Then she sat down again, afraid of the embarrassment he can do to her in front of all this number of people.. What will be his reaction if he knew that she was watching him now..?
Stood then sat..
Sat then stood..
Dammit.. He was supposed to be the deceiver here, and he was the one who deserved to be through this hell she was in..
She was completely absorbed in watching them that she wasn't paying attention to anything happening around, until the man stood and walked towards the bathroom..
(Still his face not completely appearing to her, that didn't help much to make her get rid of her doubts, because her mind did his part and completed the face to make it look like her husband's face.. Same shirt and same body, and same hairstyle.. Why would he be another guy then..?)
She focused on the girl.. Watching every move and every glimpse she made, till the guy came back, and his whole face now in front of her, and she was completely sure he was her husband.. Few moments of shock passed on her when she made sure it was him, before she recovered her senses and felt everything happening around her again..
She started sensing the waiters as they passed beside her table, carrying things to and from tables, but most of her attention was with the two love birds..
She didn't notice the screams that came from the W.C., and when she decided finally she was courage enough to face them, whatever the results would be, she heard a weird voice that sounded like a gunshot.......!!
****
-8-
“Kamel”
The café's recession had been for two weeks now.. Two long weeks and things didn't seem like they were going to get any better, so I got used to spending time watching the customers, and try to guess the story of each one of them, rather than wasting time on boring repeated news, that filled the newspapers and the TV..
Sometimes I imagine what each one of them was telling his companion to fill the gaps in the stories.. Kind of fun and helps passing time, and more important, it was free..
I took a sip from my tea, before looking from over the newspaper I had in my hands, watching..
Looked at the lonely girl on table 2 beside the window, who kept looking at her watch every now and then.. The lucky one obviously didn't show up yet.. Her face turned over the hour and half she'd spent here between calm, wrath, then finally rage.. Maybe every now and then she took out her small mirror to take a look at herself and make sure she was still charming..
Then the blonde hottie on table 5, and her companion who wouldn't stop talking.. Not a married couple for sure, because the girl wasn't that type.. Probably his mistress, or at least he was trying to convince her to be.. Not the first time I saw them together because I never forget a face.. Always come at the same time.. Tuesday afternoon..
I smiled on seeing the blondie entering the place, because the lonely girl in the brown dress was sitting on the blondie's favorite table, the one besides the window..
I watched the blondie as she frowned on seeing the girl sitting in her place, before walking to a nearby table, to sit and start playing with a weird metallic thing I couldn't recognize from where I was sitting, then her companion showed up..
My mobile rang, so I had to put my hobby aside a little.. My dear wife was calling to tell me not to be late, because her mum was coming today to spend a couple of days with us, and certainly I should be the lucky one who will go get her from the train station, because the dear old woman didn't trust taxi drivers these days..
- And don't forget to bring the meat from the butcher.. I'll make the meat loaf you love for super and bla bla bla..
I stopped listening from that moment on.. Maybe this will be the only good memory from this miserable day.. She knew how much I loved her meat loaf, and she was cooking it on purpose today to encourage me to stand the old witch and not kill her from the first day..
- Kids home yet..?
I asked her trying to change the subject.. She answered practically:
- Yeah, and they're doing their homework now.. Don't forget to be home before 5.. Love you.. Tick..
That was the phone going back to its place.. she'd now go to the children's room, to make sure they were really doing their homework and not playing after I reminded her and arose her suspicions about them really studying or not..
(I smiled at the thought, because I knew that the possibility of them really studying wouldn't exceed 40 %.. They'd probably be just pretending to study, while putting their favorite comic books inside the school books like I did when I was in their age..
Then she would head to the kitchen, to start preparing the awaited meal..
But she'd shortly discover that she was out of eggs or butter or cheese or any other kitchen crap, and she'd call me then to tell me not to forget to buy it from the supermarket on my way home.. Before that thought ended, I heard my phone ringing again and..
- Don't forget to bring a dozen of eggs because we ran out of it..
I smiled..
- OK, any other thing..?
- Thx.. Tick..
Now came my other entertainment, that was turning the lives of my subordinates to hell, so I took my last sip of tea, and walked into the kitchen lightly.. I watched as they all went quite the moment they saw me entering.. I filled my orders firmly to the two unlucky waiters that came into my way:
- The coke is for table 3.. The Nescafé and the cheesecake are for table 1.. Hurry up.. Are you in a funeral or something..?
Firmness.. The most important thing to use in leading your subordinates.. If you just treated them nicely, they wouldn't move from their places a single step..
I watched happily as the two new waiters walked away upset, trying not to spill any of the orders they were carrying.. They probably won't even continue this week with us.. I could almost smell fear oozing from them, which made me happy..
