Have Eliyas ever asked me out on a date?
Sigh, I don't think I even have to answer this question.
So you can imagine how really excited I was!
I immediately jumped to my closet the moment I hang up the phone, examined the section where I usually put the clothes Eliyas buys for me: the "expensive, only for special occasions clothes" section.
I chose a flowery dress, I always go for flowery dresses anyways when I want to look girly.
Speaking of flowery dresses, I used to have a lot of them during my college days, the reason for that being wanting to look beautiful to empress my then boyfriend, Azziz. In fact, I did a lot of things to empress that money washed man, often good things, but sometimes quite stupid.
One good thing was growing my hair tall, I inherited excellent by nature kind of hair, so dark, strong and heavy. If I should praise anything at all about me then it should be my hair.
I didn't make much effort in styling it however, since when I try to make waives out of it, within an hour or two it just goes back to being plain flat. When I try to put it in a high ponytail, it slowly slides down until it creates a weird bump on the back of my head while the front looks even more flat than the normal. As for buns, I'm not a scientist, but i guess because of the weight of my hair the buns just never survive for a whole day, especially when I run to catch the student's bus, I end up looking like I've just been in a fight and my hair was pulled.
I'm not very expert in the art of dealing with my long version of hair, so at the time, i mainly just let it down all the time, or braided it on rare occasions. That adding to my petite figure, my small face and tanned skin, I looked rather "cute" than "attractive".
Nevertheless, it was at those times that I looked the most beautiful, it's such a pity that Eliyas and I were on bad terms for most of that period, if we met more often, I would have felt more confident that he would remember what I believe the best version of me.
My hair is much shorter now, and I undoubtedly look a couple of years older.
As I examined my reflection on the mirror I tried to find positive changes from my younger self, and I fortunately found two:
1- definitely curvier.
2- I can do makeup better than that time.
When I finished preparing my self I looked beautiful and refreshing, my makeup was ok, I put a lot of lipstick if I have to be precise, the long flowery dress was pale blue with greys, I'm really not very knowledgeable about the shades of colours, but it looked very elegant and expensive, more importantly, it suited me, and I felt beautiful.
I held my bag, then I excitedly went out of the villa and waited for Eliyas at the interior gate.
When he finally arrived, I was so happy to see him that my smile went from ear.
The chauffeur was driving the car, So my very handsome husband was sitting it the back seat, the moment the car stopped in front of me I didn't even wait for him to get down and see me first, I quickly opened the door my self and jumped in the seat beside him.
_" Are you really doing better?" he asked soon I closed the door.
These were not exactly the words I expected to hear first, I was somehow disappointed.
Ok, I know my cold workaholic husband is very unromantic, I mean he only remembered to take me out in a date after almost 4 years of marriage, but saying words like "you look beautiful" won't kill him! How can he be so blunt?
Let me make this point very clear, I rarely dress up, my face is almost all the time without makeup, and I don't smile quite often! Only a blind won't notice that I looked positively different!
I turned to give him a very impatient look, then replied:
_"I was very fine even yesterday, it's just a low fever, most likely out of distress as you said."
He nodded very coldly, then didn't say any other word!!
Since this was the case, I swore not to speak with him as well unless he talks to me first, and I made sure to express my displeasure all along the way: I sighed, humphed, flipped my hair, flexed my neck, gazed at him, ignored him.. Etc.
Still, someone was too busy in his own thoughts to notice my existence at all.
I even considered stepping on my pride and calling him "love" again to revive his affections and enthusiasm, but I finally didn't.
I kept raising my hopes that at least we'll go to some fancy restaurant and have an expensive lunch, maybe I'll encounter some members of the high society as well, it is for this chance encounter that I dressed up so elegantly after all, in case someone tried to mock my appearance like they did few years ago.
After minutes on the street though, I started noticing something very odd: the road which initially seemed only awfully familiar, I finally remembered it's the way leading to my old college.
_"Where are we going?" I logically asked breaking my vow of silence.
_" You'll know once we're there." The extremely unromantic Eliyas replied.
And yes, we just stopped at my old college at the end, like I predicted long minutes earlier.
If he wanted to surprise me, he should have at least covered my eyes or something, at this point, I lost every hope that this heartless senseless creature was going to save our date anyhow!
There was no place on the college's surrounding deserving of spending a date at! I mean I studied there and had a boyfriend so I'm speaking out of profound experience, there's nothing there! Only few fast foods( restaurants), shops, bus station and the freaking libraries!
_" Why are we at my college?" I asked very displeased, I was beyond the point of trying to conceal my total loss of excitement.
_"I'm taking you somewhere nearby." He replied.
He gave orders to the chauffeur to park somewhere close and wait for his call later, then opened his seat's door and walked out of the car.
I soon followed him, then walked beside him around the very familiar area, I was undoubtedly having a lot of my memories back as we did, the college season hasn't started yet so the street wasn't so crowded like it used to, still it looked exactly the same, I felt very nostalgic.
