The Red Line Read online

  Kamil was very upset by the turn of the events; he felt that his nephew was slipping out of his control. He was trying to intervene in the business, and that was out of the question! There was a line where Tamer had to stop. Crossing it would mean unleashing Kamil’s rage, and this time his nephew wouldn’t end up in the psychiatric hospital. It would be the end. Period.

  Mona knew all this. This past year had been stressful for her. She couldn't see Kamil as often as before because of Tamer’s presence, and Kamil himself was busy divorcing his wife and helping her and his two little kids get settled into a new apartment. Instead of making Mona happy, the news and her lover’s attitude made her feel even more worried. Although Tamer’s attitude had changed for the better, she knew that Kamil had become more aggressive, especially after Nora moved in. It was a new experience, but she was worried for her son. For the first time, she saw him as a normal guy who could build a family with the woman he loved. For once, her own interests weren’t her priority.

  Tamer watched his mom cross the living room and sit in her favorite chair across from him. She looked tired, and she even looked her age for once. He pitied her in a way, but he already knew that he could do nothing to help her. She had already chosen Kamil over him years ago. She had even helped put him in the psychiatric hospital, time after time, just to please Kamil and help his schemes along. Tamer had his suspicions that she even plotted with Kamil to kill his dad, and just the thought of it made him hate her all over again.

  He knew not to let his feelings show; he had to protect Nora at all costs. He would behave like before, irresponsible and crazy, until he found a way to outsmart Kamil. He'd been going to check on work recently, not out of interest so much as to bother his uncle. He was never really interested in his dad's business; what he liked most was architecture. But then the war happened, and he’d gotten involved with the militia.

  And now Nora had started to create problems. He’d never suspected she still cared about what people thought of her, not after she moved in with him. She'd been behaving differently lately, as if she was more aware of their social situation and their religious differences. He had been very upset when she decided to spend this last week at the hospital. He knew that Ramzi was present there and was interested in Nora.

  He hardly could remember the guy; the only thing he’d noticed about him was his fanaticism. Tamer was still wondering why Ramzi, with all his hatred against Muslims, was staying in the area. Nora…He was so attached to her. Could he plan a future with her? And on what grounds? Passion, sexual attraction, undying love? He used to live his life day by day, trying to survive without thinking about tomorrow. He’d had a week now to check this habit, and he felt like a part of him was dying without Nora. He couldn't wait for her to call and tell him she was coming back. Oh, God! The relief he felt when he heard her voice again! He couldn't wait to hug her and make love to her tomorrow, again and again and again.

  "So, everything is fine between you two?" Mona asked. "I got worried when Nora disappeared for a week."

  "Well, we both needed some time out to think about our relationship."

  "I hope that she's not having second thoughts about staying here. I thought that Nora, a Christian and a doctor, would be less weighed down by traditions than us Muslims. I myself never really cared; I was and still am very happy about your relationship with this girl."

  "Oh please, Mona. Don't overdo it! This great love and concern for me and my girlfriend! Don't you hear how wrong it sounds coming from you?"

  Tamer’s harsh words were so unexpected that she couldn't answer. He was hurting her feelings again and pushing her away from him. What was she hoping for? A miracle change in her relationship with her son? He was still the same. It was time for her to come back to reality and think about herself again. With a deep sigh, she stood up and left the room.

  XV.

  After a truce between the Christian fief and the Syrians, the Christians started fighting each other halfway through the year 1990. It was the Christian army against the Christian militia, which meant brother against brother and cousin against cousin. The Syrians, the Muslims, and the world watched the awful self-destruction of a community which had stood together in the fight against its enemies for fifteen years. Now it was in agony, in a suicidal war against itself.

  The front lines turned into an exit for the desperate Christians running away from the inferno; their area had been sucked into a whirlwind of death and destruction. For safety, they took refuge in the heart of the Muslim fief in West Beirut, and even in Syria, which became a safe place in light of the fact that there were enemies at home.

  A bomb hit Nora’s house, and her mother had to live with one of Nora's aunts in a safer area. Ramzi's brother, who fought with the militia, got killed. Ramzi couldn't even attend his funeral. Rheem's parents left the country, staying in Syria temporarily before immigrating to Canada for good.

  All the residents who had come from the Christian area felt safest staying where they were in West Beirut. Once a week, one or two of them tried to cross the line to get news of the battles and to check on everyone's parents. Meanwhile, the Christians left at the hospital prayed for their safe return from the front lines.

  XVI.

  Nora had never felt so depressed. It was like her whole world was falling apart. She was back in Tamer's bed and Tamer's life. But her heart wasn't in it anymore. All her thoughts were bent on what was happening in her area, on her destroyed house, and on her mom, now a refugee running from place to place for safety. Nora had invited her to come and stay in her dorm at the hospital, but her mom refused to cross the line and live in a Muslim area. What would she think of Nora if she knew that her daughter had been living with the enemy for more than a year now? Nora didn't want to think about it. Her relationship with Tamer was like a drug she couldn't live without—addiction to sex, addiction to his smell, his smile, his presence. He was in every breath she took, in every word she said, in every thought that popped into her head, even at the most unexpected moments.

