Emeralds

Twenty-eight.

Twenty-eight

[Adam]

  

"We'll take two cups of hot chocolate please," I tell the waiter at Coffeeshop Company, Cairo International Airport branch.

"This is so exciting!" Leen says when he's gone. "I have travelled a few times with my family, but this is different."

"I have been travelling my whole life," I say, making myself comfortable on the chair, "and this is quite different." She smiles at me and continues reading Twenties Girl. "That's too girly!"

She looks at the book cover innocently, "Well, guess what, I'm a girl."

The waiter comes back with our order, Leen holds her cup and wraps her fingers around it. "This feels so warm; the AC is too strong."

"Yeah kind of. Why haven't you brought a jacket?" I look at her floral shirt and black skirt.

"I didn't think it'd be that cold, winter is over," she shivers.

"Take this," I take off my jacket, get up and throw it over her shoulders.

"Oh," she looks taken aback. "Thank you."

"Are your cheeks turning red?" I laugh.

"No, they are not!" she says defensively touching them, which only makes me laugh harder. "It feels so warm," she says wrapping her arms around herself, taking in the warmth of the jacket.

"You're so cute," I say looking away but can already feel her blushing.

Half an hour later, they call for our trip. We walk through the tube and into the plane. The flight attendant smiles at us and we take our seats in First Class. When the plane starts taking off, I notice Leen's hands tighten around the armrest that her knuckles turn white.

"Are you scared?" I ask in amusement.

"Yes," she answers nervously. "No matter how many time I've been on a plane, and no matter how much I love travelling, I'll always be scared of planes." She says hysterically then stops abruptly as the tires leave the ground. "Oh my God," she says. "Bismillah (In the name of Allah), oh my God."

I can understand how she's feeling, but it doesn't change the fact that this is hilarious. I try so hard not to laugh, I put my hand over hers and tighten my grip - can't containing the joy of holding her hand finally. "It's okay," I tell her, "planes are the safest means of transportation."

"I'd believe that when there's a ground below my feet," she says closing her eyes.

When we are safe in the air, Leen relaxes a bit. She busies herself with reading, and almost finishes the book when I pull it from her hands and close it.

"What is it?" she asks.

"I'm bored, talk to me," I say putting the book away.

"That's too childish Adam!" she says unbelievingly.

"Well-" I start saying when she interrupts me.

"You can't imagine how happy I was when you told me we're going to Paris," she says. "Although there are a list of places that I've always wanted for a honeymoon, but there had always been that special thing about Paris. You know the Eiffel Tower, the river, the lights, and how it's always the city that resembles love and classiness in any movie. Also I've always wanted to put a lock on that bridge, and maybe come back ten years later and look for it." When she's done talking, she looks at me and smiles sheepishly, probably thinking she sounded a little childish and cliché, or maybe she still didn't get used to talking to me so openly, but all I can think is that she's cute, she's beautiful inside and out. She's a little girl that will never grow up, and I can't help feeling like her father. I put an arm around her shoulders and gently pull her head towards me and let it lay on my shoulder.