****
-9-
"Sohair"
Dammit.. Her body was still trembling from what just happened.. It was the first time she ever caused the death of someone..!! at least she was sure he was dead, she didn't wait to make sure, and certainly she wouldn't descend from her safe car to try her luck, besides a hit like this wouldn't leave a living person behind..
He was probably dead then and went up to heaven, and won't benefit a thing if she got caught and her whole future was ruined because of him.. Besides, when she was finally able to control her nerves and stop the car, she was already far from the place of the accident.. What was she supposed to do then..? Now that would be a very important moral question, but knowing that nobody saw her, the practical answer would be to get the hell away from there, then acting innocent as if she didn't just kill someone.. Besides, she was already going to see her lover, so no need to act decently.. Since she was already a sinner, let's continue the road to its end then to deserve the title..
Important information to prevent her from feeling guilty:
She already had enough things to worry about.. No need for another issue to be added to her list..
She continued driving till that café where she told "Sherif" they'd meet after finishing his work.. He wasn't there when she arrived so she made her way to their usual table beside the window, but she found that tense girl sitting there, so she frowned and mumbled few words before sitting on a nearby table..
She took a deep breath to calm herself a little and stop her body from shivering, then ordered a glass of cold water to busy her mind a little from what was waiting for her, and watched the other customers sitting around.. There was a woman and her noisy little girl who wouldn't stop running and passing beside "Sohair's table screaming, two suspicious men who wouldn't stop whispery nervous conversations, and a handsome young guy who wouldn't stop looking at her..!!
(Sorry hone.. You're really cute, but I'm afraid I'm already taken.. If you came a little early then maybe.........)
And finally that damn girl that sat on her table, who wouldn't stop calling someone on mobile, and look
ing completely alienated from whatever was happening around.. "Sohair" looked after that at the TV screen in the corner, and watched the news that was talking about a hit and run accident in downtown..
- .....and the police is still trying to identify the driver and the victim in the hit and run accident that killed the young man downtown..
Shit.. It got to the news already..?
But things were still in her favor, and nothing to relate her to the crime..
For some reason she found herself thinking about the guy she hit.. When she was at the situation itself she was clumsy and scared and all she could think of was herself and how to get away before being caught.. Now after sitting safe and starting to calm, she started thinking about the guy's soul that went to heaven quickly.. Did he have a wife or a girlfriend waiting..? To whom was the bunch of flowers he was carrying and jumped from his hand on the hit..? And what'd the one waiting for him do on finding that her man wouldn't come on their appointment..? Wouldn't come at all..? Will she think that he was just another bastard who walked away on her without a reason other than boredom..?
She was thinking about all of this not knowing that the one waiting for him was sitting a couple of steps - literally - from her..
-I'm not late, am I..?
That was "Sherif" sitting on her table, trying to catch up his breaths.. His voice startled her, but she managed to pull herself together quickly, answering him:
- No... I've been here for five minutes only..
- OK.. Why aren't you sitting on our usual table..?
- Was already occupied..
- Are you OK..?
He wondered, looking at her, before checking the menu that the blonde waitress brought him.. She lighted a cigarette answering:
- Yeah..
- Sure..? You don't look like your usual..
- Believe me.. I'm fine..
She answered, rolling a curl of her hair between her fingers, looking totally distracted, so he didn't insist to bother her..
He stopped the fat waiter passing by, to order a Nescafé, before turning to his companion to find her completely absorbed by her cell phone, so he stood up..
- I'll go to the bathroom till my order comes..
- OK..
She answered him without even looking.. That bloody accident damaged her nerves and she didn't want to talk or look at anyone..
She thought about how fragile this world was, and how it was easy to travel from it to the other world without any warning signs..
Raising her eyes, she wanted to apologize to him for being that cold, but she found him already gone.. She watched as he walked away, trying to avoid two running kids, before turning towards the bathroom.. He must be thinking now:
What the hell was wrong with her..?
She noticed the song playing, without understanding a single word in it...
Singing in their own way,
Some street songs,
She's so blonde...
As blonde as a sunbeam.
Her curls are wandering,
And cutting in the sky.....
Edith Piaf .. Tous les Amoureux Chantent
****
Feeling the song too romantic for her taste, she took out her mp3, and placed the headphones in her ears.. She never liked Edith Piaf.. Kylie Minogue was closer to her taste.. She turned on the mp3, letting it carry her to another world, isolating her completely from what was happening around..
She didn't hear the screams coming from the bathroom, neither did she hear the sound of the gunshot.. She didn't realize something was wrong except when someone tapped on her shoulder roughly, asking her to join the rest..
