The House of Life

Chapter 1

Foreigner, alien, an outsider. Those were only a few words that would describe my status when I arrived here in Cairo Egypt, almost 2 months ago with my close friends, Isaac, Bernard, and David. If not for their tragic end, I would have been home in Silver City, sharing whatever extra time I had from studying medicine, by being with them and splurging our riches on good times and drinks. At least that's what they would have wanted, but no one really cared for what I wanted. From the beginning, all I wanted was to keep my friends safe, but even I failed at that. Now, here I am trying to get back home with what very little I have left of their memory and of my sanity.

The constant ringing next to my ear was the only thing that I kept hearing while holding the receiver end of the phone to my ear. I was trying to get a hold of my father, to tell the news of the recent deaths of my friends. Not that I wanted to talk to my father at all, but it was the only number that I remembered. I guess you can say I had some hope that one day I would be making this call under better circumstances, but it was just wishful thinking.

Tapping my fingers on the table, I am reminded of my previous injury to my hand, with only a bandage to stabilize it as it was in the last stage of healing. 'It's only a hairline fracture. It will heal in no time,' the doctor in Cairo implied. But the lingering pain that stayed is still a nuisance to my everyday life.

I hung up the phone as there was still no answer. I rubbed my head, contemplating how I was going to break the news to the families and loved ones of my friends, but it was starting to become challenging. Especially when my, no good, father can't even manage to answer a damn phone call. I slammed my hands against the little table almost knocking over the only way of communication I had to the states.

I walked in the dining room, to see Rick and Jonathan already eating their food, along with Qasim, who was waiting patiently until I had arrived to start eating and Evelyn preparing my plate in the kitchen. I started living in the Carnahan house just recently when Evelyn found Qasim and I wandering the streets of Cairo. No home to call our own and no money to our name, we were scrounging what we can to live. If it weren't for Evelyn's kind heart, we would still be homeless in a foreign land. When I walked to the kitchen the smell of breakfast was very nostalgic, like what you wake up to on a Sunday morning with breakfast already made. Evelyn served some of her hard boiled eggs, her version of pancakes, along with coffee to complete this breakfast. I went to sit down next to Qasim as I started eating Evelyn's meal that she prepared.

"I take it no luck with your father." Evelyn asked. I grunted as she already knew the answer to her own question. "I'm starting to think that your dad may not be there anymore, Anna." explained Rick. I pinched the bridge of my nose in frustration as I was in no mood to talk about my dead beat father. "No, here's there. He's probably too blacked out drunk to know how to operate his phone." I argued. The room grew silent as I don't like talking about my father and when I do, it is usually with intention to besmirch his image. "This is the fifth day you've called him, you would think he would answer at least once," said Jonathan.

"Yeah, you would think so" and I left it at that, continuing to eat as I try to come up with a solution to my dilemma. Now that I can't get a hold of the families, I also had no bodies to show up with for the funerals either. Then there was also the problem with Qasim. With no family left, I have been taking care of him. I had plans on leaving Cairo to go back to the states, but now I don't know who I would leave him with. I wouldn't want to leave him with Rick and Evelyn as they were already so generous in giving us a place to stay. I would say Ardeth, but I haven't seen him in almost two weeks. I was beginning to wonder if he even remembers our agreement to meet back at that museum. Frustrated with my outcome, I ate my food swiftly and decided to continue my plans to get back home.

"Thank you for the food Evie. It was delicious." I said while trying to hold in what food I had in my mouth. "Hard to tell you enjoyed it, since you ate it so fast." She said hesitantly.