Sun & Moon: Chapter Five

It was 6 am. The light was peeping from the dark curtains. She grabbed the pillow to help in blocking the light; she didn’t want to wake up yet. She tried to squeeze in more sleep as possible. It was difficult for her to get sleep. It was still a strange alien place; she wasn't used to not having the air conditioner mask all the noises outside. Even though she was in the sixth floor, she could hear the bus pull over at the bus stop at 5 am, she could hear the drunken students sing a long loudly at the wee hours of the morning, she was even able to hear the footsteps and stomps of those who lived upstairs. Sleep became like a precious commodity to her; she was only able to sleep for a few hours per night only when she was absolutely exhausted and in deep sleep.

The light still managed to peep through the pillow, so she grabbed her duvet and covered her head with it. Sighing in relief she started being carried away by sleep until 'Oh MY God'. She got up as quickly as she could. It was the first day of orientation week, which was scheduled to commence at 7 am and she was already running late. She forgot that she would have to walk to campus rather than drive herself everywhere as she was used to. It slipped her mind that it was kicking off today, pulling herself from bed to get ready. There weren’t any housemaids to service her or a mother who would make sure to drag her out of bed and remind her how much time she got left before class was to start. She was alone and in a mess trying to get her uncooked breakfast ready while ironing her clothes. All the while expecting that her traditional black kohl liner and MAC nude lipstick would magically make it to her face and draw patterns to wow whoever looked at her. After what seemed eternity, she rushed towards the stairs knowing the elevator would take ages. But then with six inch killer red heels on; the ones she was used to wearing for college back home, she still ran late struggling to walk fast in shoes that weren't designed for comfort.

It was windy and cold with fluffy dark clouds gathering around. The canal nearby seemed so peaceful and serene and the occasional birds flying in made it even more picturesque. The small waves moved harmoniously as people from all walks of life rushed with their bikes to their workplace, school or just to catch coffee. She was shocked to encounter so many people this early. 'Does everyone wake up that early?' she wondered as she started making her way to the university's main building. Trying to clasp her bag from flying off, she got angered at this unpredictable weather. Ever since being locked outside, she has been keen on following the weather forecast so she could dress accordingly. She specifically recalled that the weather forecast mentioned that it was expected to be sunny with clear skies. It wasn't sunny at all. It was extremely windy, cloudy and dark. She still felt sleepy and her legs were already aching from the walking. 'Definitely not the perfect day for my first day' she yelled at her soaring feet only to get distracted on how beautiful of a fit those red shoes were; it complimented her feet and elongated her short legs perfectly. It was the exact pop of color she needed for her monochrome outfit with the black buckle strap settling beautifully on her feet. Feeling a sudden outburst of more pain, she scolded herself not to wear heels ever again if she were to walk on the jagged pavements across town which were anything but smooth.

Ring ring ring....

A bike bell rang from behind her while the wind blew off her hair in all directions. Trying to get her hair strands away from her eyes seemed to be an ordeal as the bike bell rang again. She chose to ignore whoever it may be. It might be an Indian worker asking if he could be her porter, was all she could think of. She forgot for a tiny moment that she was in Europe. After getting her henna dyed hair tamed and into a ponytail she suddenly heard 'Can I give you a lift?' from a deep husky voice which sounded familiar. 'Right' she rolled her eyes and chose to walk away ignoring the one behind her. 'Need a ride?' the voice was even much clearer and way more seductive than the last time she heard it. This time, she couldn't help but stop and turn around. It was a habit of hers that the first thing she would notice in someone was the pair of shoes adorning their feet, and this time was no exception; she took her own sweet time examining the spotless black and white converse pair. They would have looked absolutely brand new if it weren't for a tiny black streak at the right side of the left shoe. The black pair matched up with the dark vintage denim he had on, which in turn matched the green hoodie he was wearing. It was him again, with that lethal smile. The smile that was so contagious it would make you smile back. She still couldn't help but stare at his white teeth. It was too fascinating to miss out on. 'So?!' he interrupted her thoughts on how possibly could he maintain such a set of teeth. 'Need a ride?' he patted the back of his bicycle signaling for her to hop on.

With her feet screaming out for comfort, and the distance she still had to walk was a fairly long distance. Her heart wanted to say yes but then her mind took control of her tongue as she politely declined and said no with a smile which was nowhere close to how breathtaking his was. 'You sure?' he asked her again and she nodded in agreement. 'Well you give me no choice but to walk you to campus' he said as he came off his bike and started to drag it to his side walking towards her. 'Wabooy' that typical Omani accent accidentally escaped from her mouth shocking her; she wasn’t expecting his reaction to be so.

