– Patience Is The Key
***
Asahd's POV:
The next afternoon, I made my way to the park where Allison had called and asked us to meet. I was a little nervous at what she was going to say and hoped she wouldn't be very angry.
I got there and met her sitting on one of the benches, staring at the lake. The frown she had on meant nothing good.
'Oh boy. Here goes nothing...'
I approached her and she looked up as I did so. I sat close to her.
"Good afternoon, dear." I kissed her cheek. She stared blankly at me. "I'm sorry Ally. I'm so sorry I forgot. I didn't mean to have you waiting."
"Asahd, why are you treating me like this?" she started with a little frown.
"Allison, my intentions weren't to hurt you. I promise. I forgot."
"Not only this, Asahd. If I don't call, you don't bother calling. You peck and kiss me like you've been forced to. There's no passion, there's nothing. All I ask is a little affection. True affection and not something forced." she complained and I kind of felt bad for her.
"I'm very sorry, Allison."
"Tell me something, Asahd." she rubbed her forehead.
"Yes?"
"Do you love me? I mean, do you like me as much as I like you?" she asked slowly.
"I like you Allison."
"No. Let me say it in a different manner. Do you have true feelings for me? Do you like me more than a friend? Cuz it seemed like you did at some point but now, everything's different. I'm confused Asahd. Be honest with me."
I stared silently at her. I wasn't going to lie and give her false hopes. This was the time to tell her the truth but without having to mention the fact that I was into another girl.
"Asahd, answer me."
I exhaled.
"I'm sorry Ally, but I don't share your feelings. I'm not gonna lie, I don't feel same."
Her expression saddened and I felt terrible, now.
"Then why did you make me feel like you'd developed something??" she asked, annoyed.
'Because at a point, I did. But I'm not gonna tell her I suddenly outgrew my feelings for her.'
"Ally, I'm sorry. Remember I'd told you from the start that I saw you as a very good friend. I behaved like that because I believed that if I put in more efforts, I would eventually fall for you. See you in a different light but it didn't turn out the way I expected it to. I'm sorry."
Her eyes watered and she closed them.
"Please, don't hate me, Ally. I'm begging you. You mean a lot to me and I don't want you to hate me." I told her, meaning every single word.
She shook her head in disappointment and wiped her eyes.
"I think we should break up, now that things are clear." she muttered.
"I didn't want to hurt you. I wanted to make you happy but I did it the wrong way. I'm sorry."
"It's fine." she wiped her eyes, "It was my fault anyway. You told me from the start but like an idiot I still wanted to give it a try, hoping you would return my feelings soon enough."
"Please, don't hate me, Allison." I begged with hands joined.
"I don't hate you, Asahd." she sniffed, "We're both to blame for trying to make something that probably wasn't meant to happen, happen."
"I'm sorry, Ally."
She wiped her eyes and nodded a little, looking up at me.
"It's fine." she gave me a little sad smile, "Hopefully I get over it real soon. I don't wanna stop talking to you. I can't. We'll remain good friends then."
"Thank you." I hugged her tight, "I'm sorry."
"It's okay." she raised her head and smiled a little before stepping back.
"See you tomorrow at work."
"Okay."
We hugged again and she left. I kinda felt relieved, like some weight had been removed from my shoulders.
*
Saïda's POV:
My father hung up and I immediately asked:
"What did the sultan say, papa?"
He'd just given another full report on Asahd and his behavior to the sultan.
"Well, just like I'd said before, Asahd's back on the right track."
"This means, we'll be going back to Zagreh, soon?" I asked with a smile.
"Exactly. Latest, Wednesday. We'll board a flight. I'll get the tickets tomorrow."
"Oh my!" I squealed. I'd missed Zagreh so much! "We'll tell him when he returns?"
"Let's wait until I get the tickets, then we'll tell him and show them."
"He's going to be so happy." I laughed.
"True true. He's changed a lot and we're witnesses. He's adapted completely to this new life and has evacuated all the bitterness and negativity he used to feel. I'm happy for him."
"This is great."
As we spoke, Asahd knocked and walked in. We kept quiet.
"Hello." he smiled a little and we replied. He then sat with us. "Guess what." he started.
"What?" we asked.
"Allison broke up with me."
My father stared at him in surprise. I was amused rather.
"Why??" my father asked.
"I didn't have feelings for her, Djafar. We're very good friends and have always been. I couldn't stay in a relationship with her. I was unintentionally making her suffer because we didn't share the same feelings. It's better for both of us to remain friends."
"I think it's better too." I agreed.
"Oh that's sad." my father said, "I really thought the both of you would be something real. Guess I was wrong."
"At a point I realised it couldn't last. And I'm quite relieved that she broke up first. I was doubting on how to approach her, for real. If I'd been the one to break up, maybe things would've been worse." Asahd replied.
"I was really for you both." my father shook his head and I laughed a little.
"Don't worry dad. It's not the end of the world. Asahd will definitely find someone else." I told him.
"Right." Asahd replied, looking me in the eyes. I felt my cheeks burn and so I looked away immediately.
"Ah maybe you're right." my father finally agreed "He'll surely find someone else."
**
Asahd's POV:
That night, while everyone was asleep, I grabbed my note book and calculated the money I had to come up with. It included the price of the tickets, the taxi fairs I would be grabbing, some money to buy snacks on the way and some side money just in case something unexpected came up. I summed up all expenses and they gave me a final price.
