Emeralds

Six.

Aisha is peacefully sleeping in her stroller, and we’re enjoying our meal. I’ve ordered a well-done steak and cola–and this is the best steak I’ve ever had in Egypt. I nudge Mariam who’s sitting next to me–too busy devouring the scallop on her plate.

“Who sees you eating right now would never imagine you were that shy less than an hour ago,” I tell her.

“Being that shy made me hungry,” she says with a full mouth. “Now let me eat.”

“Disgusting,” I say. “Mom taught us to never talk with food in our mouths,” I say as if I’m talking to a kid.

“Adam are you full and looking for a way to waste time until we leave?” she asks. “I’m not an entertainment, habibi (dear).”

“No, no, seriously,” I whisper. “There’s something I wanna tell you.” I take the chance that they’re all talking and no one is actually hearing the other.

“Go on,” she says.

“When I took Malek to school,” I start, feeling my temperature rising and blood rushing to my brain. “I saw a girl twice. On the first day, she’d slammed into me. Then I saw her the day after. But I haven’t seen her again, I started leaving school as soon as I got Malek inside.”

“Because you don’t wanna see her?” she asks.

“Maybe.”

“Why not?”

“Because I find myself looking at her every time!” I say. “I always know how to lower or even diverge my gaze, but when I see her I’m frozen in place.”

“Is she that beautiful?”

“Oh my God, this makes me feel so guilty, but yes she’s really beautiful. The first thing I’ve noticed was her eyes. They’re splendid, dazzling, I don’t know how to explain it. When they catch your eyes, it’s to hard to break free.”

“Having a crush on a girl, Adam?” my jaw drops. “That didn’t happen since high school.”

“Yeah, and even then it was too childish,” I laugh remembering my first and only crush ever. I was in grade eleven and she was in the same class. I’ve always liked her but never told anyone except Mariam and Ahmed, and I’ve never talked to her because it’s haram if it’s not necessary. And then we grew up and went to university and I totally forgot about her. It’s been like nine years now and I don’t remember how she looked.

And since then I’ve never liked any girl. Ahmed was engaged last year, and I’m still where I was. His fiancée is called Reham, but she puts him through really tough times. To be honest, I don’t like her; I want someone better for my only friend. And no matter how many times I’ve told him he deserves better, I understand how much he loves her.

“Did you tell Ahmed?” Mariam asks me.

“Of course,” I reply.

“What did he say?”

“He told me better not to go there again if I’ll keep looking for her.”

“I think he’s right,” she says then pauses for a moment–thinking. “But do you think this could get serious?”

“What?”

“Do you wanna get to know her?” she asks. “I mean would you like to know if she’s the one?”

The one??

I haven’t thought things would be that serious, it’s strange and scary and almost funny. She’s a girl I’ve seen twice who has shinning eyes that are like no other. I try not to look at her but I find myself looking for her. What on earth would bring us together? And this isn’t even love; I know nothing about her, not even her name. Maybe she has a bad personality. I just know the outside.