Valentine Secrets
February 13th,2022 - 20:20,Tel Aviv,Israel
Nine months ago,on May 10th 2021,a violent outbreak took place in Israel which were marked by riots,Hamas' rocket attacks and Israel's retaliatory airstrikes on Gaza,lasting for 15 days. This recent crisis was triggered by the Supreme Court of Israel's anticipated decision to evict six Palestinian families in the neighborhood called Sheikh Jarrah. The Israeli girl was naturally outraged,groaning as she rushed from her home to join the emergency teams and evacuate the survivors. It was the latest painful episode of the 74 year-old Arab–Israeli conflict which never gave her a break.
That girl in question was Anna Goldhirsch,the earthling who's under a perpetual stalemate between her neighbors from day one of her country's inception. Her eternal desire to get along with them,more so with Anisah Zaman,Khenti Hassan and Javed Pahlavi,has always been thwarted by wars,useless summits and clashes. And the only thing she has ever succeeded in accomplishing were the ceasefires between Khenti and Karam Nejem of Jordan.
Which were just that: Ceasefires,not permanent peace treaties.
In recent times,Anna achieved normalized relations with Karim Azraq of Sudan,Aisha al-Khalifa,Abu al-Nahyan and Rasil Benjelloun two years ago thanks to her protector Alfred Jones' previous president Donald Trump. She didn't like Trump,but she nonetheless appreciated his charismatic and effective diplomatic skills. Except Karim,Rasil and maybe Aisha,Anna felt that the right cause for peace is aiming at the wrong Arab earthlings. She didn't want to have anything to do with Abu for his ostensive use of cheap labor and poop trucks,despite her first personal visit with him,along with his business leaders and the UAE's Jewish community,during the opening of Expo 2020. Anna had to urge her current president Isaac Hertzog to cancel the meeting,describing the arrogant nature of Abu and the entire Gulf Gang,before the latter ignored her pleas. Hertzog later changed his mind when the meeting became an unmitigated disaster,marked by Anna's fierce threat of banning flights to Dubai over their aviation security dispute.
Never once did her governments conduct peace negotiations,that weren't ceasefires,coercions or threats,with those who needed them the most. But then,those worth noting,such as Sarah Senussi,Anisah or her older twin brother Ikram Zaman,are the ones who were ravaged by her protector's attacks the most.
Anna is currently experimenting with amoebas,contained within a Petri dish,inside her basement lab at her humble chalet in a Tel Aviv suburb. Since late January 2021,she was focusing on fulfilling her next project for the Rakia Program,a space program of the Ramon Foundation,seeking answers if there's possible life outside planets and moons. Taking pride in her underrated inventions,Anna finds scientific research relaxing and regards it as her own hobby,particularly whenever her leader annoys her too much (Naftali Bennett,while more religious and nationalist than Benjamin Netanyahu,is less obnoxious than the latter. Anna views Bennett's electoral victory as a sigh of relief. She preferred anyone over Bibi). At the same time,her hobby can also be tiring.
With gloves covering her hands,Anna opened the Petri dish's lid and put it in her microscope,just to check what type of amoeba was this. She fixated her right eye on its scope and saw a tiny,spiky amoeba of dark cyan color moving around the wet bottom plate. She watched it munch smaller organisms.
Anna let out a "Whoa!" sound with a smile,fascinated. Unlike the other amoebas she had examined in the past,this one was much faster. She never seen that kind of organism before. Anna speculated that,if germs can be converted into vital vaccines,amoeba could serve as a better drug. The way it swallowed organisms in less than a minute might've proven her that a vaccine made of converted amoebas can wipe out diseases in shorter periods of time than the average.
She backed off for a moment and retrieved the dish back onto desk. Anna then grabbed two test tubes to see if the amoeba is resistant to acid and serum. Anna squinted and bit her lip,careful not to slip her steady hand,pour all of their liquid and end its life as she aimed at letting a drop of both fall into the water's bottom. Once they did,she put the dish in microscope again and watched the results. Incredibly,the amoeba didn't evaporate by acid's toxicity nor shrink by serum. They merely tickled it.
"Metsuyan!" Anna shouted in success,putting the closed dish into her pocket "Mr. Lopez-Alegria will be pleased once I show that little fellow to him!"
After five seconds of silence,Anna went to take her notebook laid on the other side of the lab's desk and study amoeba's species,but halted when her eyes accidentally set their sights on a 2022/2023 calendar attached onto the pillar. The curiosity got better of her. She turned,walked closer to it and looked at the current date. Tomorrow is Monday.
And on that day will be Valentine's Day. The mere realization stopped her cold,as cold as her lab,and more so outdoors. Has she prepared herself for this event? Did she pick her own couple? She knows that the Jewish version of that holiday,Tu B'Av,occurs in August,but she got used to celebrating it every February due to its popularity around the Globe.
Anna facepalmed. She clearly forgot the event. It wasn't enough that she hadn't got ready for Liu's Winter Olympics in Beijing,with deadline happening next week. She set aside her focus on her project to sit on the step by the lab's entry. Anna grabbed her chin as the thoughts about the Valentine flew through her mind. They have had her thinking for quite some time.
Which valentine should she choose? Dastan can't be her pair even if she were to apologize and concede to his whims. He's her main rival in the Middle East. Malik? Nope. He's out of her picture. Regardless of her and Malik smoking pot together for few hours in Aintisar until its Disco Club was opened,Anna avoids interacting with him for the exact reason she doesn't with Abu,albeit less unless she had no other choice. Khenti? Nah! His girlfriend is Athene. And besides,Khenti doesn't stand Anna.
