Emeralds

Nine.

Nine

[Leen]

I can't believe I'm in the kitchen right now with mom and Jenin preparing a banquet for someone I've met only three times and we barely talked.

"Peel those potatoes quickly, Leen, I need them!" mom orders from her position in front of the cooker.

"Okay!" I call back.

"Where did that knife go!?" Jenin exclaims.

"That's a lot of food!" Says Abed getting into the kitchen.

"Say Mashallah!" mom says.

"Mashallah," he says picking a cucumber and taking a bite from it.

"This is actually crazy," Jenin says, "I can't believe we're inviting people we don't know."

"Just shut up and get this work done before the guests arrive," mom ushers her to the oven.

"Okay."

At 6:40 we're running around the house adding the final touches. "A cold bottle of water!" mom shouts from the dining room.

"Got it!" I say taking a bottle of water out of the refrigerator and running out.

"We need more napkins!" Abed shouts and Jenin brings him more napkins.

I hear father talking on the phone, describing to the guest where our house exactly is. My heart is beating so fast and I'm feeling nervous, although this is not the first time we invite strangers over for dinner. Father often invites his friends over, and we don't know all of them. I'm just wondering what's so special about this guest.

I am happy to see Mariam, anyway. She's a really nice person and I feel lucky gaining a friend like her. I keep thinking that if Salam was here she would've liked her too.

It's 7:10. The doorbell rings and my knees turn into stone. We get in the kitchen to get food ready to be out, while dad and Abed welcome the guests.

A minute later, Abed comes in telling us to get out welcome them then deliver the food. I suddenly feel so unsure and insecure about my outfit, hijab and even my face. I touch my cheeks and they're steaming hot.

I walk out after mom and Jenin and my eyes directly fall on Adam standing with father, getting to know each other, and he looks tremendously awkward-it's so cute. I quickly diverge my gaze and find Mariam has finally finished greeting mom and Jenin and comes towards me.

"Asslamu'alikom, you!" she cheers giving me a bear hug.

"Wa'likom Asslam!" I return her the hug and motion her to the dining table. "It's time to feed the tummy," I laugh and she laughs back.

"Yeah," she says, "you definitely need that."

"Oh, don't act like mom and dad, please!" I chuckle. "I've already been through enough." She laughs.

"Asslamu'alikom," Adam says in the women's direction, looking downwards and they reply while I just mumble a nervous Wa'likom Asslam.

"I don't know how to thank you son," mom tells him, "or you, Mariam, for what you've done with Leen."

"There's no need to thank us, really, Mrs. Khateeb!" Mariam says.

"It's nothing, Mrs. Khateeb," Adam replies. "It's our pleasure to help.

"Enough with the talking now," father teases them. "It's dinner time.

Everyone takes their seat and I sit between Mariam and Jenin. They're talking to me, to mom and to each other, but I can't hold myself from paying attention to Adam speaking with dad. He has that type of deep, kind, husky voice that leaves me confused. It shows so much different sides of his personality, that are yet coming out ever so harmonically.