Serendipity - 17

Two posts within the same 24 hours, now i should get credits. Enjoy reading!


Previously on Serendipity....

"A friend once told me, there's only so much you could do", Butti patted Fares's shoulders with a sad smile and walked back towards the apartment.

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Nouf 

Winter can be very depressing. It gets dark really early and there's only so little to do. We left Butti and Fares and walked to the apartment. Haifa's mother says that this part of Istanbul is not so safe. Its too westernized. But the other part, which i think is in Asia is safer. Its where all the mosques are, no clubs and drinking, and people sit in coffee shops to drink tea and turkish coffee till late hours. The metro that takes to Sultan Ahmet area isn't safe too as she claims. Too bad we're living on this side. Though to be honest, the safety issues only lie on a certain part of Istikalal street, where the bars and casinos are located. And its quite far. The place seemed perfectly safe to me. 

Well, we still have TV to watch and there were some movie DVDs in the living room. That will do. 

I picked my PJz and headed for a shower. 
"Waaaaait" Shouted Maryam as she barged into the room. "You're the only one still not in a pyjama. We don't have food and that wasn't even dinner. Its lies! the sun just sets too early. can you believe it, its already dark by five pm. We need food i'm becoming cranky." 

oops, no room service too. Great. 

I walked down to the mothers apartment to see if they need anything from the supermarket at the end of the road. Maryam's mother smiled, gave me a long list of things to buy and asked me to leave now before the other mothers find out. They wont allow me to go out there alone. Though she saw no danger at all. That's why i love her, no extra unneeded fear and drama. 

I walked out into the open air and the frosted roads. The cold breeze just hits right in the face. I can feel my skin tightening as if i just got a face lift. That's why their women are pretty; its the weather i'm sure. The snow just makes everything so white and pretty too. I wish it would snow now, i've never been somewhere to see the snow actually fall. I would stare up into the sky like the movies and lift my hand in the air feeling every snow drop on my cheeks. 

I jumped back at the person that suddenly clapped his hands inches away from my face. It was Butti. 
"What are you doing out here?"

I'm still mad at him. Why is he so... sooo... i'm not sure what, but this whatever it is.
"I could ask you the same." i answered in a bother-less tone and attempted to walk past him. 
"I ditched Fares and his friends, now you answer." He was walking beside me. How could he catch up so fast and effortlessly?
"I'm getting stuff to eat from the supermarket" 
"ok" he said as he continued to walk beside me, i stopped.
"ok?" I looked at him, attempting to signal that yeah now you know just leave.
"I'm coming with you" His hands were in his jacket's pocket and his tone was extremely casual. Its not like he barked at me a while ago. 
"You know, not everything is your responsibility. I'm 21, old enough to take care of myself and i dont need you guarding me. And who are you to say that i cant go alone or even shout at me?" I blew out all the anger inside me and stood there with pride. Now GO! i continued saying in my head. 
Butti looked at me and gave me one of his usual genuine smiles. He put his hands together in an apologetic gesture, "I'm sorry that i shouted, I know that was wrong, but you scared me and Haifa's reaction, you should've seen it....." I twisted my lips to the side thinking about if i would accept his apology. 
".... But Judge," he continues as he laughs obviously enjoying what he is about to say, "I never said you can't go alone or i'll guard you. I'm simply going to get food for my apartment too." I felt so stupid and he had a winners smile on as he walked in the direction of the supermarket. 
"i accept your apology" i said to shred away any amount of humiliation i can. 
We walked in silence. It wasn't awkward though. There was plenty of things to watch around, all the little details of the road. Nearly all the buildings had coffee shops and restaurants on the ground floor looking onto the street. When you looked closer, none of them were bars. People were drinking tea, talking and playing some kind of board game i see in Syrian series in the local looking shops. Couples were seated in the more cozy, romantic and westernized shops having dessert and coffee and simply talking. It was lovely. 
"I didn't think it will be like this," i said to Butti a few steps before reaching the supermarket. 
He saw me looking around, "Well, not all the areas are like that. This street has more of muslims and families living here, less tourists and bachelors, so its quite safer. And even though its been dark for so long, its just 9:30 now." he opens the supermarket door for me and i walk in. Ah, i love being a girl. 

Butti pulled out a trolly and walked toward the first alley.  
"Supermarketing is an Art, you go through each alley to not forget anything, follow me." i laughed at his excitement. Years of studying alone served him well i guess. 
"so you can cook?" i asked
"its how i survived four years in the US." he said as we walked past the second alley. 
"There are restaurants," i commented. well, thats what i would do. I could cook, but its too much work. "Wait, stop here, i want peanut butter"
"You cant go to restaurants everyday, sometimes other khaleeji friends would cook and send over."
"what do you cook?"
"Machboos, instant noodles, omlet, scrambled eggs, boiled eggs," he scratched his head trying to remember as we walked down the alleys collecting stuff as we go.
"hahaha you should mention that when you propose, you might get a discount on the Maher or something" i teased. Other than the machboos, those weren't real cooking skills. 

