26 February, 2006

Before it is too late

It was summer time; people smiled to one another, talked joyfully, and all seemed energetic. She was preparing for the day, standing in front of the wardrobe, trying to make up her mind of what to wear for that occasion, her favorite blue jeans, and red T-shirt, or something else she usually wore, she looked younger in that jeans, a shy smile appeared on her face, her cheeks blushed, then she looked at her husband to make sure he didn't notice what she was doing, he was still sleeping, she was about to leave the room when she noticed her disheveled hair, she combed it satisfied her new hair-style suited her face shape, she looked five years younger. She checked on her children, while they were still sleeping in there beds, before she left.

She arrived early, only a few young couples were there waiting for the rest of the group, before they can declare the beginning of the trip, all couples were hand in hand, happy like love birds, she wanted her husband to be with her at that moment, but not her husband who he was now, who forgot to say good morning sometimes, she wanted him who he was in the old days, before they got married, when he held her hand for hours, and whispered some magic words, nowadays they barely saw each other, he was busy working late everyday, and she took care of the children. Suddenly she felt sad and quickly tried hard to think of something else, about the trip, and how she needed to take a rest from family, and her routine life-style.

The sea was there, young, and fresh as usual, talking to her, whispering the same words, she hurried up to the beach, happiness suddenly swept over her, she took her shoes off, and walked with her bare feet on the hot sand of the beach, she forgot all her sadness, she used to come to the beach when she was unmarried yet, she used to tell her story to the sea, she shared with him her joy and sorrow, and he was always listening empathically.

She took a plastic chair; she wanted to swim her feet in the blue water of the sea, she put her first foot, it was cold and refreshing, then the other, she started moving her legs joyfully, the sand was tickling her feet, it was like a sponge, she was a child again accompanied by her father and mother, she remembered her favorite story, the one she used to read before she went to sleep when she was a child, "The Little Princess" , she brought that same story today, she opened the book, and started reading, "Sarah was happy to be with her father, who came from India" she read, she pictured her father standing in front of her, "how are you sweetie?" he smiled, "I'm happy dad to be with you" she told him, "you know!, you will be grown to be a princess" he told her, "what is princess dad?" she asked, "pretty lady" he answered, "what about you and my mother?" she asked again, "we are the parents of the princess" he laughed, "dad I want to be…" she felt that the chair started to move, "I must be dreaming, there is nothing moving" she told herself, "dad I want to be a princess, and get married to a handsome prince" she continued, "will you be there with me dad?" she asked, " of course sweetie, and we will be all happy" he answered, "father take my hand, the chair is floating" she wanted to ask him, he wasn't there, the chair was floating, "father!" she wanted to cry, "I'm not a princess, as you told I would be" she thought, "I'm not happy, nor am I married to a prince" she wept, "give me your hand my little princess" her father said, "are you real?, you are dead, why should I believe you again" she told him, "come on!, stand up, or you will drown" he urged, she stood up to find her legs were in the water, "why I thought I was drowning" she asked herself, may be she wanted to give up, as her sad life wasn't worth living, she looked around, "my father was here" she thought, she was still holding her story, she opened the story to read the dedication her father wrote," happiness is made, not granted" he wrote, it was like she understood what was written for the first time, "thank you father" she said, she was reborn again, and was looking forward to living her life again.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Frankly, it was not strong like the others but you are better than me, you write and i don't, but i will try inshallah.

thank you