Morning came and soon faded away, as well as those days that soon followed.
Soon it had been the passing of three months and neither Rick nor Evy had
heard from one another, yet deep inside still remained the love and pain of
that last day. Nonetheless, they tried to continue with life as best as
possible, she with her work and he with anything that came around. On some
occasions Rick found himself with Jonathan but the subject that burned
within their minds was always evaded. One day while Rick and Jonathan were
at the local Kasbah it she was finally spoken about but not by them.
"Hey John so I hear your sister is getting hitched, man I never thought that girl would ever say yes to anyone. I know from experience, my buddy Reynolds and I were both shot down like crazy puppies," said a young American as he took a sip of his Scotch.
"Yeah well, we all know the only person who'll ever say yes to you is Betty- butt-ugly-dancer," interrupted another American with a sly smile.
"Oh, very funny," responded Trent a bit disturbed by the comment.
While the two Americans continued to insult and ramble about nothing, Jonathan could not bring himself to look at Rick, who at the moment was still trying to make sense of what he had heard. He felt like he was going insane, it was actually worse because at the same time it was as if somebody had stabbed him in the heart. A million thoughts were running through his mind, all concerning Evelyn and ending with the question why.
As they were about to leave, both very drunk, and through his intoxication Rick finally got the nerve to what he had been meaning to ever since he heard the news.
"So, yourrrrr sistah's getting hitched, uh?"
Jonathan at this point was too drunk to understand the question, at which point Rick had to repeat the question a few more times until it finally sunk into Jonathan.
"Uh, hiccup oh…right, yeah. She's um…marrianyaand. Its just some hiccup old chap from back home.hiccup hiccup great guy," his words were slurred, yet Rick heard and understood them all.
The next day, through his hang over and headache, three words kept ringing in Rick's mind. These were marrying and great guy. How could she? It had not been that long since they were still together, and she was already getting married and to some great guy. Once again his thought went back to how could she?
That day Evelyn was going towards her daily activities, which meant spending most of her day at museum. Ever since her last encounter with Rick, her days and life consisted mostly of the museum. It had gotten to the point where she sometimes slept. This was all until two weeks ago, when Christian showed up. Christian Hult was an old friend of both Evelyn and Jonathan. They had known him since primary school. Evelyn and he had even dated before she and Jonathan moved to Egypt. Christian's re- appearances had been great for Evelyn, especially after what she had gone through with Rick. He helped her out of her depression by bringing back memories of the past. He was practically one of her best friends, so when he proposed to her three days ago, she was completely surprised. At first, the thought of it just made her laugh and due to the fact that she did not love him, she refused his proposal. But that was not enough to for Christian who was persistent and continued after her.
The next day Evelyn returned to work. This was the first morning in weeks where her mind was not thinking about Rick. She smiled as she took her route to the museum through the early vendors in Cairo. As she was nearing the Achmanun Cafe, she saw him, Rick. He sat alone at the café. This sparked new thoughts in Evelyn's mind. "Maybe he still loves me and wants me back," thought she. However, her expectations as well as her train her thought were soon shattered by seeing an elegant and beautiful lady sit at Rick's table. The stranger saluted him with a loving kiss on the lips, which he, from Evelyn's point of view, happily accepted and returned. After seeing this Evelyn infuriated and broken hearted walked away. With rage in her heart and without thinking Evelyn turned back, forgetting work and headed for Christian's where she accepted his proposal.
Now at the museum Evelyn's mind began to take its usual path, which was towards, Rick. He was always there plaguing her both with his love and betrayal. Once her mind reached the morning where she saw him with that other woman, she tried to shift her mind in another direction.
"No, its over. You're in love with someone else and from the looks of it so is he. But that doesn't really matter. All your thoughts must now go towards Christian. Christian, oh jeez, I was to meet him an hour ago." After coming to this realization, she rushed out of the museum having forgotten her fiancée, who was waiting for her in order to help her prepare a party for Jonathan's upcoming birthday.
Days Later…
Jonathan had been asked by Evelyn to invite his honorable friends to the party, but those were few. "Honorable?" thought Jonathan, "I wonder what she means by honorable, all my friends are honorable. Ok, maybe not Mickey the Swiss…the belly dancers…oh, and definitely not Muhammad with the one eye. But apart from that they are all great." Jonathan continued on his way to invite his friends, and as he was doing so he ran into Rick.
"Should I invite him? He is my friend and I guess all that stuff between he and Evie is over. They both seem to have moved on. He is with Elin and she is now with Christian. Yes, I'll do it. And he is honorable."