 

With the golden rays of the warm fuzzy sun taking its rightful place on the greenery around, the darkness of the clouds got dispersed, the coldness was replaced with warmth and the wind drew to a halt. The birds chirping and bike bells ringing made their way into their ears. For a moment, she was glad she picked the French midi dress she wore. They walked silently for a while. The silence was to him a sign of her bashfulness while to her it was more of bliss. She was still angry at his awful way of talking to her the other day. 'Why did I stupidly agree to let him walk me?' she started getting angry with herself. 'Stupid idiot' she said it out loud. Baffled at her revelation, she looked at him wanting to explain why she said so but eventually chose not to explain herself. 'Whatever, I don't owe him an explanation. He's not even a friend' she told herself and continued enjoying the scenery. The coffee shops just opened and the chairs and tables were getting more occupied. The aroma of coffee mixed with the fresh breeze; she could smell those buttery breakfast delights along with the coffee, whipped cream and fruits. The sounds of the coffee machines mixed with people's talking making the atmosphere even cozier. The red bricked buildings shone even more as it got busier. The town became more inviting as the sun became warmer. She enjoyed the view, and she started to enjoy the town after not liking it for being too dead and empty during the weekends. But she still had one thing in her mind that she couldn't overlook; how rude he was a few days ago.

'Look I am very sorry' he said sincerely pulling his bicycle close while walking next to her. She looked at him shocked, it was as if they talked telepathically and he exactly knew what was still bothering her. 'I wasn't having the best day the other day, and I am very sorry if I sounded harsh' he explained. It took a simple apology to get her to forget any wrong doing a person might have caused her. After all, she knew how hard 'I'm sorry' was to utter. 'It's okay, I have temper issues anyway' she chuckled trying to ease what she now felt awkward. 'So yeah, apology accepted only if you accept mine as well' she told him as she smiled. 'Phew now that's a relief, and you don't have anything to apologize for doll' he said it in the cutest accent in her opinion; an accent which makes you certain that he isn't a native English speaker, that particular accent she adored. She couldn’t help but blush from the way ‘doll’ made it out of his mouth. Drawing his glossy flawless chocolate hand to hers 'I am Bastiaan' he said catching her off guard. 'Huh?' she paused and stood puzzled. Looking at his eager eyes, he actually wanted to know her name. 'Well, errrr' she tried recalling her name. 'Ohh, my name is Sana'a' she took a deep breath that she actually was able to remember her name and grasped his rough skinned hand into her small olive one and she shook it firmly. 'Wow what a hand shake and might I add a nice lovely name. So where are you from?' he asked her in an attempt to get to know her.

'I come from the Middle East? Oman?'

'Ahhhh Jordan I see, it's very beautiful'

'No no not Jordan. I don't come from Amman but from The Sultanate of Oman'

'Ohh OoomAan'

'You know where it is?'

'Yes yes it is where the country Dubai is ya?'

'Errrm well Dubai isn't a country, it's just a city'

'Oh so you come from Dubai yes?'

'Well no I come from Muscat'

'Why didn't you say that before?'

'What?'

'That you come from Muuuscat'

'I said I came from Oman. Muscat is the capital of Oman'

'Yes yes you have the king who has the white beard yes?'

'Haha yes exactly'

'Okay now I know where it is. My brother works for Shell so I know a little bit about countries here and there'

'Oh that's fantastic. Oh so you are Dutch?'

'Yes of course, but I originally come from Suriname. It's a wonderful place.'

'Aha, so you migrated here?'

'Oh no Suriname is a Dutch colony? So I am Dutch by birth'

'Ahhh okay, that's interesting'

Sana'a felt at ease; she finally had someone she knew by name in a foreign strange country. She felt safe as they took steps forward walking side by side and exchanging simple conversation. She smiled yet again; she felt content and knew that good things were to come her way. She would be happy once more without remembering what haunted her every night. 

