The Bet he Lost

Chapter 5

 And I say to myself: A moon will rise from my darkness.


وأَقول لنفسِي: سَيطلعُ مِن عَتْمَتِي قَمَر.

- Mahmoud Darwish

The day started like any other day in Umm Hind's life, but what was unexpected is the phone call she received that afternoon.

After her Husband's death years ago, she took  care of her two children by herself, Hind was 15 at that time, while Mansour was still a baby, it wasn't that easy for her, but Hind despite her age helped her a lot, and she knew she wouldn't have been able to go through everything by herself. She had her family's support yes, but Hind gave her the strength she mostly wanted, at times when people looked at her in a pity, she hated the look on their eyes so much that  she isolated herself from the world, and she made it her mission to give her children the life they deserve.

It wasn't easy for her to be a single mother, specially in this society, money was never an issue, her husband left them enough money.

But what killed her the most at first was seeing her daughter cry herself to sleep for months, but as the months went by Hind aged a lot, she became someone her mother could rely on. Umm Hind knew she would have to let her daughter go at some point. But the phone call made it all feel so real, Hind her baby girl, it wasn't that long ago when she held her in her arms for the first time, she remembered the first time she called her mama, the first steps she has taken, the first time she got a haircut and how much she cried thinking that it would be painful.

Her first day in school, the time she lost her tooth, that time she fell from the bicycle, so many memories started flooding in her mind, and she couldn't help but shed tears. She quickly wiped them off as Mansour is going to be home any minute from now.

Soon enough she heard the front door open, Mansour straightly ran toward his mom.

He hugged his mother tightly and she smiled at his sweet gesture.

"How was your day?" Umm Hind asked stroking her son's hair.

"Good. I'm hungry." He complained as he sat down.

"Hind is coming in a bit." His mother said.

Mansour huffed as he rolled his eyes.

Hind opened the front door about 15 minutes later.

"Yes finally." Mansour said as soon as he saw his sister.

Hind smiled as she walked toward her mother. Her mother couldn't help but pull her into a hug.

"How was your day my dear?"

"Good." Hind replied remembering her day, it was going fine beside that one incident and after that the minutes turned into hours, it was a long day, she couldn't wait to lay in bed and forget about it.

Hind ate her lunch quietly as she listened to her brother chat about his day.

After lunch she laid in bed, she closed her eyes for a second before she heard a knock on the door.

"It's open." She called.

"Hind." Her mother smiled closing the door behind her, she sat next to where Hind was laying.

Hind's mother looked at her daughter and for the first time she noticed how big she has grown, she became a woman, an independent beautiful woman. She was proud of her daughter and everything she has done to her, and because of that she couldn't allow herself to be selfish now. If it was up to her she would lock her children and keep them in her arms forever.

A tear was threatening to leave her mother's eyes as she looked at her daughter, Hind wasn't just beautiful on the outside.

"I want to talk to you." Her mother said in a serious tone.

"What is it?" Hind asked fixing her positing as she sat next to her mother.

Her honey brown eyes were filled with worry as her mother's usual warm tone changed.

"I received a phone call today, regarding you."

Hind didn't know what her mother was indicating to, did they fire her? But why will they call her mother, she's an adult.

She looked at her mother impatiently waiting for her to continue.

"They want your hand in marriage." Her mother finally said.

Hind was shocked, it's not like marriage hasn't crossed her mind, but she wasn't expecting it, not now at least.

Her mother looked at her daughter's expression changing.

"What's wrong?" Her mother asked.

"Nothing." Hind shook her head.

"I'm surprised you didn't know this already." Her mother shrugged. 

"What do you mean?" Hind looked at her mother with confusion.

"You know the guy." Her mother noted.

"I know him?"

"Yes." Her mother nodded.

"Who's the guy?" Hind asked.

Hind wondered who it could be, she didn't know that many men in her life.

"Mohammed, Mohammed al-"

_____________________

Mohammed was sitting down with his parents in the living room drinking tea after lunch. It was a usual ritual in their household. The only one missing was his younger brother, Saif. Saif is studying abroad, he finished his bachelor degree, and he is currently about to finish his Masters. 

The living room had two sitting areas, a main one and another traditional one, they were currently sitting in his mother's favorite area, the traditional one of course.

"I called them today." His Mother suddenly announced.

"Who did you call?" Abu Mohammed asked looking at his wife.

"The girl's mother."

Mohammed eyes went wide, no one noticed it, but he was shocked, he wasn't expecting things to go this fast.

"When do we have to go?" Abu Mohammed asked.

"After we get a reply from them." Umm Mohammed wasn't pleased one bit, but she kept it in.

Mohammed excused himself and he went straight to his room.

________________________

"Mama are you sure?" Hind asked her mother.

"Yes I'm sure." Her mother looked at her only daughter with confusion filling her eyes.

"It must be a joke." Hind exclaimed.

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