Out of three from five,she was left with two remaining choices. The first choice appeared in form of a cloudy vision in front of her. Anna raised her head,and saw a young blonde man with cracked glasses and a menacing smirk. The mists slowly uncovered the clear image. It was Alfred.
Alfred... My Valentine?... N-no... Anna thought,nervous. She was hesitant to accept him for the upcoming event.
Alfred is - or,rather,was - her foremost ally and even her best friend. As the person whom she spent most of her life,their relations were always at their healthiest,especially after the Six-Day War. It stayed so until Anna confronted him in the UN shortly after she predictably voted for maintaining the embargo against Maximo. It sparked the usual wave of boos and jeers from Anti-American earthlings,and had Dastan proclaim in his UN Assembly speech that she has "voted for reactionary Imperialism and fomented further division.". Following her conversation with Arisha,and later Emily and Adele,on its terrace,in which she confessed her fears of becoming abandoned by the rest of the World,the three helped her out in support of her confrontation.
What motivated her decision was Alfred's prior statement that they can't trust anyone but themselves,and that they must firmly defend their interests against all aggressors whom he deemed as. When Yasser invited her to sit with him,Anisah,Dastan and Bachir,Anna immediately walked towards them. It caused Alfred to jump from her seat to take her away,but Arisha stopped him in his tracks and pushed him where he sat,giving him a "Where do you think you're going,Pindo?" look.
Her neighbors,who call themselves the 'Axis of Resistance',were at first reluctant to let Anna join them as their new companion,but when Yasser explained how did she feel on that day,they were like "Fine..." and let her in. The moment of tranquility and pleasant conversation,while avoiding any reference to warfare,with her timed-out neighbors didn't last forever,for they knew that things weren't that simple. All of them got to know themselves a little better.
Alas,that incident caused the trust between her and Alfred to gradually go downhill.
One month later,on December 7th 2017 in that same place,when Trump recognized Jerusalem as her capital city,Anna found herself in the UN's cafeteria witnessing Alfred bully the pissed off Yasser into making him cry. Enjoying that small victory,Alfred called him vile names,tore apart his keffiyeh,wedgied onto his head and pushed him one last time onto the floor. Humiliated,Yasser ran to Anisah and told her what did Alfred do to him whilst sobbing. Anisah marched towards Alfred who was laughing hysterically and attempted to deliver him a hard slap across his mouth,but he simply pushed her away before she had the chance to do so and shouted "SO LONG,SAVAGES!"
Shocked,Anna didn't share the same opinion as Alfred did,so they had a heated argument in his office.
"Hey,Anna. Why aren't you celebrating?" Alfred calmly asked,concerned,sitting next to her on the sofa and placing his hand on her shoulder. "Are you upset?"
She frowned,turned to him and gently moved away his hand.
"What you've done was pouring fuel to the fire,Al." Anna replied with disappointment in her tone "You made the tensions and hostility between me and my neighbors worse than they already are."
"Me?! Tell that to that rat Yuckser! HE'S the one who always rejects peace proposals each fucking time,not us!" he retorted,standing up swiftly "And frankly,I'm totally fed up to death with this fictive 'peace process'! The fact that 128 ignorant dorks stood against us PROVED my theory that everybody in the UN is our enemy,current or potential!"
"You do realize that Jerusalem isn't just mine. It's also claimed by Yasser." she argued,crossing her arms and also getting up.
"Add in Willy Wonka as well,cause I'm not going to buy your bullshit!" he said,glancing at the window located behind him. His voice grew colder "I don't know what's gotten into you recently,but you fully well know that Jerusalem is your heartland since time immemorial! Same goes for Gaza,West Bank,Golan and Sinai! All of those lands have always belonged to you,Anna! The ones who truly 'occupy' it are those savages!"
"Yasser isn't a savage,Alfred!" Anna blushed slightly as she shouted back "You hadn't bothered to listen to his perspective as opposed to mine,and yet the way you treated him today was despicable,if not unforgivable!"
"He,including his so-called 'Palestinians',is less than human,nothing more than a plague-carrying rat trying to spread disease so that you become infected by him." Alfred lowered the volume,causing the environment to turn a little creepy. He then headed to sit on the office's chair "Doing a Wedgie on him was less than what he deserves. Had I brought a rodent repellent spray,I would've perfectly be willing to use it at his eyes!"
Anna didn't like where would this discussion go.
"B-b-but...But h-he's my..."
"'BUT' WHAT?!" Alfred snapped at her,standing up,cutting her stutters off "You prefer that pest over your safety?!"
"YASSER IS MY FRIEND AND I DON'T WANT WAR!" Anna blurted out with closed eyes,stretching her fists down. She couldn't take it anymore. When she realized what did she spat to her ally's face,Anna covered her mouth in shame,but it was too late.
Silence. An abrupt tense silence was present. Alfred twitched his eye in disbelief,grabbed his glass of water and smashed it and his fist all at once against the desk,forming an echo within his office. His damaged fist was shivering while he raised it near his face,then to turn his head at her.
"FRIEND!?" Alfred screamed in rage "HAVE I HEARD THAT RI-"
He cut himself off. Anna already sprinted out of his office before he could finish his sentence. Leaving him there,Alfred fell on his ass onto the chair and covered his face with both hands to calm himself down,while Anna immediately left New York back to her home.
Since then,Anna foresaw her ally distancing himself from her year by year. Their relationship was technically formal and bearable solely thanks to Netanyahu in power,the one who kept them together until he stepped down last year. Nowadays,whenever Alfred is with Anna and she mentions Yasser,he addresses her as "Jewliette" and nags her how's "Arobeo" doing and when will they establish their honeymoon. Anna soon figured it out,and has avoided mentioning Yasser when she's with Alfred,to keep her diminishing trust intact. The very slow alienation strengthened when Alfred discovered that she was dancing and playing in spa in Aintisar,and has even gone as far as to call her the big no-no "U" word through Bill's walkie-talkie.