****
-10-
"Omar"
- If you think I'll go with this play forever then you’re mistaken..
I gritted my teeth in rage, trying to look tough, but the irony and confidence in his eyes didn't seem to differ a bit.. I angrily looked away or else I'd jump on him smashing his high-in-the-sky head..
- And if you think yourself smarter than me and can get rid of me, I'm afraid to tell you that you're the mistaken one here..
He grinned at me before taking another sip from his drink.. The damn conniver made all the possible precautions and..
- What could be possibly preventing me from getting rid of you right now..?
I was angry that I had to try the cigarette lighter twice before I could manage to light the damn cigarette.. He rolled his sunglasses between his fingers uncaring..
- Maybe because of the fact of the too many witnesses with us now..? Maybe because of the fact of the envelope I left at my lawyer's office like I told you before..? The envelope should matter to you because it contains the whole story, which will guarantee you a nice vacation away from all troubles in jail, and you won't have to worry then about disturbance of bastards like me and..
I threw my cup roughly on the table shrieking:
- I got your point.. Till now are you planning to continue this..?
He lit another cigarette, grinning at me..
- Mmm.. I like smart questions.. I guess till I collect enough money or till you die.. Whatever happens first..
Dammit.. I watched him having his drink all smiling, before grinning at me again while placing his cup on the table again..
Sure there was a way to get rid of him for good.. Murder wasn't an option unfortunately.. Not because I was a nice guy or something, but rather because of that bloody envelope.. Maybe if I could find a way to get rid of the lawyer as well..? Maybe if I could manage to get him into trouble and my only condition to save him is to handle me the envelope..? Too dreamy solutions I'm afraid..
I looked at the people sitting around us, thinking.. My eyes went to the far window, trying to work my brain out till I find a solution.. I looked at the girl in the brown dress sitting by that window, and looking around her nervously.. Your situation sure wasn't as bad as mine dear, so no need for all of this edginess..
Why was I that edgy myself..? Because that conniver had proofs I was involved in the bribery of several officials in the process of building my residential tower.. A tower that had been there for two years and didn't get one bloody violation, then a loser like this one comes and thinks he can play smart..? Destroys everything I worked for and every penny I spent on the bloody project..?
But unfortunately the winning cards (That were the record for me with the chairman of the district, with a copy of the cheque I gave him, and God only knew how he got these..) are with him, and no way I could get them except by following his instructions, which were simple ones.. Just one million dollar transferred to an account in a Swiss bank
(Damn.. Too predictive..)
He shall give me the number and name of that account on the exact same day of the transfer..
What will happen next..?
I sure knew what would happen.. It'd be a false name that will disappear from existence together with the money in two hours at most after the transfer, and sure I couldn't call the police or else there will be questions and investigations and I'll be caught with them, since my business career wasn't exactly the cleanest if you know what I mean..
Then I'll have to wait miserably till he sends me the only copy of the documents and the records, as he promised me, hoping that it'll be the last cooperation between us, though I doubt this last point..
- I gave you my word.. You think I'm a child or something..?
He pretended to feel insulted.. Stirring sugar in the second cup of tea I had In this bloody meeting, I answered him in boredom:
- Sure not.. You're just a conniver sugar..
I threw another cube of sugar in the tea after I tasted it, enjoying the rage that appeared in his eyes for a second, then stirred my drink watching as the white solid cube lost its existence in the dark hot drink.. I took a sip feeling my senses coming back to me again..
I raised my head when I heard the voice of the café's glass door opening.. A blondie wearing sunglas
ses and pretending to be mysterious.. She entered, holding the hand of a blonde little girl, that looked like her younger sister or something.. I watched them as they both went to the table on the opposite side of the column from us ..
- What will you do with all of this money..?
I asked him suddenly.. A million dollar.. What can a guy do with this huge amount of money..?
He'll never be able to finish them alone.. I asked calmly.. No anger, hatred, or even grudge.. Just plain curiosity.. I really wanted to know the answer.. Will he travel abroad..? Buy a luxurious apartment..? Go everywhere..? Buy a Mercedes..? But will this really cost a million dollar..? He seemed surprised by the question.. He rolled the glass the waiter just put in front of him between his fingers for a couple of seconds, before saying in a cold tone:
- None of your business I guess...?
Didn't feel embarrassed as I thought I would be.. I smiled as I looked at the TV screen, that was turned on the news, announcing that it was such a sad day for the country because of all the tragic accidents that happened..
The irony was in the TV reporter himself.. A flashy elegant guy who tried to look interested in the poor people's problems and lives, while he was about to burst from his flashiness and his almost glowing teeth..