8 Years Later

It is amazing how people change over time.
It was by pure coincidence that we got to be seated together at the same table that day.
When I shook her hand, it felt nothing like the hand I used to hold for so long.
- Hi, how are you?
She said it without looking at me or wanting to know my answer.
It had been almost a decade since we were together yet amazingly enough she looked just like she did on her freshman year, a complete stranger.
“Just looking at you makes me overwhelmed with happiness” This is what I always used to tell her. Our long talks, our long walks back and forth from down town to our campus, it all seems so oddly distant now.
I wonder what her husband does for a living.

- Sherif, stop teasing your sister; she suddenly came out loudly.
Unintentionally, everyone turned to her. She smiled timidly. Her smile was more or less the same but there was definitely something different in her voice.
One day, driven by teen foolishness as much as love we got into this building after classes has ended. We stood there kissing on the stairs. All of a sudden a security guard appeared from nowhere. We were completely taken by surprise and so was he. He looked rudely at us “what are you doing here? There are no classes now in this building, go!”
We just ran away smiling. We were saved (from probation or may be worse.)

- After the birthday, I’m meeting my friends for a girly outing.
That was my wife. I just mumbled back in affirmation. We were in a birthday of a one year old girl. The daughter of a couple I hardly knew.
Why do they make birthdays for such young babies? Obviously, the birthday girl doesn’t know it and more certainly most of us sitting here don’t care.
We were together for 5 Valentines (Well, actually 4 because during one Valentine we quarreled and did not go out.) However, I think people really in love do not need Valentine. We did not need any occasion to bring each other gifts. We did not need Valentine to go out, dine and dance. We went on Flouka rides and we had an agreement to say “I love you” at least once every week.
We did not even need to talk, that day in the farm, when I put my head on that magic spot just underneath her shoulder and stayed like that for hours.
We also knew that we will not end up together. Lovers from different religions in this part of the world normally don’t.
This did not make much of a difference. We had this implicit agreement that we shall remain together and savor our love as long as we could. “Our love and commitment are much more than a piece of paper”, she used to say.

- Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday, happy birthday…
I wonder where Karim is. He must be playing here or there. I looked around carefully till I spotted him beneath a table not far away from where I am.
As time passed, pressure from friends and family grew to put an end to our relationship. “So, what’s next?” everyone used to say. “You have to breakup and give each other a chance to move on.” On October 16th, we did.

- Sherif, we have to leave. The kids are driving me crazy.
She picked up everything in less than a minute. One kid in each hand waved goodbye and walked away.
My eyes followed her to the door. Then she turned and looked straight at me. I knew she was thinking to herself “It is amazing how people change over time.”