In the end,Anna brushed off the first vision and made it disappear. She didn't dare call Alfred,mainly because he didn't contact her after Netanyahu lost his bid for power and remained so to this day.
The second and last choice was Yasser,with the image of a boy with pitch black hair and its lower half shaved,plus his trademark keffiyeh scarf,was displayed from the new cloudy vision appearing before her. Anna made a pitiful face,seeing him giving her a sad look. "Yas,are you alright?" she asked mentally to him. She didn't hear any news about him,but the last time they encountered one another was during the last year's crisis in Lod where she and her rescue teams evacuated survivors. Yasser was one of them. They embraced and hugged one another in tears,showing profound gratitude,before escorting him back to his home in Ramallah.
Like Anna,Yasser is sick of war,although their relations didn't start off friendly or at least cordial as they are now. After he and his closest relatives lost against her in 1948 as agressors,Yasser and Anna were constantly at their throats,regularly engaging in hostile confrontations. The animosity was at all time low after the Six-Day War and was kept hot until Oslo Accords happened. From there,their relations were cooling down. It became cordial after his first leader Yasser Arafat died in 2004,because Anna despised Arafat. Yasser no longer has any discussions with her,and they've been trying to convince the most their leaders that they,for once,don't want to live in continuous war,but neither Fatah nor Likud cared to listen them.
Overtime,Anna and Yasser have started to get along. Up until Hamas,an enemy they both share hatred with,took over Gaza in response to IDF's botched withdrawal,they used to read lots of books and encyclopedias together in Gaza's library. The joy of acquiring knowledge in peace was enjoyable while it lasted. They've also organized plenty of demonstrations for peace and unity whenever was possible,glad that neither Alfred nor Abbas noticed them. And barring their disco time,swimming in Aintisar's jacuzzi and talking to Bill on that same place,their final turning point happened on May 2018 in Gaza,where Anna found and brought him to the closest hospital after Hamas terrorists struck Gaza and injured him greatly by the bomb.
For the first time ever,Yasser saw Anna's kindest side. He used to believe that she was selfish and arrogant as her protector,but now it's no longer the case. He saw that Anna too cared about him and his people,despite what Abbas would have him believe.
Could she pay a visit with Yasser? A short,sensible visit to spend time with him on Valentines? If yes,what present would she buy or make for him? Anna hadn't thought about that,and felt bitter for not creating any.
Anna slowly stood up from the step and walked forward. Her hand moved towards the image,only to vanish the second her finger touched it. She rubbed her eyes to configure if those two visions were just figments of her imagination. It's gone.
Her hand slid up her brown hair,surprised how long did she wasted her time gazing at nearly nothing for half an hour. Anna took a deep breath. Perhaps it might be the time to create something special for Yasser on Valentines before going to bed. Or maybe not. Anna was seriously tired from spending all day completing her chores,with pauses for breakfast and lunch.
After minutes of consideration,Anna shrugged her shoulders and took out her cell phone from her white coat's pocket (the amoeba dish was placed into her trousers). She searched what kind of fitting gift should she create,something modest. Anna clicked on the "Crystal Heart" experiment,and followed its instructions.
"This option seems easy." she said to herself with a small smile.
The article stated that the supplies needed for this experiment were: Borax,boiling water,glass cup,stick (or anything which were similar,such as pencil,chopsticks or ruler),a string,pipe cleaners and food coloring. Anna quickly began retrieving the requirements inside the lab and in her kitchen. Luckily,she owned all of them,being so resourceful,and went downstairs to form a crystal heart just for him.
Half of her advised herself that she should leave crystal hearts for tomorrow and go to sleep,but Anna won't let the voice distract or stop her. She was determined enough to make that gift as soon as possible. The Israeli bent two red pipe cleaners into forming a shape of heart and tied a string around them. She then poured water and 1/3 of Borax into the cup,stirred the middle and left the container to boil,after which Anna lowered her design inside the water mix.
Anna read that she has to wait for three hours to have Borax crystallize the cleaners. Three hours? No problem. She took that advantage to eat dinner,brush her teeth,watch the news,go on a nightwalk after putting her winter jacket on and read a chapter. After midnight had passed,Anna came back from her bedroom towards the lab. The crystal heart has been removed from the cup on the desk. Borax glued itself across polyester,as if snow had sprinkled themselves onto that object.
The sight of that beautiful accessory amazed her beyond comprehension. Surely,Yasser will love it as his new necklace.
Anna left it to dry and went upstairs into the bedroom,replacing her lab clothes for pajamas. Surrounded by log walls,she tucked herself beneath her bedsheets and,rather than immediately fall asleep,dialed Yasser's number three times so as to negotiate the place where they could meet one another and if he agrees with her request. He didn't respond,receiving beeps. None of these attempts had worked. Anna wondered why.
"Who am I kidding?!" Anna thought,dumbfounded. Yasser is probably sleeping right now. It would be disrespectful for her to disturb him in such late hours.
Anna inhaled and breathed out to soothe her nerves,turned off her cellphone,laid her head onto the pillow,closed her eyes and began sleeping. She couldn't wait to see him once more.
February 14th - 12:40
Driving her car on Route 443 forward relaxed her more than usual. The streets and fields were in rare instances peaceful,with no road traffics to block her way,no encounters with rioters or a Hamas' rocket targeting her. And she definitively didn't receive an inconvenient call from Bennett,Herzog or worse,Bibi and Alfred. Cars passed by her side as she drove,whilst noticing the West Bank barrier kilometers away. Anna loathed seeing it,wishing that this wide fence was never planned,let alone built. The barrier repeatedly reminded her of that conflict,as well as the deliberate divide of Yasser's people.
