The Red Line Read online

  The Red Line

  1989-1992

  Part I

  By R.M. Reef

  Text Copyright © 2012 R.M. Reef

  All Rights Reserved

  Contents

  Prologue

  I.

  II.

  III.

  IV.

  V.

  VI.

  VII.

  VIII.

  IX.

  X.

  XI.

  XII.

  XIII.

  XIV.

  XV.

  XVI.

  XVII.

  XVIII.

  XIX.

  XX.

  XXI.

  XXII.

  XXIII.

  Prologue

  Lebanon, a country in the heart of the Middle East, a country where civilizations and religions coexist—or are supposed to…a country where Western and Eastern culture meet.

  In Beirut, the capital, the light never dimmed. The sun, which shone during most of the year, was replaced at night by the brightly-colored glow of the cabarets, restaurants, and nightclubs that crowded the city. Even the sea all along the shoreline was illuminated, reflecting the heartbeat of a life that refused to rest, that refused to grow old...

  After living together through many ordeals, Christians and Muslims, by common decision, defined this country by establishing rules respecting each other’s cultures and traditions. There were no civil laws when it came to personal issues; each party had to rely on its own religious beliefs and codes of conduct. Every marriage was supposed to be handled by a sheik or a priest.

  As much as the Christians were open to the West, the Muslims held onto their traditions, which led to a society filled with contradictions. Jealousy, frustration, and outrage were common feelings between the two religions and between the social classes. Still, nothing showed on the surface until the war changed everything.

  The influx of refugees widened the rift between the groups. Politicians started haranguing their people to fight. The religious leaders played an important role too.

  The whole country blew up in a second. Beirut, the party city, turned into a war zone. It was divided in two, one part for the Muslims and one for the Christians. In between were the front lines, an area of destroyed buildings, overgrown trees and bushes, and military barrages. This was a place where the ground was strewn with mines.

  In the middle of this zone ran a virtual line that neither of the parties had a right to cross; it was called the Red Line...During the sixteen years of war in which the once illuminated land fell into shadow, the only light on either side of the Red Line came from a bomb bursting or a building on fire. “The Red Line” was a common expression during these years. Everything was defined by it: traditions, religious conduct…you cross the Red Line and you’re on your own—you’ve thrown yourself to the wolves!

  I.

  She started running crazily in the dark, afraid of her own shadow. Someone might shoot at her, either the enemy or one of her own by mistake. She ended up on a familiar street; she knew exactly where she was. She leaned against the wall with a sigh of relief. Was he worth the risk? ‘Yes! Yes! Yes!’ Her heart screamed. After picking up her car from a hidden corner of the street, she had to pass through two military checkpoints on her way home. The hospital card identifying her as a doctor was her lifesaver.

  “Nora? I wasn’t expecting you tonight. You aren’t sleeping at the hospital?” As usual, her mom was sitting in the same old chair across from the T.V. as she watched the news.

  The house was dark, and the refrigerator was almost empty. It had been the same since her father was killed by a mortar two years ago. He had died like many others—for no reason. He wasn’t fighting; he was just a casualty of war. Her mom wasn’t left with much. Most of their rental properties had been destroyed or were now occupied by refugees. Nora couldn’t wait to finish her last year of medical studies, to start her residency, and to earn some more money.

  “I just came to check on you. I’ll be back tomorrow for at least three days straight.” She hated to lie to her mom, but was forced to do it. She couldn’t tell her about what she was going through now in her life. Tomorrow she would try to cross the line again, a real battlefield area separating Christians on one side from Muslims on the other. The militia there had started to call him and her "lovers of the front-lines." Who would have imagined that she would end up like this, deeply involved with the forbidden, deeply in love with the enemy!

  II.

  Four months ago…

  “Are you ready to leave?” Asked Nora’s best friend, Rheem. “I can’t wait just to get to the room, throw myself on the bed, and fall asleep. Are you on call tonight?”

  “Yes, and I still have two patients to see before calling it quits for the day. I’m hoping no one will wake me up tonight.” Rheem left, and Nora stayed a little bit longer in the cafeteria to finish her coffee.

  She still couldn’t believe that they were working at practically one of the safest places in the country: the psychiatric hospital. Located in the suburbs of Beirut, this huge convent belonged to an order of nuns, the Sisters of the Cross. It was built in the nineteenth century and was divided into two parts. One part housed a huge ward for the treatment of mental diseases and a permanent home for the mentally retarded. The remaining part contained living quarters for the sisters, who were mostly dedicated to service inside the hospital. They did everything from cleaning to nursing to creating work for the mentally ill who would stay there forever, rejected by their families.

  The hospital was built atop a hill surrounded by woods where it had a view of the Mediterranean Sea. When the war started, the governmental hospital for psychiatric patients got completely destroyed, which meant that the Convent of the Cross was the only one left in the area. Its reputation as a great hospital even extended into the neighboring Arab countries, and the hospital started receiving patients who needed the privacy of their own apartments or suites.