Rick approached Jonathan with Elin, who was the girl that Evelyn had seen him with. Elin Albright was the daughter of one of Rick's superiors in the Legion. They had met a while ago but nothing had ever happened between them until they had seen each other about a couple of weeks ago.
"Hey John and where are you heading to, isn't it too early for people such as yourself to be out at this time of day?" was Rick's salutation towards him.
"Oh, very funny. Hello Elin."
"Hello Jonathan, Rick that wasn't very nice of you" said the girl.
"Anyway so where are you off to?" said Rick changing the subject.
"I was just coming to invite you to a the celebration of the birthday of yours truly. If you don't wanna show up that's fine. I wouldn't either except for the fact that Evelyn and Christian very excited about it." Jonathan struggled a little with what he was saying, especially after he mentioned his sister and her boyfriend's name. He also stopped at that instant because he saw how Rick's facial expression changed after he mentioned them.
"I don't think so…" began Rick and was soon cut off by Elin.
"Why not? Rick we should go. Jonathan is our friend and even though he doesn't sound very excited it is his birthday."
"If you want to go, that's alright with me," said Rick becoming nervous and excited at the thought of seeing Evelyn again.
"Yes" Elin kissed Rick. She was very excited because she hardly ever had the chance to be with people her age. She was always surrounded by her father's friends and their wives and kids who were usually too old or too young.
"So who are Evelyn and Christian?" asked Elin.
"Evelyn is my younger sister and…" Jonathan once again stopped feeling uncomfortable to mention anything that had to do with Evelyn in front of Rick.
"You have a sister? Why don't you ever mention her? Rick, Rick…" said Elin not noticing Jonathan or Rick, except when she never got an answer towards them her question as to why they never mention Evelyn did she finally notice how distracted Rick had been.
"Yeah, uh, sorry. What was that?" asked Rick finally snapping out of it.
" I asked why you or Jonathan never mentioned that he had a sister?"
"Evelyn? I…I guess," said Rick not knowing how to answer.
"Its just that they never really got along. So that is why I never mention her in front of Rick or vice versa," said Jonathan bailing Rick out of his stutter.
"Well, I must meet this Evelyn. How could she not get along with somebody as precious as my Rick? I guess its better for me though for who knows what would have happened if they did get along?" said she seriously but then breaking down with a smile towards both Rick and John.
"Ok, so the party is tomorrow night. Be there around 8pm. It will be at the hotel's ballroom," said Jonathan changing the subject that for Elin had been so funny yet for he and Rick completely the opposite.
"We'll be there," said Elin enthusiastically.
"Hey John so I hear your sister is getting hitched, man I never thought that girl would ever say yes to anyone. I know from experience, my buddy Reynolds and I were both shot down like crazy puppies," said a young American as he took a sip of his Scotch.
"Yeah well, we all know the only person who'll ever say yes to you is Betty- butt-ugly-dancer," interrupted another American with a sly smile.
"Oh, very funny," responded Trent a bit disturbed by the comment.
While the two Americans continued to insult and ramble about nothing, Jonathan could not bring himself to look at Rick, who at the moment was still trying to make sense of what he had heard. He felt like he was going insane, it was actually worse because at the same time it was as if somebody had stabbed him in the heart. A million thoughts were running through his mind, all concerning Evelyn and ending with the question why.
As they were about to leave, both very drunk, and through his intoxication Rick finally got the nerve to what he had been meaning to ever since he heard the news.
"So, yourrrrr sistah's getting hitched, uh?"
Jonathan at this point was too drunk to understand the question, at which point Rick had to repeat the question a few more times until it finally sunk into Jonathan.
"Uh, hiccup oh…right, yeah. She's um…marrianyaand. Its just some hiccup old chap from back home.hiccup hiccup great guy," his words were slurred, yet Rick heard and understood them all.
The next day, through his hang over and headache, three words kept ringing in Rick's mind. These were marrying and great guy. How could she? It had not been that long since they were still together, and she was already getting married and to some great guy. Once again his thought went back to how could she?
That day Evelyn was going towards her daily activities, which meant spending most of her day at museum. Ever since her last encounter with Rick, her days and life consisted mostly of the museum. It had gotten to the point where she sometimes slept. This was all until two weeks ago, when Christian showed up. Christian Hult was an old friend of both Evelyn and Jonathan. They had known him since primary school. Evelyn and he had even dated before she and Jonathan moved to Egypt. Christian's re- appearances had been great for Evelyn, especially after what she had gone through with Rick. He helped her out of her depression by bringing back memories of the past. He was practically one of her best friends, so when he proposed to her three days ago, she was completely surprised. At first, the thought of it just made her laugh and due to the fact that she did not love him, she refused his proposal. But that was not enough to for Christian who was persistent and continued after her.