Only 10 kilometers were left until reaching Ramallah. Anna was happy that she ate a simple breakfast consisting of two eggs,a salad and bread,took a shower and brought the dried up crystal heart with her before she went off,for without doing these necessities wouldn't have generated motivation. She also bypassed the Wohl Rose Park,a public garden located behind the Knesset. That park was her favorite out of all parks Israel owns,occasionally taking walks in her spare time after work. It will be an ideal place for her and Yasser's Valentine meeting.
By the time she parked her car near Yasser's house,Anna came out of her car and looked around. Ramallah was same as ever. His house standing in front of her was made of cement and bricks and beige in color,while its height appeared to be taller than her own house. It wasn't that tall,just five meters.
After walking down the steep pathway,Anna approached the blue door. She stood there for one full minute. What kept her from knocking on the door was the thought of Yasser not being inside. What if he had gone somewhere else without letting her know? She couldn't be sure. If it's true,her ride was all for naught.
She took a deep breath with a preceding gulp of discomfort,and knocked it three times.
"Yasser!" Anna called him.
Nothing happened. Silence dominated the environment for two minutes. She felt lump in her throat. Her patience was running out. Anna started to believe that he has indeed left his house,but knocked and shouted his name one last time before she could return home. Seconds later,the sound of rotating key appeared. The door got unlocked,opening itself wide.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting,Tahira. I was busy training for an upcoming pr-"
He cut his words off,spotting Anna. His eye pupils firstly looked straight to her eyes,then fell down to see her legs and reverted them.
"Boker tov,Yasser." Anna greeted him,waving her hand.
Yasser gave her a confused look,utterly surprised that the visitor wasn't the one he expected. What is she doing on his doorstep? He certainly didn't call her to visit him as of February. Raised in the condition where clashes and friction can happen anytime,Yasser was preparing himself for next confrontations with the IDF by hitting the punching bag to strengthen his muscles and reflexes. Yasser knows goddamn well that the IDF will violently interrupt his demonstrations or capture him if he dares to go outside the West Bank Barrier,including Gaza.
As for Tahira,Yasser was supposed to have a private meeting with the Algerian girl scheduled five days ago. He waited for her to show up,thereby assuming that the one who knocked on the door was Tahira.
"Anna... What are you doing here all the sudden?" he asked her,sounding annoyed as he moved a step closer "Why did you call me yesterday? The ringing aroused me from sleep..."
Anna got uncomfortable by his questions. She looked away. Guess Yasser did check out his call history after he woke up. She then turned her head. He was mostly naked,wearing only black shorts,his keffiyeh tied around his waist and a Fatah headband separating his hair and the shaven sides,with no tanktop whatsoever. His skin was shining in cold sweat from all the exercise,and was also barefoot. Several healed but permanent scars were carved on his exposed chest and arms,displaying how much did he endure in midst of endless conflict for decades.
She could tell by his overall appearance that he's pissed off,which she didn't like it at all.
"I-I...I'm sorry,Yasser,for waking you up so early..." Anna apologized,pointing his index fingers at one another,bowing her head while looking up "It hasn't been my intention to-"
"La,it's okay. I woke up at 10 o'clock,as it must be. My sleep was only interrupted after midnight by your ringings,but it didn't matter in a long run." Yasser cleared her assumptions. "There's no need to apologize."
Her happiness returned,though that didn't prevent her from being asked again his same question.
"We haven't seen each other for months,Yas." Anna answered with a kind smile "Besides,do you know what day's today?"
"Monday."
"Ken. It's Valentine's Day."
Yasser arched an eyebrow.
"Valentine's? I rarely celebrate that holiday,if ever. Islam says so." he replied.
"Oh... That's bad." Anna commented with sadness in her tone,then suggested "Ever thought of going out in the Wohl Rose Park and walk together,just two of us?"
He let his hand go off the door and lowered his head,weirded out. Was this the sole reason why Anna came to his house? To offer him a tour in a park? He and Anna are frequently together for as long as they were able to flee from their own leaders in secret,but they never met one another for romance. Aside of that,Yasser was currently busy training without eating breakfast. Right after waking up,he immediately focused on performing lots of exercises every morning and night while making short pauses without a meal until lunch.
But then he realized that he's been doing so ever since Naftali Bennett stated publicly on 29th January with a straight face that he opposes Palestinian right to sovereignty. Despite barely knowing anything about Bennett,his comment outraged him. Worse,Yasser hadn't gone outside for an entire week.
Maybe she's right. Turning to optimism and setting workout aside might make him feel better and less stressed.
"Not at all,but you have a point. I need to eat something,take a quick shower and dress up before we can go there." Yasser smiled back,now with a more welcoming expression "In the meantime,take comfort inside while I finish these things up. Mind waiting for me to get ready?"
"Everything for you,Yas." Anna concluded,winking at him.
Anna entered the main room to,after taking off her light blue winter jacket onto a stand,sit on a chair next to the punching bag. Air flowing around the interior was quite stuffy,indicating its lack of ventilation that weren't windows and doors. Compared to her house,Yasser's was much older and smaller. Silence is the thing Anna wanted for the moment. It enveloped them.
She relaxed greatly on her chair with her boots on carpet,observing the surroundings as she watched Yasser making two small sandwiches for himself. He also poured yoghurt as his meal drink.
But just when he was about to sit and eat,he approached her instead.
"Do you want me to make you a sandwich?"
"No thanks. I ate two fried eggs for breakfast."
