Coming Home (English Version)

30. Need

Layla

The stunning view of the purest blue sky and white mountains, make Dubai and the ordeal we're facing seem like things from another time, another planet even, situations that occurred millions of years ago. I suppose this is why people like sports like snowboarding so much, because it is an escape from your problems, whether they are big or small. I lean my body over from side to side and slide slowly down the hill in the same motion a snake would do. I float under the crunching snow and feel the cool wind around my mouth; the only part of skin that is not properly covered. I never really enjoyed skiing, to me it was too much hustle to try to keep your skis in place while holding the poles until it all became more tiring than fun. Snowboarding is so much more simple, your hands are free and I think it is the closest thing to flying that I have ever done, once I get in the flow I truly let go of everything and my mind quiets down for a bit.

Hamdan passes by my side at a much faster speed, making a sharp turn he sends a splash of snow that covers me in white bits from head to toe. He keeps going down the hill bending his body over to touch the snow with his hands and jumping over every bump on the road.

Show off.

I position my board straight and lean my body forward to gain speed and try to catch up to him. I pass him but I know he won't leave at that and pretty soon, out of the corner of my eye, I see him next to me. The competition is on, so I start leaning towards his side to push him to the edge of the trail.

"Hey!" I hear him shout.

But I keep cornering him until he suddenly disappears from my sight. I make a hasty turn in the opposite direction to see where he is and that sends to fall flat on my stomach. I see him also on the ground laughing and I start doing the same.

"I beat you!" I shout.

"You big cheat!" He calls back.

Snowboarding is the best idea he could have had. We've been coming here everyday, the first few days the soreness almost kept me from it but I didn't want to let him come all by himself. It has helped us release a lot of tension, even though some fights keep happening every now and then. I simply wish we knew what's happening next, we both want to come back and resume back our lives, but only if we can be together. If the family thinks that it's only a matter of time before we give up, they got it all wrong because I don't see us parting ways after all of this.

We go down the mountain another couple times and then decide to go to the supermarket before finally going to our temporary home. On our way there, I glance over at the wing mirror as Hamdan drives and see the security following us closely in the car behind us. I don't know much about them, only that they are always nearby and that they are staying in the property next to ours. I think there's for of them and they work on shifts, so there's always someone looking out for us, even during nighttime. 

It's nice to do our own shopping, I hadn't been to the supermarket since I got to Dubai because Krisha spoils me. I really miss her... and my house and her cooking. Hamdan never sets foot in this type of places, at least not when he's in the UAE, so it is almost entertaining to watch him go through every aisle, enjoying the liberty anonymity gives him here. He always ends up filling up the cart even when we're supposed to only be getting orange juice, it's like he wants to try everything he sees. He's actually not a bad cook.

Once we get to the house, I take one long hot shower, put on an oversized sweater and head downstairs. Hamdan is laying down on the couch, watching T.V. and I run my fingers through his hair on my way to the kitchen.

"Oh, you've showered already." I exclaim when I feel his damp hair.

"Yeah, you were taking forever so I used the other restroom." He replies dryly with eyes glued to the screen.