Coming Home (English Version)

8 . Bangs

Dubai, 2001.

Layla fiercely knocked on the cream colored wooden door. She tried to turn the handle but it was locked.

"Hamdan, come on!" She pressured and knocked again.

"What?" Hamdan said as he opened it up.

Layla squeezed herself into the bedroom. "Close the door!" She demanded.

Hamdan followed instructions with a puzzled face. "What are you doing wearing a hijab?"

Layla was walking in circles with teary eyes. "I know that yesterday I said I was never going to talk to you ever again but I did something really stupid."

Hamdan got closer, his confusion was turning into worry when Layla stopped in front of him.

"What happened?" He asked.

Fourteen year-old Layla inhaled deeply. "I tried to cut my own bangs and I messed it up."

He froze for a moment, then snorted and started to laugh.

"It's not funny, Hamdan!" She cried.

He tried to breathe and compose himself. "Okay, okay! Let me see!"

Layla slapped his hand when he tried to reach her hijab.

"No! Wait!" She dried her cheeks with the back of her hand. "You have to promise me you won't make fun of me."

Hamdan pressed his lips together. "I don't know if I will be able to."

"Fine. Then I'm out of here!"

Layla gave long steps towards the door but Hamdan grabbed her by the arm.

"Okay! I promise I won't make fun of you."

She spun around and they were facing each other again. Layla gave him a death stare before her trembling fingers reached her neck to start taking off the hijab.

A bunch of short strands of hair popped out of the fabric and halfway down on Layla's forehead.

"I'm so stupid! I cut too much!" She cried while covering her face with both hands.

Hamdan wrapped his arms around her but Layla felt his body shaking.

"You're laughing, aren't you?" She guessed.

His chuckle resonated around the bedroom. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! But you look hilarious!"

Layla's sobs slowly turned into laughter as well. She figured it might be the best she could do; laugh at herself.

"What am I going to do?" She wondered.

Hamdan pushed his body back and held her by the shoulders. "Okay, uh... maybe a cap?" He suggested and ran to his walk-in closet. "I have a bunch of them."

Layla stood still, pouting and Hamdan came back with a black sports cap. Brushing her hair back he put it on her head and fixed loose strands with his fingers.

He took a step back and put his hands on his hips. "It doesn't look that bad."

Layla let her shoulders hang and dragged herself to the bed where she sat with a hunched back.

"This sucks." She complained.

Hamdan sat next to her. "It will grow back." He comforted her.

They sat in comfortable silence for a couple of minutes, until Hamdan thought it might be a good idea to talk about something else