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.