  Nora was happy to stay there. She had already taken a room, which she was sharing with Rheem. They took their meals with the other interns and residents at the convent. Their last experience was at St. Joseph Hospital, which had been completely destroyed by a huge explosion after the bombing of the oil reserve beside it. Nora had had a breakdown after that and was put on tranquilizers and anti-anxiolytics for a while. The Convent of the Cross, with all its psychotics, was a kind of small heaven compared to the outside world where war was raging. They’d all been staying together—interns and residents—in the same building, making a nice group. Her coffee finished, Nora went to check on the new patients.

  III.

  He was the last one she had to check on. It was around midnight, and the hallways were dark and empty. Nora couldn’t wait to finish up and go to sleep. There weren’t any detailed notes in his file about his past admissions. ‘Addiction to alcohol,’ it said, and ‘one nervous breakdown three years ago.’ When she entered the room, he was just looking straight ahead—not asleep—but he showed no desire to acknowledge her.

  “What are you doing here? It’s after midnight, and I’m supposedly asleep. Do you have to come and check on me every second?”

  “Hey there, I’m the doctor here. I’m supposed to ask the questions,” Nora answered good-humoredly. She had started to get used to the psychiatric patients and their attitudes.

  He looked at her, and she drowned in the deepest green eyes she had ever seen in her life. They were as troubled as the waves in a stormy sea, attracting and scaring her at the same time. He looked at her for the longest time, then just smiled. His smile was as attractive as his eyes. ‘Gorgeous,’ she thought.

  “Well, tell me what’s happening. Why are you back again?”

  “Maybe for t
he pleasure of meeting you.” He had a teasing, almost mocking expression on his face.

  “Let’s be serious. Were you drinking again?”

  “Just partying a little harder than usual. Is that a crime? But it looks like it, if you ask my mom or Dr. Azoomy. They consider themselves in charge of my destiny now.”

  “They might be looking out for your own good; that’s what moms usually do,” said Nora, thinking about her own mother.

  “What’s your name, Doctor?”

  “Nora.”

  “Nice…So, Dr. Nora, will I see you again tomorrow?”

  “You’ll have to see me every day for a while. I’m interning here, and you’ll be under my care.”

  He stared at her thoughtfully. “You know my name; it’s Tamer. I’m Muslim by the way. Do you feel like attacking or killing me now?”

  Shocked by his directness, she just looked at him. The war had been going on for fourteen years now; people had gotten killed on both sides, and the destruction was widespread. His attitude angered her; she couldn’t stand people who mocked how they were all stuck in this sad reality.

  “Who cares? To tell you the truth, I don’t feel anything. So what if you’re Muslim? I don’t care about any religion anymore…But how did you cross the line? I’m just curious about it.”

  “Connections, connections," he said with the same sarcastic smile. “I happen to have a very powerful mom and…especially a lot of money.”

  “Good.” Nora kept quiet for a while. She hadn’t felt at ease at all during the whole conversation. Either this guy was too smart for her and mocking her, or she was too tired to handle the situation tonight. She decided to cut the visit short and just concentrate on the basic questions.

  “So, this is your third admission in three years…”

  “Third in three years? Are you kidding? I’ve been coming here back and forth since I was sixteen…”

  “I have nothing that says so in this file, but the information might exist in another one. I’ll ask the doctor tomorrow…Okay, so let’s assume that you know everything about this place. I’ll do your physical and we’ll talk again in the morning.”

  He kept quiet and let her check his chest, heart, pulse, and neurological signs. Nora had never felt so embarrassed in front of a nude man’s body. This guy was in great shape, and to her mortification, she found herself blushing. She suddenly met his amused gaze and wished she could sink through the floor. She felt anger emanating from every pore in her body; she couldn’t wait to get out of this awful room and far away from this devious Muslim guy…

  “Bye. See you tomorrow,” he said before she left the room.

  ‘See you never again,’ she thought, deciding to pass him to Rheem as soon as possible.

  The next morning, Nora was called to Dr. Azoomy’s office. “I understand that you checked on Tamer Monzem yesterday.”

  “Yes, Doctor, but he is now in Rheem’s care. She is ready to replace me on this floor and I’ll be moving to hers if you’re okay with it.”

  “I thought that I was the one who makes decisions here, Miss Nora, and not you or your friend,” said Dr. Azoomy. “Besides…Tamer seems to like you, and the change might upset him. We need full cooperation on his part for his treatment to be successful.”

  “In fact, I wanted to ask you about his file. It’s almost empty. Is he just an alcoholic or do you suspect any other maladies?”

  “There are things I can’t tell you about, Miss Nora. He is my private patient, and I have known his family for a long time. The only thing you have to be concerned about is his welfare and whether or not he’s taking his medicine.” The answer didn’t satisfy Nora at all, but she remained silent, waiting for Dr. Azoomy to talk again. “I would like him to stay under your care. No one will change floors or assignments without my orders. Do you understand what I’m saying, Miss Nora?”

  “Yes, Doctor.”

  Nora, unhappy with the turn of events, resumed her morning round knowing she would see Tamer again after all.