Sun & Moon: Chapter Four

Clean sparkling aqua blue floors with lovely Arabian style throw pillows greeted you as you entered. An oriental lavish carpet was taking most of the floor space. A cozy wooden table for two took place outside the bedroom nearby the stove and fridge. A fancy large computer table and bookcase got placed in a spot perfectly set for it; right next to where the newly bought IKEA wooden bed was. The classic lighting was sourced from the traditional eastern lanterns that were placed across giving a feel of an ambient atmosphere, and a beautiful abstract photograph, expressing the calmness and serenity she needed the most, was hung over the bed. She made sure her bed was placed next to the radiator so she could warm herself up whenever she got cold and as well looking out the only window she had whenever she felt blue. 

After three gruesome days, the room was perfect in every way she thought. Until she remembered that she forgot one essential thing to add up to the already existent perfection. 'Oh NO' she rushed quickly towards the stairs and ran as fast as she could. She absently forgot the most important home warming item in her opinion. Opening the main front door of the building in a swift hurry, she felt the gush of cold air cause the goose bumps she was now feeling. It was sunny but with a lovely breeze, the greenery outside was something she would die for. But she was in a hurry to get what she forgot; hoping she would find it where she left it. Heading towards where the bicycle parking space was, she heaved a sigh of relief as she caught a glimpse of the blue and white bag she mistakenly left behind. Moving gracefully to pick up the bag, she started running back inside in fear of becoming a frozen popsicle. The temperatures were freezing for her. The weather back home, even when it was winter, was nothing close to this. It was miraculous for anyone to wear short shorts in this weather she thought, until she caught a glimpse of a group of girls wearing colorful short shorts holding ice cream cones which matched the color of their shorts. 'Ice cream and short shorts? Unbelievable' she shook her head in denial. It was absolutely too cold for summer, she couldn't comprehend how while she was now shivering and shaking, the others actually enjoyed everything about this depressing weather. Remembering how warm she kept her room made her smile happily as she pushed the front door open for it not to open. She pushed it even further only for the door not to swing or move. It was closed shut. The door was locked and this time she forgot something else, the front door keys.

'Fantastic, absolutely fantastic' she said in a voice filled with anger and temper. 'Now what?' she looked up questioning the sky while slamming her hand on the glass door. She was frightened and cold, she was scared of the possibility of someone stealing the cash that was on her desk since her dorm room was open. In an attempt to get herself out of a mess she created on her own, she stated buzzing an odd number of room numbers in hopes that maybe someone might let her in. 'I'm sorry but I don't really know you' was the response she got instead. 'What is WRONG with these people?!' she turned up to the sky questioning again, with her hands gesturing frantically. She looked up in hopes of a magical key to land from above and save her. She wished she was able to use her female charm to get her way into anything like the way it used to work back home. She tried another bunch of odd numbers again praying that she might buzz her way into some Iraqi or Saudi's heart who would open the door for her in an instant only to fail miserably. 'I have no luck eh?' she looked up one last time, this time clouds began forming and taking place over the empty blue clear areas up above. It was absolutely breathtaking how the clouds moved that fast. She was mesmerized every single time it would happen. 'Please help?' she pleaded with all her might.  

'Mag ik u helpen?' a masculine manly voice asked from afar. Closing her eyes with gratitude she said a little thank you and did an unnoticeable happy dance. 'Oh my God yes please. I locked myself outside' she approached him as she said it all in one breath, and forgetting that he may not understand English. 'Ohh sorry...' she wanted to continue but for her to be interrupted 'No problem, a piece of cake, I live here' he responded back in English. She smiled from sheer embarrassment as he parked his bicycle near the exact spot where she forgot her precious bag.  

With his keys fiddling between his fingers, she thoroughly examined the one who was now in front of her. Curly jet black hair, taller than any average height Omani, nice sense of style; white Nike shoes, acid washed Diesel jeans and an amazing mahogany hoodie with white graphics that suited his dark skin tone perfectly. 'Welcome home doll' he said as he opened the door and ushered her in. With his hands on the heavy steel door handle while she walked in, she couldn't help but notice his absolutely out of this world pearly whites. She had never seen someone with a striking smile as he did, and the teeth; they were the most dashing shade of white she'd ever seen. She stared for what seemed to be a very long minute. 'So which floor?' he asked. 'Huh?' she didn't notice that she made her way to the elevator with him. 'Wow, was I staring that long?' she asked herself with a huge frown on her face disapproving what she just did. 'Ehem' he clears his throat. 'FRESHMAN, WHICH FLOOR?' he asked a bit rudely this time. 'Freshman? What makes you so sure that I am a freshman?' she responded back in an even ruder tone. 'Look missy it's a rule of thumb that a freshman always forgets their keys' he said rolling his eyes without even bothering to ask her floor again. Pressing the button to number 6, the elevator doors closed while she felt her blood boiling. 'How dare he just assume stuff without even knowing me' she thought it out in her head. 'WELL SOON ENOUGH’ she said out loudly coming closer to his face while clasping the bag she had in her hand tightly. ‘Soon enough you'll call me an effed up TERRORIST, ha?' her Arabic temper shot up and this time she didn't care how loud she seemed to be. 'WHAT? I didn't even mean it that way’ he started explaining but for her to cut him right through 'I DON’T CARE' she practically shouted out the words as the elevator doors opened and she left without noticing that it was the fifth floor.

