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.