  IV.

  Mona Monzem looked at herself in the mirror. She still looked young and pretty. At forty-seven, she had a life filled with many new prospects before her. Married at sixteen to the millionaire Toufic Monzem, she had been a complete innocent thrown into a world of deceit and manipulation. That was a long time ago. After giving her husband a son at eighteen and living in Toufic’s shadow for years, she was now an independent, rich widow in charge of her own destiny.

  The phone rang, interrupting her thoughts.

  "Allo?"

  "Hi, it's Kamil."

  "Hey, I'm waiting for you. Is there a problem with dinner? Or is your wife making a scene as usual?"

  "Neither. Guess what? I have some bad news for you. Tamer was taken back to the hospital two nights ago. But don't worry—Azoomy is taking care of everything, like always."

  "Oh! That child is truly self-destructive. What did he do this time?"

  "The usual. Drinking, spending wildly, and fighting with some guys. Just to let you know, he was on the other side of the city—the Christian side. Thank God he didn't get killed! He was in such bad shape that the Red Cross had to take him to the hospital. Azoomy was called, and he transferred him to the psychiatric one."

  "So our plans are still on for tonight?"

  "Yeah, just go see him tomorrow."

  Mona finished getting ready. She knew she was getting more and more attached to Kamil, Toufic's younger brother. They had been attracted to each other from the day they met. She was a young bride then, and he was fresh out of college, still at the mercy of his brother's whims. Life was tough on both of them, but they could still plan, fight, and survive.

  Tamer was another story. Mona had always felt that he belonged to Toufic more than he belonged to her. Ever since he was born, he was taken in charge by a nanny and by Toufic himself, who saw him as his future heir. He never denied him a thing. Mona hardly had a word in his education. She was kept on the side as a shadow, or more often, a beautiful possession to be shown on occasion. During his school years, Tamer was sent to Europe to finish his education. Mona used to visit London and Paris, checking on him and trying to establish a relationship with her son away from his dad’s influence, but nothing worked. He was always cold and distant. She could never rely on him. And then the war started. Tamer came back home, and he began to fall in with the wrong crowd, which drove Toufic crazy. Then the catastrophe happened…Toufic got killed, and Tamer's breakdown led him to where he was now.

  With a sigh, Mona left the room. Kamil would be here soon to pick her up. The deep sound of bombings could be heard from time to time, but she knew that they weren’t close by. Tomorrow she would have to cross the line to see Azoomy and go visit her son.

  V.

  "Will you come back to see me after your round?" He kept asking her that same question every day even though he didn't expect a positive answer anymore.

  "Bye, Tamer." Nora left, leaving him frustrated and hungry for more time with her. He liked her. At first, teasing her just to make her angry was fun. She wasn't really pretty; she wasn’t the kind of girl who usually attracted him. She was curvy compared to his standards, average height—which meant short for him—and brunette. But still, he felt himself pulled into her deep, black eyes. He wasn’t just sexually attracted; he wanted to know more about her. She was a nice distraction from his own problems, at least.

  His mother came to visit last week. As always, she looked pretty and very self-controlled. At least she hadn’t shown up with her ‘tail,’ his hypocrite of an uncle. She looked concerned as she discussed Tamer’s case with Azoomy. He sat there observing her, hardly listening to what they were saying. In the past, he used to see his dad's shadow every time she was around, and he would feel his own anger emanating from every corner of the room. He used to drink and act crazy as he tried to erase his surroundings and dive deep into an unconscious world where he wouldn't feel a thing. He knew exactly what he’d done ten days ago. He was angry th
at he’d acted so stupid again. He had to find a way to get himself out of this mess without getting killed. Over here, in the Christian area, Kamil still had power—but not enough to get rid of him.

  Tamer was amused to see how much Nora was impressed by Mona. She must have expected an older woman or a veiled one, repressed by the Muslim traditions. His mom was everything but that. Maybe Mona would help him get closer to Nora. He smiled at the thought that his mom's actions could serve his own interests for once.

  After Nora was gone, he left his room for his daily walk. If he got lucky, he might see her again in one of the hallways. He already knew that she had taken up residence at the hospital because of the bombings. He liked to observe her walking around, talking to the patients, or laughing with the other interns. Her laugh cheered him. He was always trying to catch her eye, and he felt her fighting her attraction to him. He didn't want to leave without at least connecting with her. She was the only one who could actually make his life worth living, or, he thought with a tinge of irony, make his life worth fighting for.

  VI.

  Nora immediately knew that he was around. She couldn't stop her heart from beating faster or her eyes from pulling toward his. She was trying as hard as she could to stay professional; she kept her visits to once a day, early in the morning. She knew that any relationship with him was impossible, first because of his condition as a patient—she still hardly knew what was wrong with him—and second because of his religion, which was unacceptable to her friends and family. He was supposed to leave in two days, and she already knew she would miss him.

  "Hey!"

  She jumped; she hadn’t noticed that he’d come so close. "Hi," she said in reply. "So, ready to leave and go back to normal living?"