Na7lah
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- Islam
I glanced at Khalil’s bed and a pang of worry hit me. I forced it away and went to sleep. The next day after Dhuhr dad gave me a choice of staying at home alone or going with them to pick up Ahmed’s parents. I picked the second one. I’ve never seen anyone as excited as Aisha was while we were driving to the airport. She squealed with delight at the thought of her parents coming home after a month and half. I glued my face to the window ignoring everyone else. Aisha was talking nonstop. When we got to the Airport she jumped out of the car excitedly. She was bouncing all around us when Khawla told her to stop. We walked over to where the passengers would come from. We were sitting on the chairs while Dad went to the reception desk to ask when Amu Rami’s plane would descend.
“We’re three hours early.” Dad sighed as he dropped himself into a chair.
Three hours?! There is no way I’m going to sit here and wait for three hours with out doing anything.
“Dad, I’m gona roam around the airport. Ok?” I asked him. He nodded absentmindedly. I walked away and Ahmed followed me. I was sort of annoyed, I wanted to be on my own, but I just shrugged it of. He was in a better mood then me, probably because his parents are coming home. I ended up following him around.
“Hey I need to go to the rest room.” He said after a while. I pointed to the escalator.
“They’re up there.” I said and we went up. I waited outside. I heard a door open behind me. I thought it was Ahmed but it wasn’t. He was another boy of about fifteen or sixteen. I noticed he was staring at me like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“What?” I asked.
“How did you get here?” he asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Aren’t you the boy in that hotel? With the other two boys?” he asked.
“What hotel?”
“Are you trying to act like you haven’t seen me before? Remember my Uncle knocked that clerk uncautious? That’s kinda hard to forget.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about. Then suddenly a light clicked on in my brain. Khalil! Maybe that’s who he was talking about.
“How did the other boys look like?” I asked him excitedly.
“One was tall and had long wavy hair that came up to his shoulders. He’s the one that opened the door. And the other was as tall as you and he also had black hair, they all looked Arab.” He said.
“You said there were three.”
“Yeah the other one was you. And if he wasn’t you then he was your clone.”
Or my twin I thought. “Where is the hotel located?” I asked him.
“It’s not in this state. It’s in Washington next to…” suddenly we heard a shout and a muscular man came running towards us. He looked beyond mad.
“What are you doing here chatting?!” he exploded on the boy. “You’re here talking to a complete stranger and we’re about to miss our plane. Let’s go!” he grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him away. For a moment I felt sorry for the kid. The man looked merciless. Then Ahmed came out.
“Who was that shouting?” he asked but I was half hearing him. I was overjoyed at the thought of finding Khalil and my friends. I basically ran back to where dad was. Ahmed was hurrying to catch up to me.
“Khalid! What on earth happened to you? Khalid, wait!” he called.
When dad saw me running he stood up and hurried towards us.
“What? What happened?” he asked.
I stopped to catch my breath and told him what the boy said.
“Washington! Do you know how many hotels are in the whole state?” Ahmed asked. “It will take us the whole day. You could have at least found out what city they were in.” he said.
“Well he was about to, but that guy pulled him away.” I answered.
“Ok how about this. Khalid and I will go home by Taxi. Ahmed, you stay here till you parents come. Then you guys can take the car back home. Meanwhile we’ll be looking through the phone book for all the hotels in Washington. We’ll each take a city and check up the hotels if there’s any Khalil, Zaki, or Yusuf there.” Dad proposed.
“It’s worth a try.” I said. Dad walked over to Mom and told her what we were going to do. She agreed. Dad took out his cell phone and told Amu Rashid what was happening and we went outside and caught a Taxi. When we got home dad rushed upstairs. I took a phone book from his office and went to my room for peace. I started with Tacoma. It was a big city and there were hundreds of hotels there. I called each one, one by one. None of them had a Yusuf, Zaki, or Khalil staying there. After three hours I had called all the hotels that were listed in the book. I moved on to Seattle. It was a million times worse. This time I had to go through a thousand hotels.
One of them was located next to police headquarters. I was about to give up. Three more and I’m taking a rest. I thought. I called the hotel which was called Eight Avenue Inn. A man named Jim answered the phone.
“Thank You for calling Eight Avenue Inn. What can I do for you?” he asked.
“Hi. I’m looking for a Khalil. Is he residing here?” I asked.
“As a matter of fact, he just came in with two friends yesterday night. Would you like to speak with him?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Ok, please hold.”
After a while he was back. I’m sorry; he is not in his room right now. Don’t worry I will make sure to tell him that a…what is your name?”
“Khalid.”
“Ok, Khalid. I will tell him.” Then he hung up. I raced to dad’s office and threw open the door. He was just getting of the phone.
“I hope you had more luck then me.” He said.
“Dad! He’s in the eight Avenue Inn in Seattle Washington. I asked the clerk to talk to him but he wasn’t in his room. They’re gona call back when he gets back.” I got that all out in one breath. Dad was so happy. He placed his hand into his pocket then his smile vanished.
“”Oh no! I forgot my cell phone in the airport.” He exclaimed.
Just then we heard the doorbell ring. I went downstairs to answer. Khawla, Khadeejah, mom, Ahmed, Aisha and they’re parents were there. Aisha was in her dad’s hands. I opened the door and let them in. Dad had just come down.
Khawla handed him his cell phone.