Walking down the corridor she noticed that this floor was red and yellow, and not the way her sixth floor was themed; green and blue. The common room was filled with yellow and red chairs, a flat screen TV, another bunch of red and yellow themed decorations all around, which made her feel as if she was living in a nursery rather than a grown up dorm room. She shook her head and definitely knew that she had to accept this and live with it. Heading to the metal stair case, she smiled as she noticed that the stairs were the only thing in neutral color; silver. 

Green and blue walls surrounded her, a gush of hot wind she felt as she walked towards her room. She suddenly felt those goose bumps ease up and the warmth wrapping her like a blanket. It was coming out of her room. She couldn't handle the cold temperatures of summer here. She was used to temperatures of 30 degrees and not 15 degrees. She was used to having her clothes dry in a span of an hour and not depend on a dryer to dry her clothes for her. It would be a tough time to adjust but thanks to the radiator, it made it even easier. She would blast it to the highest temperature and just cuddle up like a baby porcupine to engulf that heat. Taking a deep breath she looked at the room from afar, examining every single detail. How the dark curtain drapes complemented the window, how the bed sheets matched perfectly with what she had in her mind, how the carpet and throw pillows added that exotic cozy touch and how that tiny little decorative shisha in the middle of the Arabic majlis gave the "umph"  factor. She raised her two thumbs with a wide grin. She was happy that it came out exactly the way she wanted it to be; cozy, colorful, and warm. Remembering what she had in her bag, she pulled it out. The final touch to what she would call home; a welcome home rug placed perfectly at the entrance of the door. 

Sun & Moon: Chapter Three

Swallowing the very last milk drops which tasted sweet, exquisite and simply delicious, she surveyed around the room deciding where she should sit and start unpacking. She was determined to fill the empty room that looked strange and unfamiliar to become something refined, chic and with class, exactly the way she was. She settled for the end corner right under the window. The view was exquisite from the sixth floor of her dorm room. The trees in harmony with the wind seemed as if they were singing a lullaby to calm her down. She smiled overlooking the breathtaking view of the empty streets lit with dim street lights beaming on the pavement and doors of the various houses across where she lived. The houses which many had its curtain drew open allowed her to view some of what happened in them. A couple snuggled up in front of the TV as they chuckle and enjoy each other's company, the bachelor who was making himself supper, the family man who was helping out his spouse in bringing in the left over plates into the sink, and the semi nude old man who was feeling comfy on his bed. It made her feel at ease knowing that people everywhere weren't so different. Making herself warm as she leans on to the heater underneath the window, she decided that this was the perfect place to begin unpacking, with her back right on the heater. It would give her the warmth she missed from her family, the heat from the sun she was used to and the comfort of talking to an old friend.

Unlocking the first bag, it all contained essentials her mother thought she had to have; a bag of rice, a bag of sugar, a dozen deodorants, two big tupperware filled with grounded spices, a two year supply of dishwashing soap, fabric softener, toothbrushes, 2 minute noodles, cereal and an endless amount of ration items that would fit inside the biggest Delsey suitcase you can imagine. She shook her head and smiled while placing all of them in the kitchen cupboards, which seemed to fill up beautifully taking away those empty spaces. Soon enough her life would fill up the same way, she thought to herself.

As the hours passed by, and 5 suitcases later. She managed to unpack everything and placing them in their rightful places. From dried canned food, to home warming items to lingerie and clothes; they were all done. One suitcase was left, and that was the one she dreaded opening the most. Seeing her small dorm room, she knew that they wouldn't really fit as everything else. 'They won't fit in these built in shelves' she said as if someone could hear her. Placing her hands on her waist, she tried to think hard but for only one solution to come up her head; to sort them the best she could and deal with it later.

