dropped off the subject and just sit on the couch silently, watching me turning on my computer to check my emails then do some work I still haven't finished, few minutes passed until he finally said :

-I'm not convinced, but I will pretend that I'm, he stopped a bit, then asked : I will meet you tonight at the pub ?

-I still have work to do as you can see.

-Uhun ! He exclaimed . I thought you said there is no woman, but you're showing me the opposite.

-All right, if this will convince and make you stop your game, then I will meet you tonight, I will try to finish early and come.

-Don't just try, but come mate, it's been a while we haven't hung out, it will be like boys night ?

-Okay, but not much drinking cause I still have to work tomorrow and so do you.

-Yeah Grandma, whatever you say.

After that, he finally left, I closed the door behind him and went to take my shower, feeling the cold water enter beneath my skin, clearing my idea and washing my soul from all the dust.

Once I dressed up, I went back to my office to finish my work, I opened the drawer and brought the drawing, I stared it not able to stop myself from thinking how can she draw a rose ? How can she still see hope after everything that happened? She must be devastated, broken. From where this hope is born ? How can she have it? How can she keep it? I don't understand from where does she bring her strength, her hope, her faith. If you look at her, you will think that she's a fragile flower, that you can cut and destroy easily, yet she's not like that, she's not what she seems, she's a tree, it's so much hard to cut it.

I put the drawing on my desk and decided to frame it and put it on the desk, so I can see it every day, it will be my reminder, whenever I see it, I will remember that the woman who draw it was having a very difficult time in her life, a woman who lost everything except hope, she didn't lose it, she is still holding to it very strongly.

I went back to my computer and drowned again in my work, yet it wasn't full, my mind is still distressed, it was hard for me to stay focused and to not think about it all, what kind of coincidence was that? I know he didn't know anything, maybe he has his suspicions, but he could never know that she was here, He was somehow right, it's not her smell that is left, but her image, her picture, it's still, I could see her sitting there next to me, just looking around, she seems so calm yet she is so loud, so alive.

I looked back to the screen, there must be something wrong with me, why am I thinking about her, seeing her ? What's special about her? And what's going on with me? Months ago, she was no one, I didn't even know her existence, suddenly she entered my life, I tried to push it, not seeing her, I thought it's for the best, somehow I did forget about her in that period, and everything was back the way it was before, but seeing her in the hotel that night had changed it all, I can no longer put her out of my life even if I want to, I will still have to see her when I visit my mother, she's no longer just an employer.