Part 5.

      Dalal ended the phone call and sat quietly in her cold car. She stared at her phone and hoped that Faisal would call, but he didn’t call back. She sat in her car refusing to give up and go back in.

‘Faisal please call’ Dalal whispered to herself. ‘Please Faisal call me,” she looked at her phone screen and begged to see Faisal’s incoming call. But there weren’t any calls. He stopped calling, but she didn’t stop begging and pleading. She breathed out and reminded herself to stay positive.

She grabbed her half empty coffee cup and sipped her cold coffee while listening to some of her favorite songs. Most of the songs she listened to were dedications from Faisal. They had a whole play list, over a hundred love songs that held feelings for each other. With every song she listened to her eyes got teary, and she remembered her days with Faisal. She wanted to go back to him. She hated being far away from him. She wanted him even if it means she has to compromise and go against her family.

After a whole hour of waiting and hoping in her car, she went back in and to her luck no one was at home. She ran up to her room and took a long warm shower. Dalal’s morning optimism slowly faded away. ‘Why didn’t he call yet?’ Dalal thought as tears chocked her. She didn’t want to cry again so she decided to sleep the pain and confusion off, hoping that when she’d wake up it’ll all get better.

Mariam knew her cousin very well and she knew that if Faisal didn’t call, Dalal wouldn’t call either. Mariam had to take action; she didn’t want her cousin to suffer any longer so Mariam called Haya.

“Hayoo!” Mariam yelled as soon as Haya picked up.

Haya remained silent as she slowly left her brother Khalid and Sarah to continue watching Brave Heart. She ran up to her room, double locked the door and yelled, “Sh9aar?”

Mariam explained to Haya what Dalal told her and in exchange for that she got a few gasps and awe’s from Haya.

“Enzain al7een shaswe?” Haya asked.

“Madree, bas kel ely a3arfa ena Dalool mara7 etdg 3ala Faisal. You know how stubborn she is, and I’m sure Faisal knows too. So Faisal has to call and I’m sure he did, bas ya3ne et3arfeen Dalool wayed 3asra, fa ya3ne khal edg mara thanya. Hal mara I’m sure betrd 3alaih.” Mariam suggested.

Haya sighed, she loved Dalal so much and she loved how Dalal treats Faisal, but she hated the fact that Dalal was very stubborn. “Khalas, khalay hatha 3alay. Bas entay golay 7ag Dalal etred 3alaih etha dag! Lata7ger, tara wayed yetnarfaz men ely ya7groon and it can all backfire.”

“Eeh lat7ateen, I already told her to answer.” Mariam smiled. She loved the fact that she has a lot of influence over Dalal.

“Yalah I’ll call him al7een washoofa.” Haya ended the phone call and immediately dialed Faisal’s.

“Hala Haya,” Faisal’s tone was stern and annoyed.

“Hey, waynck?” Haya asked.

“Ga3ed a7oos bel sayara.” Fasial replied and was trying to avoid Haya’s questions, while Haya directly jumped to her point. “Enzain dagait?”

“Eeh, wayed marat. Akher shay 7awaltney voice mail.” Faisal gritted his teeth, he was very angry now.

“Call again?” Haya asked.

“La.” Faisal replied coldly.

“Faisal, yala 3ad it’s Dalal.” Haya slowly tried to persuade her brother to call. She reminded Faisal of his days with Dalal and everything they’ve been through together. Faisal sighed and promised his sister to call again as soon as he felt better.

Since they broke up, Faisal started smoking. He knew it was a bad habit and he was against smoking, but he found that cigarettes numbed the emptiness in his life, the emptiness that was once filled with Dalal. He wasn’t going to apologize to Dalal, he was just going to explain the kiss and that it meant nothing to him. He wanted to show Dalal that he wants her back as his everything. But he was never good with words. He’s more of an action man.

He drove to the nearest Starbux and got his usual dose of coffee. He sat by himself and drank his steaming coffee. All he kept thinking of were ways to make Dalal happy again. He knew she cried a lot today and he wanted to make it up to her. He wanted to make up a year to her. He kept thinking of ways to have her back in his life because to him, the moment she was gone, his joy, happiness and faith were gone too.

His grades dropped dramatically and he changed from being the loud outgoing funny guy to the quiet and serious guy. Faisal wanted his self back, but in order for him to be one hundred percent him, he needed Dalal in the equation.

Faisal finally planned out what he was going to do, so he first messaged Dalal but he got no reply. He decided to wait a bit longer. He was very patient and he didn’t want to rush. He waited a whole year to be back to Dalal so he got the strength to wait a bit more. After a whole hour of waiting he called. But she didn’t pick up. He waited a bit more then he took a deep breath and called again. On the third ring, Dalal picked up.

No one spoke at first, and then Faisal broke the dreaded silence.

“Dalal?” Faisal spoke quietly.

‘E3yoon Dalal?’ She thought to herself. “Hala?” Dalal replied with a soft sleepy voice.

“Asf, nayma?” Faisal apologized.

Dalal turned over in bed and laid back on her headboard. She cleared her throat and began, “la 3ade, I’m supposed to be up a9lan.”

“Warach shay?” Faisal asked but then he remembered he wanted to play it cool and not scare Dalal off.

“La,” Dalal breathed out but she silently hoped he would offer something.

But he didn’t, “hmm, 3ayal asf 3al ez3aj,” Faisal said. “Akhaleech 3ayal.”

‘No don’t go yet.’ Dalal thought to herself.

She tried to hide her disappointment and said, “Mashe, Allah weyak,” and then she paused; so many sweet words and names were about to escape her lips but she bit her lip to hold them in. As much as Faisal loved Dalal’s sweet soft voice he wanted to end the call and wanted her to read his message. He was dying to see Dalal’s pretty face again. He was dying to hold her and take in her scent. He wanted his baby girl back.

They fell in the awkward silence again, but this time Dalal quickly bounced back and lied and said she had another call on waiting and that she had to go. They ended the phone call and Dalal breathed out. She looked at her screen and found two messages. One was a miss you message, she had three missed calls and one was from Faisal.

She took a deep breath and with all her hope and energy, she opened the message.

“Lets pretend this morning never happened. Lets pretened I just came back. Dalal I just came back and I miss you so much. Abe ashoofich, please Dalal. 7 o’clock? 9ef6ay 3end Caribou Salhiya. I’ll be waiting like always.

- Faisal. xoxo”