Just Make Du'aa

• t w e n t y • s e v e n •

Farouz

I opened my eyes, then immediately shut them again. A searing, sharp pain pierced through my head and the room flooded with light that made my vision blur. In my bleary state of confusion I tried searching for my wife, but the bed felt empty next to me. What is happening? I tried remembering the previous night, and anything that could have lead to this sick feeling in my stomach and the sharp pain in my head.

Nothing came to mind. I couldn't even recall how our date went. What happened? What happened? Then I remembered. I remembered sitting in my office answering emails when Kassandra put a call through to me. I remembered wondering why she didn't notify me first. I figured maybe it was Dina, maybe she couldn't reach my cell so she called my office.

But when I picked up, it wasn't Dina, and as I heard the person on the other line speak, I remember my breath stopping. I remember guilt and anger and tears and throwing the phone, watching it land cracked on the floor.

But that's it. That's all I remember. I don't think we would have gone on the date after I got that call. I think we would have stayed here, and Dina wouldn't have left my side. Then why isn't she here?

"Dina!" I yelled, then immediately stopped short, the loud noise made the room shake. I've never felt anything like this before. "Dina," I said more softly.

I opened my eyes to see her walk in. The first thing I noticed was how red her eyes were, like she's been crying. And I remembered the news, how it probably broke her as much as it did me. "How are you feeling?" she asked, her voice held a cold tone that jolted me. What happened?

Shuffling to sit up, I groaned, "I can't remember anything. My body aches, my head hurts, what happened?"

She gasped, her eyes widening, "what happened? You don't remember?" I just looked at her, growing more and more confused by the second. This seemed to anger Dina. Her face started turning red, she held her small hands in fists and her eyes filled with tears. "I waited for you!" she breathed out, "for, like, three hours? I waited at that restaurant all alone for three hours! Feeling more and more stupid by the second. But I never thought you weren't there because you lied! I was worried sick, I thought you were in trouble or you were hurt and I was praying I was being paranoid. I sat there, with I was worried sick, I thought you were in trouble or you were hurt and I was praying I was being paranoid. I sat there, with you as my only thought while you were out–" she stopped talking and took a deep breath, too emotional to continue.

"What?" I asked, "what are you talking about?"

She scoffed, then Dina shook her head, "why didn't you tell me?" Her voice was softer now, sadder.

"Tell you what?"

"Why did you have to lie?"

"What are you talking about?" I started to raise my voice, feeling trapped and panicked because I the harder I tried the less everything about last night made sense.

Dina sat down at the foot of the bed, and I wasn't oblivious to how she made sure I couldn't reach her. That hurt me, but it was nothing compared to what came next.

The things Dina said next didn't make any sense. Stood me up... Tristian... Drunk... Lied to me... Hid things from me... Just when I thought I could trust you completely.

She waited for me to say something, but all I could do was stare past her and try to make sense of what she said. Of what happened, "I don't," I closed my mouth, then tried again, "I didn't... no, that... that didn't happen." She gave me a pitying look, but I just stared back. Nothing she said made sense. Me? Drinking? Me? Drunk? No. No way! That's against my religion, that's against everything I stand for! That sounds like my father, not me.