"Time to see what I was able to make." I muttered to myself, grabbing a shoe box underneath my bed in which I kept all my savings. I also grabbed a little bag in which I put all the money I'd received from mowing lawns and as well as the tips I would receive at work.
I opened them and saw a lot of money.
'Hopefully it'll be enough.'
I took my times and counted the money. I almost skipped when I realised that the money was enough to accomplish my plan!
"Yes!" I hissed and kissed the back of my thumb.
'I've done it! Yes! Tomorrow I'll go get my ticket to Casablanca. Yes!'
Finally. I retired to bed, very happy.
***
The next morning, I was up at six. I took a bath and got all ready. I grabbed the money and was soon going to leave but I wasn't feeling okay. I wasn't feeling like what I was going to do was a good idea.
'Maybe I shouldn't do this. It will be like betraying my parents, Djafar as well as Saïda's trusts.'
I felt hesitant all of a sudden. Was it still a good idea? I'd adapted to this new life after all and it wasn't like I was going to stay there forever. At some point I would still return...
'But when? It's maybe still far away. Boy, go buy your ticket! You didn't save up for nothing!'
I frowned a little and shook my head. Grabbing the money, I left the apartment.
**
Saïda's POV:
"Do you know if Asahd has men's shaving cream in his room, my Darling?" my father asked that morning, while I made breakfast.
I'd not gone to work because I'd quitted. Knowing we would soon be going back to Zagreh, I saw no point in continuing to work.
"I don't know. He doesn't have a beard and probably never will." I mused.
"A beard isn't the only thing he can shave." my father mused and I laughed out.
"Oh true. The armpits too." I replied and we laughed, "Go check. Maybe he has some."
My father entered Asahd's room and I continued doing my stuff. A minute or so later, he stepped out with a frown and a little book in his hand.
"Father, what is it?" I asked worried, noticing his look.
He approached me and threw the open book down on the kitten table.
"Look at this." he said angrily.
I stared at the book which had scribbles, words and calculations on one of it's pages. I quickly realised it was some traveling plan.
"Asahd, did this?" I asked, shocked.
"Yes! He's secretly been planning to go back to Zagreh! And I who thought he'd changed." my father was very annoyed.
"What??" I found it hard to believe and I felt very disappointed.
"Do you know if he's been saving money?"
"Uh, yeah. In a shoe box. A white one. But I thought it was to get a new phone."
"My foot! The box is empty, Saïda. Seems he's reached his goal. He's probably gone to by himself tickets." my father was so disappointed. And so was I. But I continued to doubt.
"Wait father. Maybe he's at work."
"Call and verify."
I immediately searched for my phone and called Derrick.
"What's up, Saïda?"
"Hello, Derrick. Please is Asahd there?"
"Nope. He didn't show up this morning and we had to cover up for him, saying he's ill. You know where he is?"
"No, I don't. But I'll try to contact him. Thank you."
"No, prob."
I hung up and told my father.
"You see?!"
"I can't believe this." I muttered.
"Has he been making fools out of us, all this while??"
"Please be calm, father. We'll wait for him to return and then confront him."
"You're right. He's got a lot to explain."
**
That evening, Asahd returned and we'd been sitting and waiting for him.
"Hello." he greeted and joined us.
"Where were you?" my father immediately asked.
"Work."
My father was going to say something else but Asahd spoke again.
"I have something to confess to you two." he said.
"What?" my father asked.
Asahd took a deep breath and to our surprise, he told us about his plan to travel back. My father was silent and frowning at him.
"And? You bought them?" he asked with a hint of anger in his tone.
"No. I'm sorry I even thought of doing that. Please forgive me. That was my plan at the start but I changed my mind. I didn't want to disappoint any of you. I didn't want you, Djafar, or my parents to be mad at me. Not after I had succeeded in gaining your favors. Please forgive me."
I was surprised at the plot twist, as well as pleased. I looked at my father.
"If you didn't buy them, why weren't you at work this morning?" my father asked.
"I'd gone to the orphanage." he said to our greatest surprise "You can verify. I decided to use that money for a better cause. It wasn't very much but quite enough and so I decided to donate it to the children there. They'll be needing it more than I do. From there, I left for work."
'Yalah. Who is this??'
I could hardly contain my little smile. My father and I looked at each other in surprise.
"I'm sorry, Djafar." he begged my father.
My father's frown disappeared and he soon started smiling.
"It's fine my boy." he stood and approached Asahd who stood and hugged him. "I'm very proud of you."
They hugged again.
"And I have good news for you."
"What is it?"
"We're going back to Zagreh on Thursday now. I didn't buy the tickets today because I was angry at you but I will tomorrow. You can go quit tomorrow."
"Are you serious?!" Asahd almost squealed and we laughed.
"Yes I am. You're ready to go back."
"Oh my gawd!" he gasped happily. "Wait, so if I'd bought my own ticket, which apparently you'd already discovered about, you would stop me and I would've been stuck here for more months?!"
"Exactly!" we replied and burst out laughing.
"Thank God, I didn't!" he exclaimed in shock, pulling on his hair.
"Patience is always the key." my father laughed.
"Yes, it is! Finally!" he started jumping and we laughed.