"Eggs? Hmph,I love those." Yasser chuckled. "A drink?"
"Sure. Anything will do."
Yasser went to the kitchen to pick up a Pepsi bottle and pour it into a white ceramic cup.
"Here you go,Anna."
"Thank you." she said,taking the cup.
Despite the stuffy air,Anna enjoyed the calm atmosphere while taking sip after sip of her drink. Watching Yasser eat innocently pleased her. Once he finished,he headed towards the bathroom to take a shower and after four minutes,he went upstairs to dress himself up. Nothing too extravagant or luxurious,just plain winter clothes with covered grey shirt and green pants.
"I'm ready!" he announced,getting downstairs. "Thanks for waiting."
"You're welcome,my friend." Anna said,standing up. Then invited him to follow her "Follow me,Yasser. I'll drive you to that park."
13:30,at the Wohl Rose Park
Anna and Yasser walked together on a macadam within the park,holding their hands. They seldom had the chance to enjoy a genuine period of fun and freedom,until now. Virtually no one else was present nor there to bother them to death,ordered by either IDF or Fatah to go back to their homes lest their face consequences,or have Alfred and/or Yasser's siblings to snap why the fuck are they hanging out alone. Concerns about potential terrorist attacks and the general politics has vanished temporarily from their minds. They're making sure that this day won't be disturbed.
The Wohl Park looked more like a garden than a typical park. Lush meadows mixed with diminishing snow filled most of its areas. Roses of over 400 varieties which blossomed from Wohl's bushes were its featured decoration. Its air refreshed their faces,and the Sun smiled upon them under a warmer environment. They and the park remained quiet,so quiet in fact that if they had ventured there at night,they would've heard crickets instead of birds.
Anna still kept her crystal heart necklace on her pouch. She tempted to show it to Yasser,but didn't (for now) because she knew it would ruin the surprise.
"How are your siblings going?" was the first question she asked him,in midst of their walks.
Yasser let out a snort.
"Business as usual." he replied,then listed "Anisah is at architectural shift after working out in the gym,Khenti is excavating newer artifacts,Malpig is busy throwing money at strippers or smoking pot in Jeddah,Karam is cooling his balls onto Dead Sea,Sarah is on the battlefield and Ikram is either fixing someone's military vehicle or is with Mustapha."
"Who's Mustapha?" Anna turned.
"His...how do I say...creature." Yasser hesitated.
"Is Ikram's pet a dog? Cat? Camel? Snake?"
"Neither,but that's something I can't answer for you. You have to ask him yourself." he told her "The only things I'll tell you is that everyone fears to tread in front of it inside Ikram's underground Ritual Chamber,has red hides and sharp teeth and serves him as his eternal guardian."
"WHAT?!" Anna yelled out in shock,halting her moves abruptly "Since when did Ikram become a cultist?!"
"Since Blood Quran's publication. Desperate times caused my older brother to study Demonology and dark magic by using the Blood Quran and study his grimoire. The chants won't work if that type of Quran isn't read in reverse." Yasser explained,feeling nervous for providing a secret information "However,explaining the origins and details of Mustapha,whom you would rather not know,will 100 percent freak you out."
"Alfred's victories and sanctions against Ikram has fucked him up very badly."
"Nem."
"Poor Ikie..."
They firstly stopped at the park's wide green pond barricaded by a round metal fence. Yasser and Anna leaned on fence's railing,looking at the water with nostalgia.
"This pond reminds me of us chilling in Aintisar's jacuzzi." Anisah commented.
"Except that there's no Alfred or Bill to disrupt our time." Yasser added,then sighed "Shame there are no swans or ducks swimming around."
"We could at least collect few gravels to toss them onto the water."
"Great suggestion!"
They turned back to do what Anna proposed. Gravels splashed against the water one by one,making them laugh softly.
Next up,they encountered a large bronze Menorah facing Knesset,just by the corner of Wohl's exit. Both of them reviewed its design,giving their respective opinions on it. Anna informed him that the Knesset Menorah was gifted to her by Emily in 1956 in honor of the eighth anniversary of Israel's independence. Yasser complained that he should get a silver symbol of Islam or a statue of a Palestinian rioter in Ramallah as his own symbol,but Anna said that their Dome is more or less his symbol.
Lastly,before deciding that it was time to take rest on an empty meadow,they inspected rose bushes. Both were astounded by their charming looks.
"Look at the flower,Anna!" Yasser called her "This might be my most favorite rose out of the rest!"
Anna came closer. He showed her a red hybrid tea rose,plucking its stem beforehand.
"Looks nice." she nodded with a kind smile.
"I'll keep it." he said,sniffing its petals and put it inside his winter jacket's pocket "My Allah,it smells so... aromatic!"
Anna giggled.
"Glad you liked it."
One hour has passed and Yasser and Anna sat on a snowy bench at the center of the park with five planted trees standing behind it. They had to wipe the snow out of the bench's seat clean before sitting. Anna rested her head beside his shoulder and hugged his back with her left arm,contemplating the afternoon horizon together. One would think that the Cupid was awaiting their kiss,ready to signal their love by firing his arrow. They won't look for that.
Because ultimately,they are friends. Not lovers.
Yasser turned his head to her,caressing Anna's face. He wondered what's on her mind. Anna didn't think much about anything,simply starring blankly at the yellow sky. Her friend's touch on her right cheek reminded her that she wasn't put into a trance. Amidst Anna's thoughts,one unique wisp entered the mental fog. That wisp advised her,through a whisper,that she should reveal a secret to Yasser so as to make the troubles go away. She didn't knew how to communicate with it,although its implication held water. She indeed have numerous secrets locked away from Yasser and everyone else,with very few exceptions.