Pouring the only mug she had with tap water, she quickly gulped it all in one go and managed to focus her attention on the unpacking process. Touching the hard surface of the plastic, she felt shivers come across her. She really didn't want to open it and face the reality of what happened and why she was here, but then she had to. Pushing herself forcefully to open the bag, she found what she dreaded. It was the shoes suitcase, the bag which held all of her proud possessions; those breathtaking and yet painful heels, the comforting flats, the cute ballerinas, the trendy trainers and the complimenting wedges. They were all in there waiting to be picked and worn. Her eyes sparkled and fluttered at the site of them. She forgot she had that red pair of boots and opted to wear them on the spot. But then her eyes lay on the glittery multi-colored converse pair and forgot all about the boots. Removing the boots, she hurriedly picked the converse shoes up and shoved her feet into them. But then she got distracted by the Zara classic black pumps and rushed to have her feet savor the sensations those shoes gave her. In a while, she had shoes of different colors and different styles covering her entire floor. But now she drew to a pause. She had emptied all the shoes but for one particular pair. Looking at the suitcase, she saw a brown recycled bag resting at the far left corner. Her heart sank in its place as her eyes started to seem glassy and lifeless. Her hands shivered as her breathing became shallower. It was all those memories haunting her back.

In a final attempt to get her courage altogether, she managed to yank the bag and tear it to reveal her most expensive pair. Holding them in her arms, she refused to lay her eyes on them, she couldn't handle reality. ‘You have to’ she told her aching soul while struggling to with her heart. Taking a very deep breathe, she decided to look at them; those sparkly Swarovski studded shoes, which anyone would say they were the perfect pair for her cute little size 36 feet. But she couldn’t help but feel pain, danger, bitterness and grief. Collapsing to the floor, it all became clearer as she remembered how happy she was a couple of years ago. The images of those sparkly shoes, adorning her beautifully freshly waxed tanned legs decorated with amazing henna, made her cry from heart ache and pain. She felt her head pounding as she pressed on the temples of her head and closed her watery eyes. She could still smell the dahn el oud and perfumes that mixed with her body scent. She recalled the heavy smoky bukhoor that filled the room and the smiles that she got from everyone as she turned to look at them. She reminisced on the white and coral flowers that she picked so very carefully to match with her outfit, and remembered how she looked and gussied herself at the mirror, appreciating the light makeup she chose to highlight her natural beauty; the simple black Arabic eyeliner with soft coral eye shadow and slight shimmering gold bordering her eyebrow, the peach blush that settled flawlessly on her cheeks and nose, her nude lips with a hint of gloss, which matched perfectly with her all lemon green traditional Omani outfit. Everyone was in celebration as they moved to the dance floor while she sat on the coral peach chair which she heard people praising how she and the chair made the perfect combo; a masterpiece. 'No, no noooo' she cried out as she rested her back to the heater. She refused to remember why she was unhappy. She refused to admit and remember the reason she got into depression. 'NOOO' she screamed at the top of her lungs and grabbed her trench coat to head for a breath of fresh cold air.

Black, lonely, sad and cold is how the weather was like, just exactly the way she felt. She needed the warmth of family members more than anything. She was homesick and never gave what she was feeling a thought when she decided to come here. Placing her cold hands into the pockets of the trench coat she started to pace up to warm her freezing petite body. It was overwhelming how life was so empty and dull here in comparison to how it was back home. She was used to seeing shops open at night, the cars filling the streets with their red tail lights, the people flooding the malls and enjoying a snack, the kids running around in those Sindbad amusement parks all over the city. But over here, it was the opposite; all quiet, empty and shops closed at sunset until the next morning. She was almost beginning to lose her sensations in her legs when she passed by a group of restaurants that were open near the market place. Heading inside she opted to have a hot drink before she headed back home. 'Warme chocomel met slagroom’ she told the waiter as he seated her at a table near the stairs leading to the second floor of the restaurant. 

There was plenty of noise coming from upstairs making her feel somewhat at home. She missed those sounds and noises which she almost always lived with; the sounds of her brothers fighting over the PS3 console, or her mom's shouts on why the house is always a mess, or even her dad's occasional yells when he sees that her outfits are too tight. She smiled as she enjoyed the sounds while sipping her hot chocolate topped with a scoop of whipped cream, garnished with some cinnamon powder, and accompanied with a piece of cookie resting at the saucer beside her warm cup. The aroma consoled her wounded soul, and the ambience played with the strings of her heart. Sighing out of relief, she finally felt like home.