With each item any of us would grab we would start discussing which one to take, i'd go for brand name that i know and Butti for the price offer and whatever is not fully stocked on the shelf, "if they're out of it, it must be really good" he explained. This just made the process take a bit longer time than i expected and to save time in arguments, i either compromised to what he picked or pouted to get what i want. Simple (nearly). 

We passed by an old lady with a young girl. They were trying to reach to a can on one of the top shelves. Butti helped her grabbed the can and other couple of things she wanted from the top shelves. 
"tshakorat...." is the only word i understood. She said it in a granny heartfelt tone.
"She thanks you a lot, and says that may Allah gift you and your pretty wife with good children and a blessed life" translated the young girl excitedly. I snapped my head towards Butti given the comment and i think i blushed. So we look like couples... i don't know why but the idea is a tiny bit exciting. Well, we are suitable in term of age, emm and looks i guess, and right now we look like were shopping for our own kitchen supply.
"Ameeeen," answered Butti, "tshakorat, we needed that duaa," he added looking at me then back at the granny. Stupid Butti, so now i'm his wife that is having trouble getting pregnant. I try not to roll my eyes to not look rude infront of the old lady. 

"we needed that duaa?" i said with raised eyebrows as soon as we walked passed the granny to head to the cashier.
"Am i married?"
"no..."
"do i have kids?"
"not that i know" i said to annoy him, he shot a half eye at me.
"Then i needed the duaa to get a pretty wife, kids and blessed life" he winked.
"sa5eef" i said in a low voice that he cant comprehend what i said.
"i can hear you"

As we stopped by the cashier with a fully loaded trolley, we looked at each other in guilt. Honestly, it looks like we will move-in nearby, and its a whole month worth of supply. Not just chips and chocolate, but oil, butter, eggs and other stuff to cook for breakfast and dinner. Well, you can never say no to food. 

The month worth of supply was certainly a pain to carry back to the apartment. Butti carried most of the bags and i carried as much as i can. All that training paid off i guess. 

"i'm hungry" announced Butti as soon as we got to the building. "Which apartment do we take all the food to?"
"the mothers its the closest and they cook well" we both had a huge smile on our faces, i was hungry too.
As we entered the building Butti dropped one of the bags that carried a chips and hot sauce. The hot sauce glass broke and made a mess. Butti was standing there with all the bags unable to move. I couldn't help but laugh. I placed by bags on the floor and went over to help him place the ones he had slowly on the ground and clear up the mess. We placed all the bags in the lobby and decided that we'll take a couple up every time. We were tired already.  
The noise Butti and I made brought the girls rushing downstairs. 

"we heard something break, then Nouf crying what happened?" exclaimed Haifa.
"Will you stop freaking out, please. Butti dropped our food." i said pointing at the bottle of hotsauce. "and i was laughing... you looked like a frozen octopus" i laughed again at Butti. 

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The girls decided that they will split the food between their apartment and the mothers. The grabbed all the junk food and walked up to their apartment. Just as Butti was lifting a couple of the other bags, Fares walked in. 
"You're early, Turkey isn't good for you?" Butti adressed him in a sarcastic tone and walked up to the apartment. "i heard their girls are hot"
"I'm out of cash" Fares stated bluntly.
Just then, Nouf walked down to the lobby, there were just a couple of bags left yet more than what she could carry alone up two flights. She grabbed a couple then looked shyly at Fares who was at the first step of the stairs. "Fares" she called. 
"Could you help me carry those up?" she said as he turned around. 
"sure" He might as well be useful while he's at it, he thought. "Why don't you place them in the elevator and send it up, i guess its safe for a couple of bags"
"its out of service and the ones you have are for the mothers apartment"

They walked into the mothers apartment's kitchen and placed the bags. Nouf left the kitchen to go upstairs and arrange their own share of food with the other girls. Fares's mother was in the kitchen checking the things that Nouf and Butti just bought and saw the two walk in. She saw her irresponsible boy carry the bags place them on the kitchen table and take the ones from Nouf too in a very polite manner. My brother was right, i need to find him a wife to make  him change, marriage will change him, she thought.  

"Fares," she addressed her son as soon as Nouf left them alone in the kitchen. "What do you think of Nouf?"
"What do you mean?" he replied as he looked at his iPhone screen, he was waiting for Nouf to leave to ask his mom for more money. He wasted all his cash in gambling, his credit card is the only thing left.
"You know, She's pretty and you're 24" she signaled way too obviously. 

He suddenly saw it all. It was Nouf. She was his solution to everything. She was pretty, too innocent, liked him and his family liked her too. Having a wife and kids would keep his mother's worries away. His wife will be busy with the kids and he could remain his lifestyle during his regular "business trips". Thats what a lot of his friends did too. She'll have all the money she needs, kids, a house, good family and i'll be there.... [sometimes], he assured his conscious that spoke up for the first time.

"Yes, she's pretty" he answered his mom with a smile.