Anna wasn't sure which major secret would she choose,but she was going to do it regardless. Letting out the most hidden secrets would make her less anxious in the future than ever. She assumed Yasser had some,too.
"Yas. These sights got me thinking." Anna said as the words escaped her mouth.
"About what?"
"Can we share our deepest secrets,however hurtful they may be?" she asked,moving away her head from his shoulder and positioned herself into sitting in normal position "This isolated park is the perfect place for doing such things."
"Are you sure?" Yasser replied sourly,looking away "I hold some secrets that might make you angry."
"Who cares? I'm willing to hear them,and they'll not leave this place." Anna assured him,placing her hand on his shoulder "They'll only stay between us."
Yasser sighed and crossed his arms.
"Fine,but don't demand me to retract my words once I do."
Anna nodded,to which a half-minute silence followed.
"So,what is it you wish to tell me that I never heard of?"
"You go first,Ann." he countered "It was your idea,not mine."
Anna covered her mouth nervously with a blush reddening her cheeks. She didn't anticipate to have herself reveal a secret,instead of him. How would he react? The once-relaxing ambient became ugly,filling the calm with tension and uncertainty.
The moment of truth was now upon them.
"I don't actually like having Alfred as my ally and friend." Anna said,after taking some time to digest her sentence.
That sentence shocked Yasser enormously,so much so that he jumped involuntarily,as if a record disc scratched itself inside him.
"Shu?...How?" he sat back "You must be shitting me."
"Believe me,Yas. I hadn't always stood him."
"Weird..." Yasser remarked,playing with his rose's petals "Last I recall,Alfred always delivers you tons of subsidies every day,defends you as though he's your advocate,and I may go as far as to say that he fights wars on your behalf."
"True,but I wholeheartedly disagree with the last thing you said. I'm not a warmonger like him. You know that." Anna said,taking a pause "The truth is,Al's fatherly treatment of me is just a facade. It isn't quite the same behind the scenes."
"What do you mean?"
Anna closed her eyes,took a deep breath and counted silently to ten.
"From my very beginning as a new earthling in 1948,when Emily relinquished her colonial rule in Mandatory Palestine,I was attacked by your back-then deluded family neighboring me,later to win,by miracle I should say,the war all by myself. Arisha,Alfred's archnemesis,was the first earthling to recognize me,thereby befriending one another until she sided with Khenti's Socialist president Gamal Nasser during the Suez Crisis. She at that time was more focused on practicing ineffective diplomacy and pimping for trash in Berlin. When that bold and arrogant leader of his tried to destroy me in 1967,with Anisah and Karam allied with him,I fought them off and won again. That's when Alfred came to the scene." Anna explained. Yasser listened attentively "Coupled with Arisha beating Hedvika and Jakub to the pulp after she marched into Prague in 1968,the Six-Day War's aftermath marked the turning point between my relationship with him. Alfred didn't pay much attention towards me beyond teaching me military-combat techniques and giving tips on how to excel in science and technology as he did. He got flabbergasted by my bravery,determination,heroism and by the fact that I can manage things alone,later to shake my hands with him for the first time ever. Among other earthlings he behaved not-so-nicely,but with me he was kind,even though I was led by a 'Leftist' gover-"
"KIND?! Oh,come on! Don't tell me you're going to describe that punk's so-called 'kind' personality when the World knows that he's an obnoxious haughty prick!" Yasser interrupted her,shouting angrily as he banged the slat "Alfred was 'kind' to you because he treated you like a princess while the 'peasants' in the Middle East and North Africa suffer!"
She moaned with closed mouth,annoyed. Anna hates getting constantly reminded of her neighbors' suffering. It makes her feel like shit.
"Listen,please..." Anna told him after letting out a tired sigh,then continued "For all the privileges I've been granted from him,I never had the strength to tell Alfred if he was driving me through the wrong path. But with 9/11,I didn't dare imagining it,let alone asking him that question. Starting from Alfred's defeat in the Vietnam War against Lien,our relations have progressively resembled that of Rapunzel and Gothel,of a bad boyfriend,than of father and daughter. Paranoia,hatred and cynicism consumed him,so he resorted to regulate all aspects of my political life and relations; by forbidding me to travel for a vacation to places where he considered as 'enemy territories' without his permission,like Russia and China,telling me that I must never trust 'those who want you dead' nor be with them during peacetime and wartime and get berated if I 'misbehaved'. That ordeal intensified when Netanyahu won the Prime Ministry in 2009,whom he introduced me to 'detention lectures',a method which Bibi used to iterate that 'Yasser is evil'. Bibi rationalized it by saying that Alfred has done his best to keep me safe,and therefore must obey them at all times."
Anna took a sudden pause,turning her head to the field before reverting it at Yasser. She reached the upcoming part which urged herself not to collapse in tears. Her mouth trembled and her eyes were squeaking in an attempt to hold them back. Yasser moved closer and gave her a sympathetic look,feeling sorry for her. Anna responded by forming a brief bitter smile,before returning for a frown.
"The-the question I k-k...keep struggling to figure it out is this: Why do your siblings hate my guts? What did I ever do to them to earn harassment,blame and enraging screams whenever Alfred destroys them or meddles in their affairs? I d-didn't ask for two Iraq Wars,Intifadas,the death of Gaddafi,the fall of Pan-Arabism,ISIS,growing terrorism,etc... It hurts me to the c-core...to ack-knowledge that all those earthlings and their peoples I've alienated are my...half-siblings... Fighting them non-stop sickens me..."
