Her Side of the World

Chapter 14

After the beautiful day we spent together on Monday, Mariam asked if I would like to go to her place someday. I told her I would think about it. I honestly thought it was a little bit weird. Why would I go to her place? Where her parents and her siblings live? We are neither dating nor best friends. No matter how close we feel and how much time we have been spending together. Nevertheless, when I talked to both Danny and Nader about it, they both laughed at me. Expected. They explained that it is out of hospitality that Lebanese people always invite others to their homes. It is not only extremely common, but also sometimes a must. They enjoy having people over and treating them with all kinds of food and warmth.

So I texted Mariam that day and told her that I am in. And the date was set to be on Wednesday. She said we will study together at her place as well, since we have a big exam coming up.

Today is Wednesday. And I waiting for my last class to finish before Mariam and I leave to her place.

When I meet Mariam next to Main Gate and we walk to her car, she is so happy and keeps talking about how I will meet her siblings and parents. I am not used to this and it is so, so far away from my comfort zone. But I decide to do it anyway. Because it will make her happy. And because this is what I believe life is about. I flew all the way here to go out of my comfort zone. I am not changing my mind now.

The whole ride to her place, my hands are shaking. I almost scream once or twice and Mariam notices. She assures me that there is nothing to fear. but the way Mariam is driving, the speed of her car as well as all the others, the way motorcycles surround every side of the car as though planning a raid, and the way some cars cross red lights without warning, all of this is getting on my nerves. Mariam herself does not do anything particularly illegal. But her driving is still fast and... well, strange. Perhaps the reason I have not seen this part of the Lebanese roads is because I have always been in either popular or touristic places. And right now, I am getting just what I was asking for. My death, clearly.

We arrive at a normal, very average neighbourhood in the suburbs of Beirut. We get out of the car and Mariam leads the way, like always. We go up a building using the stairs.

"No electricity." Mariam gestures towards the elevator. "But don't worry. I only live on the third floor."

Cool.

We get there and Mariam knocks on the door. Just after the knock, you hear some shouting, and what I believe to be more than one person's footsteps approaching. Here we go.

"Hello!" A young girl who opened the door says happily. Another one standing beside her is almost her same age. 

Both Mariam and I answer and Mariam goes in before me. She looks around. She asks about her mother in Arabic, I think. She says Mama. I can say that confidently. Then she offers me to come in.

She points towards the living room and tells me she will be back. Both her sisters, follow me in and sit in front of me. Each one of them completely different than the other in both the way they look like, and the way they look at me.

"What's your name?" One of them asks me with a perfect accent. The younger one, I believe.

"Caleb."

The other giggles and tries to hide it. I am not sure why.

"You?"

"I'm Reem. And this is Amar. So you're American."

I smile at them. "Yes."

"How is America like?"

"You know. Much different than here, for sure."

"I know. Much better."

"I'm trying to figure that out."

"You will have your answer when you come here a few more times and use the stairs every time. Or in summer when no AC is available." she answers me laughing.

Reem looks pretty young for her talk and her accent.

"How old are you, Reem?"

"I'm twelve."

"Where did you get your accent from?"

"I work hard on myself." Reem says lifting one eyebrow, as if she could not care less. She is so confident for her age it is a little funny. "Je peux parler encore mieux le Francais."

"What? What was that?" I am shocked.

"Shut up Reem. Everyone can speak French." Amar tells her, poking her.

"I can't." I tell them. "But I did notice that many students at the university speak French. I assumed you had many French citizens here."

"No we don't. We just have many Lebanese people who can speak French. By default, we can speak three languages. This is what we are taught in school."

"Wow."

"Yeah, I know, impressive. So what are you doing here?"

"Reem!" Mariam enters the living room. "Is she showering you with questions?" She asks me.

Reem and Amar laugh a little and leave the living room.

"Can you speak French too?" I directly ask.

"Yeah."

"Wow."

Mariam, unlike Reem, does not find this very impressive. I can tell from her look.

"Mom is preparing lunch. It'll only be a few minutes. So tell me, what's up with that girl; Farah?"

"What do you mean What's up?"

"Like you know. There's a vibe."

"There's no vibe."

"There's definitely a vibe."

I shake my head.

"Then be careful of leading her on." she says.

"Lead her on?" I laugh. "We barely speak anything personal and I never flirted."

She nods.

Her mother comes in. She is dressed in a traditional abaya and a veil. Very presentable."

"Hello. How are you doing?"

I make sure to put my hand on my chest, the way Nancy taught me. And Mariam's mother directly looks impressed.

"I'm good Ma'am and you?"

She smiles. "No Ma'am here. You can call me Khalto."

You would expect after her asking of not calling her Ma'am that she would ask me to call her by her name. But that's not the case here. Khalto means my aunt in Arabic.

I nod and smile. This is going to be fun.