  She knew everyone around her at the hospital was growing more suspicious by the day; she even heard her friends whispering behind her back. She couldn't trust Rheem to keep her secret anymore, but she understood Rheem's feelings. It was so frustrating to see that everything over here was getting back to normal while their own homes were being destroyed and their parents were risking their lives every day in despair. Rheem must see her now as a traitor who deserted her own to live with the enemy. Nora sometimes felt the same way, especially when she had to go out with the Monzems for dinner or spend the weekend at a resort at the beach or in northern Lebanon where everybody was partying and living the good life.

  Her friends started going out without her; even at lunch the guys hardly looked at her or talked to her. Any political conversation was banished in front of her too. In the end, she preferred eating lunch alone. She couldn't wait to get out of the hospital at night, lose herself in Tamer's arms, and forget everything.

  "Nora, you're called for at the administration," a nurse from the floor where she was working told her.

  "Doctor," said the lady responsible for their accommodations, "I heard that you're not staying with your roommate anymore, and we're short on housing, especially with what's happening now in East Beirut. We have a bunch of new residents from your faculty coming to specialize here, and we need space. I wonder if you could move the remainder of your belongings so someone else can move in."

  It was like an arrow had struck Nora’s heart. She just sat there staring at the woman, not believing what she was hearing at all. She couldn't talk.

  "Excuse me, Doctor, is something wrong? Everyone in the dorm told me that you're not living there anymore. Even your roommate herself, Dr. Rheem, stopped by to tell me that she has a place available for a new resident."

  "No one told me anything, and I wasn't planning to leave at all! There must be a big misunderstanding. Let me talk to Rheem. No one has the right to kick me out!" Nora
said angrily. She forced herself not to cry in front of the woman, who was looking at her in a curious way.

  "I understand, Doctor. I understand. I thought you were planning to leave. Okay, I'm sorry. But if you change your mind, just let me know."

  Nora couldn't go back to the floor. She went directly to her room, her heart burning in anguish. Her closest friend! She could hardly believe it. 'I want to kill her. Just let her step into the room. I'll kill her!' She called the hospital information service and paged Rheem.

  "Hey!"

  "It's me, Nora. It's urgent. I need to see you. I'm in the room." She was filled with so much anger that she couldn't say more.

  "Okay, I'm on my way." She just shut the line without waiting for Nora's response.

  When she entered the room, Rheem wore a stony expression. Her gaze was shrouded, and she wouldn’t look directly at Nora.

  "I learned that you're kicking me out of our room."

  "Oh please, Nora! You're not living in this room! For once, be honest with yourself. Just tell me, what are you keeping here? The stuff you hardly use? And since when did you really care about this place or about your friends? You've been drawn into your own crazy world, and you’ve forgotten all about us." Rheem was facing her now, and all her pent up anger and frustration finally showed on her face.

  "I never, never expected you, my best friend, to stab me in the back like this. What did I ever do to you to make you so hateful toward me?"

  "Me? Hateful? Nora, didn’t you ever notice what's going on around you? People are talking behind your back. Everybody knows that you're living with a guy. And it wasn't my big mouth that gave you away; it was your own attitude. People saw you with your lover everywhere. Did you think West Beirut was Sweden? Or China? These people here are worse than us, and they despise Christian girls. They think that we’re cheap liberals, easy to sleep with. The other day Ramzi saw you and recognized Tamer. He got insanely mad. He told everybody about you and started calling you 'the Muslim’s w----.' I fought with Farid because of you. He wanted me to move out of our room. And guess what? He told our parents, and I have no idea if the news reached your mom. Did you get the picture now?"

  Nora was pale and felt ready to faint. It was like her whole life had turned upside down, and she was living a nightmare from which she couldn't awaken. She fell on her bed and covered her head with both hands. She couldn't think. She felt dizzy and nauseated. But throwing up wouldn’t solve her problems. She wanted to run away and disappear, but there was no way out. Facing her mom…Oh my God! Telling her that she'd been lying to her for almost two years! She wanted to die; she couldn't face that. How could this have happened? It was all her fault. She deserved everything that was happening to her now. It hurt; it hurt so much.

  "Nora, Nora, are you okay? I'm sorry I was so harsh—but you needed to hear the truth." Nora pushed Rheem back and left the room. Out in the hallway, she stopped. She couldn't go back to work. She was shaking all over. She wasn't supposed to see Tamer till late, at the end of the day.

  "Dr. Nora, you're needed in O.R.” Reminded of her duties, she knew that she needed to stay in control and go on as usual. No one had to know how much she was hurt. She had made her choice, and as an adult, she had known what the consequences would be. The only thing she hadn’t been expecting was her friend’s rejection. Back in the O.R., she stoically finished her day without anyone noticing how much her heart was bleeding.

  XVII.

  "Hey Uncle, I would like a word with you.” Tamer was standing at the door of Kamil's office with an enigmatic expression on his face.

  ‘Time for him to go back to the hospital,’ thought Kamil. ‘He's been out of it too long.’

  "What's up, Tamer?" He came in and sat down across from his uncle.