“You forgot it on your seat.” She told him. He thanked her and took it upstairs. I guess he’s going to call Amu Rashid. Then I heard my cell phone ringing from upstairs. I hurried up and answered it.
“Hello?” I heard Jim’s voice. “Your brother is here to speak to you.” He said as he transferred me. After a few seconds I could hear Khalil’s voice. I don’t think I was ever as happy as I was right now.
“We’re three hours early.” Dad sighed as he dropped himself into a chair.
Three hours?! There is no way I’m going to sit here and wait for three hours with out doing anything.
“Dad, I’m gona roam around the airport. Ok?” I asked him. He nodded absentmindedly. I walked away and Ahmed followed me. I was sort of annoyed, I wanted to be on my own, but I just shrugged it of. He was in a better mood then me, probably because his parents are coming home. I ended up following him around.
“Hey I need to go to the rest room.” He said after a while. I pointed to the escalator.
“They’re up there.” I said and we went up. I waited outside. I heard a door open behind me. I thought it was Ahmed but it wasn’t. He was another boy of about fifteen or sixteen. I noticed he was staring at me like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.
“What?” I asked.
“How did you get here?” he asked.
“What are you talking about?”
“Aren’t you the boy in that hotel? With the other two boys?” he asked.
“What hotel?”
“Are you trying to act like you haven’t seen me before? Remember my Uncle knocked that clerk uncautious? That’s kinda hard to forget.”
I didn’t know what he was talking about. Then suddenly a light clicked on in my brain. Khalil! Maybe that’s who he was talking about.
“How did the other boys look like?” I asked him excitedly.
“One was tall and had long wavy hair that came up to his shoulders. He’s the one that opened the door. And the other was as tall as you and he also had black hair, they all looked Arab.” He said.
“You said there were three.”
“Yeah the other one was you. And if he wasn’t you then he was your clone.”
Or my twin I thought. “Where is the hotel located?” I asked him.
“It’s not in this state. It’s in Washington next to…” suddenly we heard a shout and a muscular man came running towards us. He looked beyond mad.
“What are you doing here chatting?!” he exploded on the boy. “You’re here talking to a complete stranger and we’re about to miss our plane. Let’s go!” he grabbed the boy’s hand and pulled him away. For a moment I felt sorry for the kid. The man looked merciless. Then Ahmed came out.
“Who was that shouting?” he asked but I was half hearing him. I was overjoyed at the thought of finding Khalil and my friends. I basically ran back to where dad was. Ahmed was hurrying to catch up to me.
“Khalid! What on earth happened to you? Khalid, wait!” he called.
When dad saw me running he stood up and hurried towards us.
“What? What happened?” he asked.
I stopped to catch my breath and told him what the boy said.
“Washington! Do you know how many hotels are in the whole state?” Ahmed asked. “It will take us the whole day. You could have at least found out what city they were in.” he said.
“Well he was about to, but that guy pulled him away.” I answered.
“Ok how about this. Khalid and I will go home by Taxi. Ahmed, you stay here till you parents come. Then you guys can take the car back home. Meanwhile we’ll be looking through the phone book for all the hotels in Washington. We’ll each take a city and check up the hotels if there’s any Khalil, Zaki, or Yusuf there.” Dad proposed.
“It’s worth a try.” I said. Dad walked over to Mom and told her what we were going to do. She agreed. Dad took out his cell phone and told Amu Rashid what was happening and we went outside and caught a Taxi. When we got home dad rushed upstairs. I took a phone book from his office and went to my room for peace. I started with Tacoma. It was a big city and there were hundreds of hotels there. I called each one, one by one. None of them had a Yusuf, Zaki, or Khalil staying there. After three hours I had called all the hotels that were listed in the book. I moved on to Seattle. It was a million times worse. This time I had to go through a thousand hotels.
One of them was located next to police headquarters. I was about to give up. Three more and I’m taking a rest. I thought. I called the hotel which was called Eight Avenue Inn. A man named Jim answered the phone.
“Thank You for calling Eight Avenue Inn. What can I do for you?” he asked.
“Hi. I’m looking for a Khalil. Is he residing here?” I asked.
“As a matter of fact, he just came in with two friends yesterday night. Would you like to speak with him?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“Ok, please hold.”
After a while he was back. I’m sorry; he is not in his room right now. Don’t worry I will make sure to tell him that a…what is your name?”
“Khalid.”
“Ok, Khalid. I will tell him.” Then he hung up. I raced to dad’s office and threw open the door. He was just getting of the phone.
“I hope you had more luck then me.” He said.
“Dad! He’s in the eight Avenue Inn in Seattle Washington. I asked the clerk to talk to him but he wasn’t in his room. They’re gona call back when he gets back.” I got that all out in one breath. Dad was so happy. He placed his hand into his pocket then his smile vanished.
“”Oh no! I forgot my cell phone in the airport.” He exclaimed.
Just then we heard the doorbell ring. I went downstairs to answer. Khawla, Khadeejah, mom, Ahmed, Aisha and they’re parents were there. Aisha was in her dad’s hands. I opened the door and let them in. Dad had just come down.
Khawla handed him his cell phone.
“You forgot it on your seat.” She told him. He thanked her and took it upstairs. I guess he’s going to call Amu Rashid. Then I heard my cell phone ringing from upstairs. I hurried up and answered it.
“Hello?” I heard Jim’s voice. “Your brother is here to speak to you.” He said as he transferred me. After a few seconds I could hear Khalil’s voice. I don’t think I was ever as happy as I was right now.