Yasser tried to digest that jumble of explanations Anna has given him. He couldn't fathom what he had just heard. Up until that moment,he always thought that Anna unconditionally supported Alfred,that Anna was selfish,taking pleasure prospering in relative isolation from others while those outside of her lands are having hard time achieving peace.
"You kept hiding all of this from me for 74 years...and you've decided to express them now?" Yasser mumbled,appalled,leaving his rose on the bench.
"Ken. I didn't have the chance expressing them to your face,Yas. Out of fear of getting persecuted by the Fatah and your family." Anna replied in a saddened tone "Wohl Park was the place where I was able to seize the momentum."
He understood her,nodding his head. The two fell silent,with winds growing colder. Her latest questions persuaded him into contemplating them. After a minute,he turned to her and answered.
"The resentment you gained from my siblings and still do is because of your alliance with that megalomaniac,if this is the answer you were looking for."
"That's what I suspected all my life..."
"Now you do,Anna. You see,I and our half-siblings would've gotten over it if your erstwhile 'ally' didn't vanquished Pan-Arabism and let us be."
"Then why did they,and you,attacked me the day after I became what I am?"
"Because they saw you as an obstacle for the creation of a unified Arab nation in the past. I used to loathe you after you displaced me and my people shortly after that war ended,but my wounds were mended by the grace of Nasser until his downfall. Besides,the Middle East hasn't always been so chaotic,till ISIS' demise,as it is today. Life here was completely different between 50s and 70s. We,the Arabs,had adopted Secularism over Islam and were even fine with the status quo until Ayatollah Khomeini changed the trend."
"Ma? N-n-no,it can't be..." she tried to deny "I don't remember that period of time..."
"The fact that you weren't aware of our background for so long has led to have so many problems in the first place." Yasser spoke through a consolatory,yet sharp,voice "When Alfred and Emily ousted Javed's democratically-elected Mosaddegh in 1953 for daring to nationalize the Iranian oil industry,he was disorientated and eventually embraced Islamism to the fullest degree,leading up to become the most vocal proponent of Jew-hatred. When Alfred invaded Ikram twice,he got his mind broken and resorted to Cultism,desiring to dine with your head on the stick. Sarah was once in favor of the bi-national state solution provided to both of us; now she wants to rip your lungs off,the way she did with her teeth by eating one of the four dead American's lungs during the Benghazi attack thanks to Alfred's devastation of her lands and the death of Gaddafi. Why so? Because of your silence. Every time that punk wrecks destruction against my closest based on their alliance with Arisha,either directly or indirectly via funding,the blame would inevitably reflect on you for not speaking out against him outloud,for sanctioning his actions. Again,Anisah,Ikram,Bachir,Sarah and others wouldn't have been so envious and vindictive towards you if you stopped being psychologically dependent on him!"
His last sentence,and the "psychologically dependent" in particular,hit her like a hard punch in the stomach. It all made sense now. Anna lowered her head,feeling guilt washing over her. So true...it's so fucking true!... No wonder why Anna finds it very difficult to persuade them into forgiving her.
"In short,your neighbors hate you because of your Mary Sue,faux VICTIMHOOD!"
Anna saw him abruptly get up as he screamed his last word. The end of his criticism injured her enough to burst into crying. Covering her face with her hands,Yasser immediately regretted unleashing the outburst in the middle of the park where tranquility was supposed to remain. He blushed and covered his mouth in shame.
"Allah...What have I done?!..." Yasser thought,biting his fingers.
Yasser fastly approached her. Anna felt an arm warping her,sensing that her formerly angered friend is trying to calm her down.
"Don't cry,don't cry,my dear. I-I'm s-s-sorry." he said,rocking her gently.
"I-I'm gu-guilty-y!..." Anna stuttered.
"Wrong. It's not entirely your fault."
She uncovered her face,surprised by his sudden change of heart. She instantly wiped cheeks with the sleeve of her jacket.
"Are you saying this to try make me feel better?" she asked,curious but still upset.
"Nem w la. A major portion of our joint burden owes on my fault. I was the one who inspired Islamic terrorism..."
Anna turned,absolutely shocked. "Impossible..." she thought. She knew that Yasser has always been a troublemaker and a professional rioter,but condoning - nay,inspiring - terrorism? Yasser repeatedly told her that he despises terrorism and didn't want to associate with it and Hamas for his reputation's sake,but this?
"You WHAT?!" Anna yelled,agitated,also standing up. It created a noticeable echo.
"You heard me right." Yasser said,folding his arms "I did it for my own personal reasons,though."
It's Yasser's turn.
"When the infamous Six-Day War concluded,I was filled with bitterness,rage,grief...humiliation. You kicked me when I was down,laughed when I wept,and mocked when I begged you to leave me alone... Dejected,in an effort to plot revenge on you,I simultaneously drew lessons from Maximo and Lien which led me to move away from guerilla warfare in rural areas into aiming at committing terrorist attacks in cities to garner international outreach. I personally escorted Patrick Arguello to orchestrate four plane-hijackings and participated in the Munich Massacre,killing some of your athletes." Yasser confessed "From Camp David Accords,then the collapse of the USSR,to Ikram's second defeat,I was left to rot. No one came to be with me,turning lonely while being neglected by the newly-born Hamas,IDF and many others. I was virtually unwanted by my family. That's what led me to reject the peace process in Oslo. But when Arafat died in 2004,I believed that I've reached the point of no return until I discovered my salvation. That salvation..." he pointed his finger at her "was you..."
Normally,this would've been a great way to make her tear the gift apart and break up with Yasser,for lying that he wanted peace whilst preferring war of driving Jews into the sea. But...he didn't lie. His tone didn't show pride. Having listened to what he had to say,Anna realized just how much she meant to him despite the conflict,signified by their first friendly meeting in pre-Hamas' Gaza library.
