Chapter XXIII, Part two

I tried to spend as much time as possible with her before my departure back to the states. 4 nights before my departure, I asked her dad to allow his daughter to go out with me. He screamed at me of course rejecting the idea. I tried with my mom to talk to her mom, and that didn’t work good. Then my wife asked her brother to interfere, and he did. After all, he studied in the west and was a little more open. So he spoke to his father and somehow the father agreed on the condition that all 3 of my sisters are present. I’ll take that anyway. So, we picked her up from her home around 4 pm, and went to our house. My brother was driving us. We went to our home first, and spent some time together. At 7 pm, she called her dad informing him that we are going out.

So on the road to “reem elbawaady”, her phone rings every 25 to 30 minutes, which was ok with me after all. We got there, and me and two sisters, along with my wife walked in. My older sister couldn’t make it with us. We sat down and ordered food and a shisha for me. My sisters then asked to set in a different table, and we were ok. I wanted to be alone with her anyway. As I was sitting down, a man approached my sisters table, and was talking to them. I prepared myself to get in a fight with that guy. But one of my sisters signaled me to sit down, so I did while starring at their table. The guy was talking to my middle sister, who then got up, and pushed the guy while screaming at him. I then sat down enjoying the scene of my sisters handling the guy. One of the waiters then came over and pulled the guy outside. I tell you, my sisters are very tough when it comes to guys trying to bug them, so I didn’t worry. I then got up and went to the bathroom. There, there was a guy who approached me asking how much do I charge for the girls. He must have thought that I was a “girls handler” as they refer to it. That’s when I lost it and started beating the guy in the bathroom. As he got out, I chased him kicking, and one of his friends came to rescue him. He managed to hit me very hard, but luckily, a couple of waiters came to rescue me. When they asked about what happened, I told them exactly what happened and how I can not enjoy a dinner with my family, so they took care of the guy pretty good.

So I sat back down, and managed to have her wipe a couple of blood drops off my mouth. That was a great feeling. The problem is the blood was the results of me biting my tongue while I was talking and getting punched by the guy’s friend. Embarrassing to bleed for a silly cause during a fight. Finished the dinner and the shisha, and went outside walking as we phoned my brother to come and pick us up. It was a nice walk where we chatted about everything that could relate to our life. My brother then showed up, and we all got home around 9 pm. Had a cup of tea then dropped her at her home.

In my final day in amman, I wanted her to come with me to the airport. This was a tough task. I mean we had to work pretty hard to convince her dad to let her go out with us in an evening. Imagine me asking him to let her spend the night since my flight was at 4 am on KLM back to the states. But I wanted it so bad. I wanted to be like those lovers in the movies (sure..go ahead you can laugh) where she would waive goodbye to me and I do the same. It’s like as if I was a child day dreaming. I fought hard to get her to spend the night. My whole family and so her step mom and brothers tried hard with the dad. In the end, he caved in to pressure and allowed that to happen on the condition that her step mom spends the night too. In the end, it happened. Her step mom came to me at around 5 pm asking me not to forget the traditions and never do anything that is not from our traditions. I promised them. We sat outside by the fig tree in the back yard of my dad’s home, and we talked and talked, laughed, dreamed together, and planned our future together. Sadly, when you are enjoying your time, time seems to go too fast. Before we know it, my brother comes to us telling us it’s time to go to the airport. So at 1 am, we drove to amman international airport, and I had my brother and sister with me along with my wife to be. After checking in, we sat and had some refreshments. Then the time came for my departure. After hugging and kissing my sister and brother, it was time to tell her goodbye. So I extended my hand to shake, although I wanted to hug her so bad. We did marry in the court, and it wouldn’t be a sin. But the words of her step mom were still ringing. So I extended my hand, and she looked at me with a sad look. But couldn’t hold off, so I ended up hugging her a goodbye hug. It may have lasted for a minute or so, and never wanted to let go. Then I went up the stairs in the airport, and looked back at her. I guess my dream came true as she was waiving goodbye, just like the movies.

The first thing I did upon my arrival, is calling her. I started calling her every week, at her work. Sometimes I call her house, and after 30 minutes on the phone, I hear her step mom yelling from a distance asking her to hang up the phone and save the money for our home instead of wasting it on phone calls. Then we started chatting on msn and I started to act and look like a teenager in love. Not a whole lot happened in the 1 months between the two trips to amman, but I finally managed to go to amman after we finished the US immigration work for her to join me. It’s now time for the wedding.

So we had our wedding in amman. I had only 2 week vacation, and we needed to act fast. The wedding was arranged. Then her dad suggests to have a separated wedding parties, one for women and one for men. I honestly didn’t care either way. My family didn’t like the idea. Eventually, we ended up having a separate wedding parties. If you ever go to an “all guys” wedding party, it looks like a funeral. Guys sitting down sipping coffee or cold drinks while talking about…again politics in Jordan. The funny thing is I was sitting along side my wife, in the women’s section. As if I wasn’t considered a guy anyway. Oh yes, I saw girls dancing, so why the wedding was a separate one? Oh well, it happened, and I enjoyed it.

Then it was over. Now, I have made so many bad decisions in my life, but that night was probably the worst. You see, my wedding was 3 nights before our trip back to the states. I wanted to stay in a hotel those 3 nights. My dad and mom raised hell and they swore that they won’t attend the wedding unless I staid those nights in my parents home. Now, visualize with me the following. Two newly wed people, in their first night, and spending it in my parent’s home. Nevertheless, they had their way and I stayed with them those 3 nights. Do I need to go in details here? One side of me itching for a yes answer, and it is wining the battle. Lets see how far my other side can withstand this details. The first morning, I walked outside the room, and there she was standing waiting by the door. It was my mother, and she quickly rushed in. I held her telling her “yo mom..where you goin?”. She pushed me aside and went inside and closed the door. Oh my God, where am I? Then I walked and there were my sisters giggling and my father giving me the look of “how did it go?”. Ok..ok no more details, but I tell you, those 3 nights were really a nightmare.

We then flew to the states. Aaaah finally we are going to be home alone with no hassles or troubles. She was still scared and shy. Of course, she was crying now that she is away from her family. How can anyone have a honeymoon like that? Regardless, we managed to live life and be happy when we could, and be sad when we had to. But life in the states, for two people, living together in home, is not that easy in the beginning. And just like all marriages, it was rough in the beginning. I mean we are talking about 2 strangers getting together under one roof, in one room, on one bed. So yes we did have problems early one. She liked this, and I liked that. She cooked this and I loved to eat that. She used this and I wanted her to use that. Yes, we had our disagreements early on. Just like the time when we……ok..I’ll stop for now and continue in another time. My fingers are getting tired and I can hear her calling me to have dinner now. True that I love you, but I love dinner more. See you tomorrow.