excerpt
“You are right. That makes sense; perhaps we’ll fly first class, as well,” he
laughs.
“Yeah, fly first class, why not? That’ll impress her, alright. You seem to care
for Emily a lot, my friend.”
Talal says nothing.
“You seem to care for Emily a lot; there’s nothing wrong with that. She’s a
very kind and pretty woman; also, don’t forget this week we go and look at my
new place before you go.”
“Well, it’ll take a few days to put the money and the tickets together. I have to talk
to her, although I don’t see a problem with that; and yes, we’ll come and see the new
place before we get out of here.”
They finish their walk shortly and Talal goes to his car; Hakim says “See you
later.”
“I guess we have to go car hunting when I get back,” Talal says, as he starts his
car.
“That can wait, there is no rush. I promise, you and I will go together to look
for a car when you come back.” Hakim walks across the street and up to his
apartment.
Later, when Talal gets to Emily’s house, she smiles at him because she detects
his pleasant attitude. It’s much better than when he went out earlier this
morning. She hugs and kisses him.
“What happened? You look so happy! What did Hakim say to you?
Something has made you so happy, so jovial!”
“Well, baby, we are going on a trip, to my home in Iraq.”
She feels the floor receding from under her feet; although she expected this
moment to come at some point, she never expected it to come so soon. They are
going to Iraq, is that what he just said? She sits on the couch and looks at him
with an expression of bewilderment.
“Baby, you and I are going to Iraq. We are going to Iraq for holidays, you and
I! You know, people go on holidays sometimes,” he mocks her.
She sits with her mouth open and her beautiful eyes wondering. This news is
not as bad as she thought. Her eyes still have wonder in them when Talal comes
close and kisses her lips, saying, “I’d better close this pretty mouth of yours,
otherwise the flies may fly in. Emily Roberts, you and I are going on a little
holiday for a couple of weeks; what do you say to that?”
She laughs along with him, now that she knows he’s not leaving her behind; a
holiday to Baghdad, though? How’s it going to be?
“I never thought we’d be going this quickly, my love; why the urgency? Is
there anything wrong with your family?”
Libros Libertad 