This nostalgia soon disappeared however as I started noticing something very bothersome: a lot of female passers by admiring my husband!!
I know he's a famous businessman and everything, but I highly suspect that the admiration and daring looks he received were because of his capabilities in the business field, they practically ate him with their eyes only because he's very handsome!!
I would have let this matter slide if I received the same treatment from the masculine audience, but I didn't!
I soon held his arm tight, made sure that my wedding ring was showing and sparkling, then I threatened him as we walked with our bodies almost merged:
_"this place we're going to, better be close for your own good"
He smiled seeming rudely rejoicing in my suffering and replied:
_"we're almost there."
Ladies and gentleman, just guess where he took me?
The utter disappointment.
He took me to the nearest garden to the college!!
I tried to give him one last chance and I asked:
_" Eliyas, are you bringing me here for our date? This is it?"
_"Yes." he replied with a smile.
I lost every faith in that man.
Fortunately, I'm a very tolerant person, I didn't even scald him since this would be only a loss of my energy, I just followed him as he walked around the small public garden without saying a word.
At some point, i let go of his arm as well since I didn't feel like fighting for him anymore, what is the use of marrying a handsome and rich man anyways when he's very stingy and clueless? others can have him, i don't mind anymore.
But when I did this, he held my hand tightly instead to my surprise and continued walking peacefully until we arrived at some specific spot, he then stopped, pointed to the bench in front of us and said with a large smile:
_"this is it."
It was hard to remember this bench at the beginning, but once I did, I felt a stubbing pain in my heart.
Back when I was in college, whenever Eliyas came to visit me, this was exactly where our journey started and where it ended.
At the time, I thought his once in a while visits were forced by his father, he took me to tour D city and introduced me to many new places, although I was very flattered, I still felt uneasy especially that this estranged cousin of mine always showed very little enthusiasm and looked rather burdened.
For my pride, I always refused his offer to take me to have a lunch at restaurants, instead, I would bring him to this specific bench at the garden because there was a coffee and snacks cart which used to reside nearby, and I invited him to coffee to pay for the free trips.
He initially refused, it didn't suit his taste maybe, then one day he suddenly said:
_" ok, I will try it."
Ever since that day, this bench became somehow our meeting and end of meeting spot, because once he arrives at the college he would text me saying that he was waiting for me at this bench, and after the touring is over, we would come back again for him to drink his coffee while I keep him company.
I actively chatted, I unreasonably always felt that this cousin of mine who seemed like he had everything lacked simple necessities in life like proper social interaction, so I decidedly took care of that when we met, I even sneaked pictures of him and overwhelmed him with my then positive energy, although I did all that, I still cruelly wished for our meetings to end sooner because I had other business to take care of or I wanted to see Azziz instead.
Then one day, I was walking pass this garden then I suddenly thought:
"It has been about 4 months since I last saw Eliyas, isn't it? I guess he's very busy lately"
For 4 months, I didn't even notice his long absence, even when he never actually came to see me again, I never wondered why he wasn't free anymore, actually, I was even relieved not to see him.
It wasn't until recently that I finally knew about his reasons: in the very last time I saw him, I told him I had a boyfriend.
It has been many years, only now I understand what the foolish younger version of me lost.
_" did you come here recently?" I asked with a tight throat looking at my husband.
He steadily walked towards the bench, cleaned it like if he did this a thousand times before then replied:
_" No, It has been years."
He sat down, pointed to the empty space beside him for me to sit down, and continued:
_"But when I thought of taking you out on a date, this was the only place that came to my mind, after all, I came here for pretty much all the dates I had."
Needless to describe how awful I felt hearing this, I mean, this man considered those weird outings dates.
Logically thinking though, they were dates actually. We were not friends, nor real cousins, why would he waste his time on me if it was not dating and getting to know each other? Knowing him more now, I can confidently say he probably waited for the right chance to open the topic of marriage with me, being the strict and conservative man he is, he didn't acknowledge the "boyfriend/girlfriend" relationship, not in a thousand years he could have asked:
_"will you go out with me?"
He could only ask:
_"will you be my wife?"
And for this question to be asked without being rejected, he needed to wait.
I was wrong for giving him false hope, but I can't blame my self for misunderstanding him.
We all have our thoughts and feelings after all, if we want them to reach others, we have to deliver them properly and not just expect to be understood when we're being silent.
I didn't want to keep feeling like I was the dumbest and cruellest woman on earth, so I soon decided to divert my attention by asking:
_"Eliyas, What happened yesterday with Ines and Akrem when you met them? They left the villa this morning, I don't think this was your order."
He sighed, looking burdened then replied:
_" I didn't ask Akrem to leave although in a fit of anger I may have suggested to Ines to leave and reconsider her decision."
_" reconsider what decision?" I asked puzzled.
_" her decision of accepting Mr Ghemmari's proposal."