Goodbye

The Goodbye Girl by Olga Noes

They looked at each other with a sad face. They were overwhelmed with a mixture of emotions, a little happiness with a partial sadness, an excitement with nervousness. It was time to say good bye to the person she had respected all her life. He was the one who had supported her at all times, held her hand and guided her towards the path of light. And today, she had to leave this very person.

She was filled with guilt for leaving at a time when he needed her support the most. She touched his face, feeling his soft wrinkled cheeks wet with tears.

“I’ll miss you a lot, baba,” she whispered as a flashback of the entire life she had spent with her father unfolded before her eyes. Ever since she was born, her father had been her only companion at home. He would cook meals for her, take her to school, helped with her homework and not to mention, supported her financially. She was his little princess and he had always been ready to do anything for her if only it put a smile on her face.

But today was her wedding day. The day when she would become her husband’s responsibility and will leave behind the most precious person in her life. All his life he took care of her and now when he needed to be taken care of, she had to leave him and that too for his own happiness. His dream of getting his daughter married had finally come true.

The fiesty celebrations were coming to an end. The guests were about to leave. With tearful eyes and a blurry vision she could see girls wearing their abayas and old women wrapping themselves up in their huge chaadars to cover before leaving the wedding hall.

All close relatives had gathered around waiting to be hugged by the bride. But she was not ready to let go of her father. She felt a warm hand over her shoulders and knew at once who it was.

The warm hand had always been her support after her father. Today it was the day to hold it forever. With tearful eyes, she looked at him through her shoulders and heard,

“It’s time to leave,” her husband said calmly. While still holding her father’s hand, she hugged her relatives and then, finally, let go. Her husband placed his hands around her waist and walked her towards their 'chariot'. The car was decorated with hundreds of roses but right now nothing was going to cheer her up.

Before getting in she turned to cast one last glance at her old and weak father and then finally shoved herself in with a heavy heart. The only thing to do now was make a silent prayer.

“Oh Allah, I trust you to take care of my baba when I won’t be there with him anymore,” the car engine roared and a new journey begun.

-Aisha Idris

A nomad exploring her talents. Discover more of her works at www.aishaaboo.wordpress.com

Tweet