Emeralds

Thirty-three.

Thirty-three
[Leen]

The lesson life insists on making us learn is: life is not perfect.

Perfection doesn't exist. It's a fairytale, like Cinderella and Snow White; it's fiction like Superman. It's a word that is used wrongly in every language and in literature.

However, the imperfection of somethings can make them beautiful and exciting. My life with Adam turned out not to be perfect at last, but the imperfections happen to draw us closer, to discipline our love and provide it with strength and wisdom.

What his mother said on that day is unforgettable, but so is the way he stood defending me, and later on, comforting me. I am thankful that my man is understanding enough to know that not whatever his mother says is right, nor whatever his wife says, and yet he doesn't lose the balance or go biased. He knows where he stands and he will fix it all up without having to side with one against the other.

The way Adam faces our life's imperfections might make people think that Adam himself is perfect. But he is not. Well, no one is. He is perfect for me like I said before, but as a human being in the so-called life he's not perfect.

Three months have passed since the wedding. We had some difficulties getting used to each other's routine and way of living. Adam is like a ruler, a measuring instrument that is too precise to be real. His job is of help, he travels a lot and so it's so hard that he has the time to stay at home and cause much messiness. He's either abroad, or too tired that he's sleeping or laying on the sofa. Or we're hanging out so that again goes under 'not being home'.

He organises the damn shampoo bottles after showering! That's just too much. Maybe for me it's an advantage, but for him to be living with a person like me, that must be total torture.

I would fall asleep with the lap top on the bed, the phone on the floor and snacks on the bedside table. I come back from school everyday at three, imagine the time I spend at home? The days Adam is not here, the house turns into some kind of jungle (yes same risks and dangers). I always trip over all the wires and cables. I sometimes love to study on the floor, and when i have to cook and get some school work done, I do it in the kitchen. Well what am i supposed to do?! Oh and i have a terrible habit of eating lunch and dinner in front of the TV; in the living room.

Of course not all kind of problems are related to this. There's a problem that Adam is just too much when it comes to leaving me alone when he travels, or when i have to go out and it's somewhere far from home. He just goes crazy.

"That was the sound of the wind Adam!" I exclaim through the phone. "I swear everything is okay, I'm perfectly fine on my own, I don't need to go stay with mom!"
"And what if something happens or you need anything?" he asks.
"I'll just call dad or Abed, it's no big deal."
"Leen, just please go stay with your parents until I come back, I'll be away for a week this time. It's too long for you to be staying alone."

He is in Brazil, and he's assigned to stay for a week. He calls me every night to make sure I'm locking the doors and windows well and everything is okay. Salam is staying with my parents, but she's having a terrible flu and I don't want her to leave the house because it'll get worse. I go check up on her everyday after school and head home afterwards. I've come to love this house so much that I don't feel as much comfortable anywhere else.

"Adam, I swear I'll take care of myself and of everything and if something happens I'll call dad and I won't act brave and handle anything on my own. Okay?" I say running out of breath.
He sighs. "Fine."
"I love you," I say cheering him up.
"I love you too," he says and I can feel him smiling even though I don't see his face.