Both are incredibly insecure.
Anna spotted a tear sliding down Yasser's cheek,and then at the other. He fell on his knees. His body,lips and eyes were trembling,and began crying.
"A-all I ev-ever wanted was-was some company...not special treatment... You had...you had Alfred,I didn't have Arisha... You were raised within luxury,I wasn't..." he quavered with sobs "S-s-so unf-fair!..."
Unlike Yasser,Anna felt no impulse to lash out at him. She quickly ran towards him and kneeled next to him. Yasser looked up as Anna cleaned tears dripping from his face with her hands,comforting him in the process. He returned her a smile of gratitude.
"Yas,everything is alright." Anna whispered "At least you admitted your errors." she then glanced at her pouch,unzipping it and taking out the crystal heart "Here,take this."
Yasser's eyes fixated at what she was showing him,ceasing his sobs. The crystal heart still shimmered in the light. It emitted a crispy sound when Yasser touched the icy polyester.
"What's that?"
"It's the Valentines gift I've made yesterday. A necklace,just for you."
Without hesitation,he grabbed the necklace and put it on himself. His eyes were sparkling.
"Wow... I-I...I have no words..." he stuttered,fascinated "Shukran..."
The two embraced on another and hugged themselves tightly. They remained there for an entire minute. Once they separated,Yasser kissed her cheek,to which Anna giggled with a rosy blush. They saw that the Sun was approaching its sunset. Yasser asked Anna what's the time,and she said its 16:55. God,they thought,they've stayed in the park for far too long.
Anna and Yasser opted to get back in the car and buy something to eat and drink before returning to their homes.
17:15
Yasser was drinking his bottle of orange juice inside Anna's car sitting beside her where she sat on the driving seat,after they finished eating hamburgers (one per each) on the nearest local restaurant. The ride has turned more chill for them.
As Anna was eight kilometers away from reaching Ramallah,she took the opportunity to ask him an important question.
"In conclusion,what should I do to make your siblings accept me?" she turned to him,calmed "Break up with Alfred?"
"Correct,but it won't achieve the essence of your dilemma." Yasser answered "Reconciling with each and every member would be a yeoman's work."
"Can I simply apologize to them?"
"You don't have to apologize. It won't be necessary. Spending time with them for a week individually would be enough." he told her with a slight chuckle "While it'd indeed be very difficult,befriending the most crucial half-siblings should be your life goal for 2022. Karam wants us to go fuck ourselves,Malik ain't worth a visit and Ikram will be the most difficult for reconciliation unless you're willing to be Mustapha's next dinner. Anisah on the other hand..." he took a sip from his bottle "...is more forgiving,in no small part because she won her civil war. She would never have let it go if she had lost."
"Anisah? Hadn't she apologized to me in the UN five years ago?"
"Unofficially. My sister was in the middle of warfare,you know." he reminded her "The ideal time to start your mission with her would be on her next birthday on April 17th. Attend the event inside her home in Slinfah,sleep with her for a week and you'll earn trust from her. Join her in the gym,engage in her activities,comply to her expectations,and you'll do her a huge favor. And no,she isn't demanding. Anisah fends for herself."
"Then?"
"Hmm,let's see... Remember when Bill asked us if we could organize a surprise on Alfred after Aintisar's party? Well,when the next Nakba commemoration happens in May,you may join me after calling Alfred to travel to Jerusalem so that we can shower him with stones,shoes and what-have-you."
"Oh,that would be epic!" Anna replied,in a joyful tone.
They parked her car on the same spot as the previous time,Yasser told her that this exact tactic should be applied in similar ways with Bachir,Sarah,Tahira,Javed,Amira and,the hardest of the bunch,Ikram.
"Therefore,after a year and a half,if successful,they'll at last accept you as the new member of the Middle Eastern family plus Javed,and perhaps Afshar,without losing your face. They'd also repay you generously for your deeds."
"That sounds heartening,Yas. Only..." Anna stopped herself,letting her hands off the steering wheel "I'm afraid if I commit such actions,Alfred would go to extremes."
"You serious?..."
"Ken. Fear of retribution keeps me from getting along with you in public,and the last thing I want is him beating me up like a wife-beater." she complained "Or worse,bombing my people."
"Alfred is already distancing from you and he WON'T be bombing you because his despicable government alone can declare war on anyone,no matter how much would he whine." he argued sternly,then reverted to his calm voice "His good relations would in the end evaporate into permanent psychotic abhorrence if a one violates his bullshit set of terms and rules. Or,as Anisah once stated,'Alfred hates anyone who doesn't lick his turd.'."
They couldn't help laughing outright. Laughter was desperately needed in times of troubles. The two got out of the car and,before they parted their ways,Yasser added one last thing.
"Whether or not their governments recognize your country and resolve our war as the result of your efforts,one thing will be clear; we'd achieve what we wanted the most: Peace,unity and friendship. The minute you escape the echo chamber,abandon the Imperialist cunt to his own devices and embrace us,you'll win."
"I'll take my time to consider it,Yas." Anna said,grinning "Thanks for the advice!"
"And you for understanding me." Yasser walked away "See you soon!"
"You too!"
They waved each other goodbye,thanking her for escorting him. With Yasser entering his house and Anna doing the same in the car,she drove back towards Tel Aviv,now more casually. She's going to have plenty of time for the preparation of that hopeful task. Achieving peace has never been easy,but the sooner she breaks her bonds with the former protector and liberates herself for a new life,the better.
This fanfic was made as the follow-up to my friend Slyth's "Anna's Choice" story - story/300304064-la-decisi-de-anna
Thanks for reading.