The next day Evelyn returned to work. This was the first morning in weeks where her mind was not thinking about Rick. She smiled as she took her route to the museum through the early vendors in Cairo. As she was nearing the Achmanun Cafe, she saw him, Rick. He sat alone at the café. This sparked new thoughts in Evelyn's mind. "Maybe he still loves me and wants me back," thought she. However, her expectations as well as her train her thought were soon shattered by seeing an elegant and beautiful lady sit at Rick's table. The stranger saluted him with a loving kiss on the lips, which he, from Evelyn's point of view, happily accepted and returned. After seeing this Evelyn infuriated and broken hearted walked away. With rage in her heart and without thinking Evelyn turned back, forgetting work and headed for Christian's where she accepted his proposal.
Now at the museum Evelyn's mind began to take its usual path, which was towards, Rick. He was always there plaguing her both with his love and betrayal. Once her mind reached the morning where she saw him with that other woman, she tried to shift her mind in another direction.
"No, its over. You're in love with someone else and from the looks of it so is he. But that doesn't really matter. All your thoughts must now go towards Christian. Christian, oh jeez, I was to meet him an hour ago." After coming to this realization, she rushed out of the museum having forgotten her fiancée, who was waiting for her in order to help her prepare a party for Jonathan's upcoming birthday.
Days Later…
Jonathan had been asked by Evelyn to invite his honorable friends to the party, but those were few. "Honorable?" thought Jonathan, "I wonder what she means by honorable, all my friends are honorable. Ok, maybe not Mickey the Swiss…the belly dancers…oh, and definitely not Muhammad with the one eye. But apart from that they are all great." Jonathan continued on his way to invite his friends, and as he was doing so he ran into Rick.
"Should I invite him? He is my friend and I guess all that stuff between he and Evie is over. They both seem to have moved on. He is with Elin and she is now with Christian. Yes, I'll do it. And he is honorable."
Rick approached Jonathan with Elin, who was the girl that Evelyn had seen him with. Elin Albright was the daughter of one of Rick's superiors in the Legion. They had met a while ago but nothing had ever happened between them until they had seen each other about a couple of weeks ago.
"Hey John and where are you heading to, isn't it too early for people such as yourself to be out at this time of day?" was Rick's salutation towards him.
"Oh, very funny. Hello Elin."
"Hello Jonathan, Rick that wasn't very nice of you" said the girl.
"Anyway so where are you off to?" said Rick changing the subject.
"I was just coming to invite you to a the celebration of the birthday of yours truly. If you don't wanna show up that's fine. I wouldn't either except for the fact that Evelyn and Christian very excited about it." Jonathan struggled a little with what he was saying, especially after he mentioned his sister and her boyfriend's name. He also stopped at that instant because he saw how Rick's facial expression changed after he mentioned them.
"I don't think so…" began Rick and was soon cut off by Elin.
"Why not? Rick we should go. Jonathan is our friend and even though he doesn't sound very excited it is his birthday."
"If you want to go, that's alright with me," said Rick becoming nervous and excited at the thought of seeing Evelyn again.
"Yes" Elin kissed Rick. She was very excited because she hardly ever had the chance to be with people her age. She was always surrounded by her father's friends and their wives and kids who were usually too old or too young.
"So who are Evelyn and Christian?" asked Elin.
"Evelyn is my younger sister and…" Jonathan once again stopped feeling uncomfortable to mention anything that had to do with Evelyn in front of Rick.
"You have a sister? Why don't you ever mention her? Rick, Rick…" said Elin not noticing Jonathan or Rick, except when she never got an answer towards them her question as to why they never mention Evelyn did she finally notice how distracted Rick had been.
"Yeah, uh, sorry. What was that?" asked Rick finally snapping out of it.
" I asked why you or Jonathan never mentioned that he had a sister?"
"Evelyn? I…I guess," said Rick not knowing how to answer.
"Its just that they never really got along. So that is why I never mention her in front of Rick or vice versa," said Jonathan bailing Rick out of his stutter.
"Well, I must meet this Evelyn. How could she not get along with somebody as precious as my Rick? I guess its better for me though for who knows what would have happened if they did get along?" said she seriously but then breaking down with a smile towards both Rick and John.
"Ok, so the party is tomorrow night. Be there around 8pm. It will be at the hotel's ballroom," said Jonathan changing the subject that for Elin had been so funny yet for he and Rick completely the opposite.
"We'll be there," said Elin enthusiastically.