8. The Escape
Brian supervised the drop off the supplies at the war base, along with that; he gave the directions to avoid another road where a bomb was dropped. There the soldiers exchanged manly gestures of handshakes and pets on the back. The atmosphere around Brian sickened him: he longed to get away.
“Hey guys, maybe you could stay here for a while and I’ll come to pick you up tomorrow or something?”
“Why all of a sudden you want to leave us here on a war base? I don’t think that any more people need to be in danger here,” Mark from the supply base complained.
“Hey, hey, chill. How do you suppose we survive here? It’s not like we are being shot at every second. It’s you guys that keep us alive. The supply team.” A soldier from the war base rejected Mark’s silly judgment.
“Yeah he’s right, but we need even more help. For real, why don’t you guys stay here? And Brian, you join in too.” Another war base soldier joined in.
“No, I just need sometime alone. Maybe I could guard for the night?” Brian offered.
“Naa, we’ve got enough guards all right, and you Brian do whatcha want, we’re not gonna force ya.” the hillbilly of the war base ensured Brian, then turning to the rest, ”Haven’t had a good old drink with such a company in a long while.” The crowd cheered him on.
“But remember soldiers, work comes before play. Don’t drink your service away.”
“Yes sir!” Their backs stiffened like one. He glanced suspiciously at their patriotic faces for a second. He called the general of the supplying base: his grumpy voice allowed the plan.
“Have a good night.”
As he left during the afternoon, joy filled him up. He managed to escape. He drove on the skinny streets somehow absentmindedly, then realizing he followed an already familiar path. Seeing a white rounded building in the distance he turned around to find some wealthy civilian with a place for a truck. He paid the Arabic man somewhere around fifty dollars and walked on with a backpack on his back. It felt so much more authentic to walk among Middle Eastern inhabitants than drive. Although he did stir uneasiness with his uniform, but to avoid unnecessary fear, he raised his hands in sign of peace and greeted in Arabic. Some understood him as another curious American trying to help, while others frowned at the strangeness.
He leaned on the wall facing the school, forgetting that its muddy bricks would leave a mark. The bell rang and girls with bags swung across their shoulders came out all in clothes dark as the night. He couldn’t recognize her amongst them, so he stood still. He noticed one girl frozen in place far in front of him; she stood with her classmates who unlike her were filled with energy. He wasn’t sure of her identity still, it could be simple curiosity. After five minutes however, she started walking towards him. As she passed him by, she whispered “Quick, buy something to cover you with and meet me at the restaurant.”
He spent money without regret and entered a food place, hardly a restaurant by his standards, in yellowish Arabic men wear. He spotted the youngest girl sitting in the furthest corner.
“Better! It is dangerous to come here with a uniform on! Why did you come so?” She struggled to express her bewilderment in English.
“How else would you recognize me? I am so glad I could come. Thanks for the advice, now we’re both safer. And your English is good.”
“Me too glad you are here. Thank you. The teacher helps. “They held each other’s hands under the table. Now, up close, he could see her eyes smile with a gentle glow.
“People think me and you lovers,” She softly giggled.
“Well, they are right then.” The dark blue of her eyes lured him closer, and he swore their lips would touch as he forgot about everything around: peculiar smells of foods and spices, watchful people, loud conversations in a barely recognizable language. It would happen again unless…
“I need to go home.” She uneasily leaned back on the seat and was about to stand up.
“Please, stay here a little longer.”
“I cannot. They wait me and worry. They need my help.”
“Could you come back when you are done? I will wait.”
“Please go…”
“I have all this time until tomorrow. I don’t have to go. And I don’t know if I will be able to come again…” The sadness already overfilled him.
“We had enough time.”
“Only ten minutes.”
“Don’t wait for me; I will be busy for a long time. I don’t promise I can come. Don’t go after me, goodbye.”
She disappeared, gliding quickly between the tables, her abaya leaving a breeze behind. With her gone he didn’t know what to do, so he stayed hoping she would come. The noise around disappeared, and eventually he fell asleep.
“Wake up, wake up...” one of the waiters screamed in Arabic, “The restaurant is closing!” Brian nodded blinking with sleepy eyes, and slowly made his way out only to get lost in the darkness outside. Dead silence surrounded Brian, who stood in confusion, but soon he heard someone walking: clearly a woman because of the soft steps she made.
“Ahh!” Sabihah bumped into the lieutenant. “Brian?!” she recognized, “What you doing here?!”
“And you?”
“I...I...just walking.”
“Can we sit somewhere?”
“Sure”, she led him to doorsteps of her friend’s house.
“So, you’re having trouble with sleep? What time is it by the way?”
“Yeah…a little. I think it is nine or more. Don’t you need to go? I can help you.”
“No, please, don’t worry, don’t talk about it anymore.”
“I am sorry. Why?”
“We both know why. Thank you for the note. It made so many things clear.” Her face brimmed with joy
“I am glad you didn’t forget it. How’s Anna?”
“She cried because of the note, but they were good tears.” He kissed her on the cheek and softly spoke in Arabic,
“I love you.” He expected for them to turn to that wild, desperate embrace again, but instead they peacefully sat on the steps, her head resting on his shoulder. A funny-sounding song of an apparently drunk man-his wobbly walk making much noise- disturbed their seclusion. Pale light flicked on across from the couple. A woman yelled at her husband, shutting the door loudly behind.
Sabihah giggled, burying her face in his chest He stroke her soft curly hair.
"Now, it is time for you to sleep, baby."
She nodded, but questioned, “Baby?" He only lovingly grinned. They parted letting go of hands with much effort.