  "I would like to pursue my studies overseas. You know the war interrupted everything. I was thinking about the U.S. But as you know, this will cost me. If I remember right, my dad left me a trust besides my inheritance. I would’ve gotten it before if I hadn’t been sick.”

  "But you are still sick, Tamer. I didn't receive any word from Azoomy releasing you. That means you're still legally incompetent. There’s still no way for you to handle your own expenses."

  "We're talking about my fortune and my properties—the ones you’re spending and using for your own benefit. But they're still under my name. Okay, okay, let's calm down. I went to see Hamadi, the family attorney. He must have called you after my visit."

  "Yeah. He did. I didn't think that would help you a lot. He still needs my approval to release confidential documents, and I won’t give it so easily, especially while you’re still mentally unstable,” said Kamil, without mincing words.

  "Wow Uncle! You're smart! You’ve really got me where you wanted me: completely incapacitated, stuck in a corner watching you, your criminal friends, and my miserable mother enjoying what rightfully belongs to me."

  "Tamer, Tamer, see how delusional and paranoid you are?"

  "Oh please shut up! I want to leave. Do you understand? Like not be in your way forever. What I need is enough money to get my started in America. I want my trust, my trust, and I’ll fight you for it!"

  "Oh my! And fight me with what, dear Nephew? I have more connections with the militia than you could make in a thousand years. Do you think I’m frightened by your threats? Go, go, go check with Azoomy again. I think you might need another stay at the hospital, and this time your mind will clear more fully without the presence of your dear Nora."

  "Shut up or I'll kill you!" Tamer suddenly jumped out of his chair, pushed Kamil to the wall, and held him by his neck, trying to strangle him.

  Kamil tried to fight back by kicking and punching, but Tamer's size overwhelmed him. He was hardly breathing when he started pounding the wall to attract his employees’ attention. His secretary suddenly burst into the office and started to scream. Tamer, who had come back to reality, realized that his uncle had closed the trap on him again by purposely driving him mad. He felt sick and just wanted to spit in Kamil's face.

  Instead, he let him go and ran away, trying to lose the security guards who had started running after him. Out in the street, they started firing, and he knew that it would be the end of him. He wouldn’t survive the chase. In despair, he started heading toward the front lines and the east side of the city, his only way out. In this country at war, running after a guy and firing at him was so casual a scene that people’s only reaction was to hide and protect themselves.

  At the approach of the ghostly buildings and deserted streets of the front lines, a bullet hit him in the back. The impact knocked him to the ground. He just pulled himself up. He couldn't stand getting caught, and he ran into the first building, hoping to find someone from the militia who could help him hide or cross the line. He tried to move cautiously from building to building, but he left a trail of blood behind him. He was feeling dizzy, but he couldn't lose consciousness right now. He had to keep going.

  He arrived at the site where he usually waited for Nora and just stopped, blinded by the tears in his eyes and overwhelmed by emotions he couldn't send away. ‘Focus, just focus.’ It was a mantra he repeated again and again and again. Suddenly, he heard a series of gunshots beside him, and then some gunfire back. He crouched down, and a mortar fell not far from him.

  "Well, well, what do we have here?" Tamer heard a sarcastic voice just above his head. It was impossible for him to move; he felt close to blacking out. Suddenly, someone pulled him up by his hair. He screamed in pain.

  "Hey, I can't believe it! Look guys, it’s our Romeo! What happened to you, man? You look like you’re in a really bad shape."

  Tamer could finally breathe again. These were his guys, the ones who used to wait with him for Nora every week, the guys from the front lines.

  "They want to kill me in the West. I have to cross the line into the East—if you could just help me!"

  "Are you an Israeli spy or something?" They asked suspiciously.

  "Oh m
y God. I was fighting here with you at the beginning of the war! It's my uncle; he's after my money, and it's a long story." Tamer felt so weak; it was a huge effort to put words together. He needed help and fast. "Please help."

  "Hey guys, let him be. I know his family. Omar, the old guy who brings us news, is their chauffeur. Let's help him."

  At these words, Tamer breathed a deep sigh of relief and then blacked out. When he woke up, he hurt everywhere. He found himself in an underground bunker which had undergone a complete transformation into some kind of emergency room. His chest was wrapped in a heavy bandage, and he had an open I.V. line in his left arm. On the other side of the bunker, a group of heavily armed guys and girls were talking, drinking, and enjoying hanging out.

  "Hey Romeo, feeling better?" A guy standing just behind him asked. The guy walked around to face him; they looked about the same age. "I remember you, you know, from fifteen years ago. We started fighting together in these streets. Damn! These filthy Christians! They're killing each other right now. I remember that something happened to your dad. He was shot, isn't that right? Sad, very sad."

  "How long was I unconscious?" asked Tamer, who was thinking that his story was no one else’s business.

  "About three or four hours. It's nighttime now. We had an exchange of fire with the 'comrades’ across the line, but the latest, really intense battles have been going on between the guys on the east side. A bullet went through your body, but our doc patched you up well. You should take antibiotics for at least five days. Do you have any plans right now? Leave or stay?"

  "If it's okay, I'll stay the night, and then I’d be grateful if you could help me cross the line tomorrow. I can't stay longer."