Where Jasmine Blooms by Holly S. Warah

Author:Holly S. Warah
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Skyhorse Publishing
Published: 2017-03-03T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

The day after the engagement party, Margaret accompanied Ahmed to the airport for his flight from Amman to Abu Dhabi. In front of Fatma’s house, Ahmed gave good-bye kisses to their children while Margaret looked on. She squeezed into the back of Abu Ra’id’s car, wedged between the mother and Fatma, who both reeked of the fried kibbe they had prepared for lunch. Nadia sat next to the window, cheerfully jabbering, her mood dramatically lifted since her engagement had been secured. In the front seat, Ahmed spoke intently with Abu Ra’id, their conversation peppered with the words Abu Dhabi and Dubai.

Several days before, Margaret had brought up the topic of his interview. They were lying side by side in their hotel bed, the children sleeping in the next room.

“Let me go and see,” Ahmed kept repeating. “It’s just an option.” And then finally, “Let’s not spoil our trip by fighting.”

What was there to say? The discussion had ended before it even started. Margaret hadn’t brought up the matter again, foolishly adopting a strategy of avoidance and denial that she now regretted as she rode with the family to the airport. It was if she were going through the motions of someone else’s life, dragged along with no free will of her own. That inexpressible anger that had consumed Margaret now gave way to a dull feeling, a slow suffocation.

At the airport, Ahmed strode through the glass doors into the departure terminal, his family following behind, the feeling among them celebratory. Perhaps it was a spillover from the engagement party or maybe it was the thrill of going to the airport—they seemed to go every chance they could.

While Ahmed was changing money, he chatted with the female teller who took his dollars and laughed at something he had said. Ahmed gathered the Emirati dirhams, nodded to the woman, and rejoined his family. He tapped his watch and said he needed to check in. Instinctively, the family formed a line, ready to give their farewells. The mother performed her ceremonial send-off—multiple kisses and a mini speech. Fatma and Nadia did the same, invoking God’s name and reciting blessings, behaving as though he were never coming back. For God’s sake, the trip’s only two days. Abu Ra’id’s oration was delivered more like advice. He gently poked Ahmed’s chest and patted his shoulder, like a coach giving a pep talk.

Of course. They were all wishing him well on the job interview. He was pursuing his dream, and his family was cheering him on. Where did Margaret fit into all this?

It was her turn. She stepped forward. Her choices rushed over her: accept, ignore, pretend, or protest. Any confrontation would result in embarrassment. After all, plans had been made, a ticket booked.

Ahmed smiled at her, and the eyes of the family were on them. He leaned in and she inhaled the scent of his cologne. He took her hand and squeezed it. “If I don’t do this, I’ll always wonder.” He then pulled back and said, “I won’t make any decisions without you.

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