Chapter 7 - El Ghabi (The Idiot)

In retrospect, Samar knew that she had overreacted with Yasser. She was fighting herself on the inside. Her conscience was telling her that she needed to start letting things go and just enjoy the budding relationship they had. But her pride insisted that he did owe her an apology - he had not been completely honest with her. Yet her heart wanted to leap out of her chest, slap her and tell her to grow up, get over it and just fall into the Love that was waiting to catch her.

"You know what Yasser, I owe you an apology," she looked down, slowly loosening her back muscles, allowing her shoulders to slouch slightly. She gave in and swallowed her pride. "I jumped to conclusions and acted like drama queen."

Yasser smiled softly, breathing a sigh of relief. "I guess we're both at fault here. But I'll be honest - part of me liked knowing you were jealous," he chuckled.

She playfully hit his arm. She was glad this was something small that didn't get out of control. It really was trivial and stupid. She had been shopping one early evening in Al-Hamra* the week before. She and Yasser had made plans to have dessert at the French patisserie in a nearby neighborhood but he had sent her an SMS apologizing for the late notice and that he wouldn't make it - no explanation why. She was disappointed to say the least but decided to window shop since she was already in the area. Three stores and five shopping bags later she decided she'd better get home seeing as how the sun was setting. As she looked up the road for an empty taxi, she saw, on her side of the sidewalk, the back of a young man that closely resembled Yasser. He was walking with a girl, his arm around her shoulders. As he bent down to say something in the girl's ear, Samar saw his profile and realized it was Yasser.

A shock of jealousy ran through her nerves. Her face grew hot as her heart started pumping blood faster through her veins. It was a strange feeling indeed, she had not felt this emotion in quite some time. She started walking slowly and followed the two, they were laughing now. They turned into a small side street and walked into a small jewelry boutique. Samar kept a distance and tried to see through the window. Yasser shook hands with the owner and immediately started surveying the accessories that were being laid out before him.

The girl tried everything on. Samar's heart hurt, her blood was boiling. She watched as the girl turned her head, toward Yasser, revealing her slender neck and defined collarbone. Yasser combed her hair behind her ears with his fingers and nodded approvingly. The girl removed the earrings and let the shopowner dress her wrist with a shimmery Cartier-style gold bracelet, she then turned back to Yasser and extended her slender arm, flipping her wrist flirtatiously at him. Samar's eyes burned with tears as she watched him take the girl's hand and kiss it.

Inside the store, Nisreen laughed at her brother's goofiness. "You're so cheesy Yasser! Please don't tell me you're going to kiss her hand when you give her this bracelet. What makes you think you're such a Prince Charming? Who are you...Don Juan?"

Yasser laughed and tried to bite his sister's hand for her incessant teasing. As he raised his head up from his sister's hand, Yasser looked out the window by accident. And he saw Samar across the small street, appearing to wipe away a tear. He stopped laughing and looked at his sister then back outside again. He knew exactly what Samar must have been thinking. Nisreen noticed her brother's face go pale and she looked out as well and saw a pretty brunette. Having seen photos of her brother and Samar together, her mind calculated the situation quickly. She was fast to act, running out the door, knowing her brother was too stunned to make a move.

"Hi Samar!" Nisreen walked over.

Samar visibly jolted. Who the hell was this girl? And she knew her name! Samar voice cracked and snapped like a whip, "Who are you?"

Nisreen should have expected that tone; this was definitely a very awkward moment. Regardless, she gave a sincere smile and extended her hand. "Samar, I'm Nisreen, Yasser's baby sister. I've been looking forward to meeting you for a while now."

'Baby sister' was an understatement. Nisreen had blossomed into a true Syrian beauty. She was tall and slender yet curvaceous. Samar eyed the girl up and down and once again, thinking, "Well, no wonder he has to walk around with his arm around her shoulders, boys' eyes alone could eat her up."

As Samar hesitantly accepted Nisreen's handshake, Yasser made his way over. He quickly had paid the shopkeeper for the bracelet still on Nisreen's wrist and for another small box that contained the earrings. "I see I don't need to make the introductions," he smiled nervously.

Samar's eyes shot daggers as she sharply turned to look at him. "No, Yasser, introductions aren't needed. I do believe however that apologies are in order."

With that, she turned and walked back toward the main road to go home, leaving Yasser in a state of shock. Nisreen was a little confused as to why Samar overreacted the way she did. She patted her brother's shoulder. "Ma'lesh*, it was just a misunderstanding, you two just need to talked it out," she said.

"Well, see Niso, I don't think she wants to talk to me. I wasn't exactly honest with her," Yasser seemed perplexed, running his fingers through his hair.

Nisreen was puzzled and Yasser saw that and realized he was going to get a verbal beating from his sister. "She and I were supposed to meet up tonight and I canceled last minute..."

"Yasser, ya ghabi*!" she cut him off. "You didn't tell me you had plans with her. Poor Samar, no wonder she looked like she was going to strangle me. I mean, I figured she didn't know I was your sister...but you added salt to the wound by canceling without an explanation. Oh my gosh, you are such a guy! Even Jiddo would not have made that type of mistake!"

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Tamer finished taking care of some customers and returned to his two friends. "You two are depressing me, can you please get going?" he laughed.

The couple looked at him, then smiled at each other. "That's right, Tamer tells me you have a little surprise planned for me," Samar teased. "Lucky for you I told my aunt that I wouldn't be home until I picked up my cousins."

Tamer put his hands up defensively as Yasser raised his eyebrows at him, "She dragged it out of me, and it's not my fault you screwed up!"

Yasser took Samar's hand and walked out before Tamer would spill anymore information. He didn't care actually, he was just glad that he was holding Samar's hand again, that she was smiling at him again, and that she had no idea that she was on her way to meet his family, and most importantly, his Jiddo, for the first time.

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*Al-Hamra - a Damascene neighborhood popular for shopping
*Ma'lesh - an Arabic term for "It's okay"
*ya ghabi - a playful insult, "you idiot"